 | |
 Headquarters inDüsseldorf-Hafen | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| FWB: CEC FWB: MEOD (ADR) OTC Pink Current:MTAGF OTC Pink Current:MTTRY (ADR) SDAX component (CEC) | |
| ISIN | DE0007257503 US1500421094 |
| Industry | Retail |
| Predecessor | Metro AG |
| Founded | 2017; 8 years ago (2017) (original group was founded in 1996) |
| Headquarters | Düsseldorf, Germany |
Number of locations | 1,024 (2022) |
Key people |
|
| Products | Consumer electronics and related services |
| Revenue | €21.8 billion (2022) |
Number of employees | 50,000 (2022) |
| Website | www |
Ceconomy AG is an international retail company headquartered inDüsseldorf, Germany. Its history goes back to theMetro Group.[1] Ceconomy operates more than 1,000 consumerelectronics stores in eleven countries. In addition to MediaMarkt and Saturn, the group owns Deutsche Technikberatung. Approximately 24 % of its sales are generated online.[2]
In March 2016, Metro announced a comprehensive reorganization of itsbusiness units. Wholesale and food retailing were to be continued separately from the consumer electronics centers.[3] For Cash & Carry and Real, the company wanted to retain the "Metro" name. MediaMarkt and Saturn were henceforth to be managed under the umbrella of "Ceconomy".[4] The reorganization was completed in July 2017.[5] Since then, Ceconomy and Metro have functioned as independent sister companies.[6] Both entities maintained their listing on the stock exchange.[7]
Ceconomy started as a leading European electronics retailer.[8] To build on this position, the company focused on diversifying and internationalizing its activities. Examples include the acquisition of a majority stake in Deutsche Technikberatung and a minority stake in French electronics retailerFnac Darty.[9]
In response to increased competition in retail, Ceconomy developed closer cooperation with Fnac Darty and M.video,[10] but did not realize those plans.[11] The Fnac Darty affiliation caused conflict with MediaMarkt co-founderErich Kellerhals.[12] There was a controversy between Ceconomy and Convergenta over the company'sstrategy and board appointments,[13] which ended in 2020.[14]
The MediaMarkt Tech VilliageHamburg store is the largest contiguous electronics store in Europe, covering an area of 15,000 square meters over 5 floors.[15]
The key trends of Ceconomy are (as at the financial year ending September 30):[16]
| Year | Revenue (€ bn) | Net income (€ m) | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 22.1 | 1,102 | 68,804 |
| 2018 | 21.4 | –212 | 61,962 |
| 2019 | 21.4 | 122 | 59,421 |
| 2020 | 20.8 | –232 | 57,739 |
| 2021 | 21.3 | 232 | 54,966 |
| 2022 | 21.7 | 126 | 53,889 |
| 2023 | 22.2 | –39 | 52,547 |
| 2024 | 22.4 | 76 | 50,918 |
Ceconomy is astock corporation under German law with its registered office in Düsseldorf. Its shares are traded on thePrime Standard ofDeutsche Börse. Ceconomy was part of the MDAX from 2017 to September 2018 and has since been part of theSDAX.[17] The largest shareholders include the investment holding company Haniel, the Meridian Foundation, the telecommunications companyFreenet, and the Beisheim family; there are other institutional investors such as pension funds.
The currentexecutive board consists of Karsten Wildberger (CEO) and Kai-Ulrich Deissner(CFO).[18][19] Thesupervisory board is headed by Thomas Dannenfeldt.
The core of Ceconomy's business activities is the sale of consumer electronics and the installation and repair of related products. The subsidiaries operate largely independently. Ceconomy is increasingly focusing on linking its stores with online retailing. The omnichannel strategy is seen as the most important building block for further development of the Ceconomy group.[20][21]
Media-Saturn-Holding (or MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group), headquartered inIngolstadt, bundles business under the MediaMarkt and Saturn brands. The formerly independent retail chains have been affiliated under company law since 1990.[22] The first MediaMarkt store opened inMunich in 1979,[23] the first Saturn store in 1961 onCologne'sHansaring.[24]
Deutsche Technikberatung (DTB for short), headquartered inHürth, Germany, is a service company that supports customers with questions about consumer electronics. This includes not only the installation and configuration of devices but also pre-purchase advice. The technicians work either on-site or via remote maintenance.[25]
