Starting October 1, 2024, the 1,450 members of the Telering group will be able to order products from the ElectronicPartner warehouse that were previously unavailable within their buying group’s system. In return, from January 1, 2025, the members and franchise partners of the Düsseldorf-based buying group will gain direct, centrally regulated access to the product range of the Weltfunk wholesale warehouses. Friedrich Sobol, Member of the Board at ElectronicPartner, explained how this partnership came about: “At the beginning of this year, we began exploring the conditions necessary to establish a new specialist group focused on repair services. Around the same time, structural changes took place at Weltfunk. We opened discussions with Telering’s leadership, recognizing a potential win-win situation for both sides.”
Telering's “Technik-Profis” (technology professionals) place a strong emphasis on workshop services, making them ideal partners for a repair-oriented specialist group. Additionally, thanks to the cooperation between Telering and ElectronicPartner, these members can once again access warehouse stock from manufacturers who had been unavailable to them in recent months, and under attractive conditions. On the other side, ElectronicPartner’s affiliated retailers will now be able to centrally purchase goods from Weltfunk wholesalers that were not previously available in their warehouse — primarily items needed for repairs and installations. “With this new partnership, we are strengthening our position with manufacturers and helping to provide further support for local retailers and tradespeople,” said ElectronicPartner Board Member Karl Trautmann. He added, “Our goal is to solidify the foundations of our cooperative buying group.”
Changes are also underway in the Swiss consumer electronics retail sector. Here, high-end company ag – formerly euronics schweiz ag – and ElectronicPartner Switzerland have entered into an extensive partnership. The first milestone has already been achieved: since the beginning of September, high-end company ag has been handling its entire warehouse operations through ElectronicPartner Switzerland.
Another key topic at the IFA press conference was the employer branding campaign “ElectronicFamily.” Through this new employer brand, ElectronicPartner aims to attract potential employees not only for the cooperative’s central office but also for EP:specialist retailers and MEDIMAX stores. “The core of our business is delivering excellent service – for our members, and in turn, for their customers. This is only possible with the right people and long-term succession planning. Finding and retaining skilled workers is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and we are taking a proactive approach to it,” explained Friedrich Sobol. The employer branding initiative also supports the “Become a Partner” campaign launched a year ago, providing a valuable competitive advantage for both new and existing partner companies.
Another compelling reason to join the Düsseldorf buying group is participation in the WENDEpunkt concept, a specialist group focused on renewable energies. “We launched this at our congress in March and quickly realized that our multi-level concept was the right approach. At present, more than one hundred of our members are undergoing certified training to become sales professionals for photovoltaic systems,” reported Friedrich Sobol.
Marketing and installing technology for renewable energy generation is just one example of how ElectronicPartner is addressing sustainability. Preparations for the mandatory CSRD report under EU taxonomy are well underway across the entire organization.
“Our sustainability officers are working together across departments and countries. The challenge we face as a company is truly monumental – full of opportunities and potential, but also burdened with an overwhelming amount of impractical bureaucracy,” said Karl Trautmann. In addition to this theoretical work, ElectronicPartner is implementing numerous practical and immediately beneficial projects, such as installing a large-scale PV system on the roof of its own warehouse and financially supporting the restoration of a moorland area over the next ten years.
Following positive sales developments during the summer months, the buying group is now looking ahead to the final quarter of 2024 with confidence. “The IFA 100 showed us just how exciting this industry is, even – or especially – after all this time, and that our products continue to inspire people. Combined with the right offerings focused on service, sustainability, and longevity, this is our key to success,” Karl Trautmann concluded.
