Kesko adds momentum to e-commerce and services
KESKO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 07.06.2010 AT 14.00 1(2)
Matti Leminen, member of Kesko's Corporate Management Board and President in charge of the home and speciality goods division has been appointed to head Kesko's e-marketing and services project. Kesko sees that electronic marketing and electronic, interactive customer business models will become the key competitive factor in the forthcoming years.
"Major near-future changes in Kesko and retail stores are related to interaction between the customer and the store, to constant contacts and the multi-channel approach. Online transactions are increasing and the Internet will have a larger role to play in the planning of shopping," says President and CEO Matti Halmesmäki.
"We want to considerably speed up the development of e-marketing and services throughout the entire K-Group and Kesko Group, which applies both to K-retailers and Kesko's divisions."
In addition to his new duties, Matti Leminen will continue as the President of Anttila Oy and to head the home and speciality goods division.
Kesko has several ongoing projects related to electronic customer communications. Electronic customer information obtained via the K-Plussa card is, for example, utilised in planning store-specific selections and services and in targeting the stores' marketing messages. Several store chains of the K-Group have built their own loyalty schemes for their important customer groups, such as Kodin Ykkönen's Ykkösasiakas programme. Electronic systems are also used for predicting demand and managing the chain selection and pricing on the basis of the customer structure.
Examples of interactive electronic services include Audi's successful Facebook campaign, the food recipe service provided on Pirkka.fi pages, and the shoe search engine on the web pages of Andiamo and K-kenkä, which helps the user find shoes that best match his or her selection criteria.
Kesko has five online stores selling home and speciality goods
The role of online business is becoming significant particularly in the home and speciality goods trade. The K-Group's largest online store NetAnttila (www.netanttila.com) has been the best-known and most popular online department store in Finland for several years now.
Other K-Group online stores are Budget Sport in the sports trade (www.budgetsport.fi), Kodin Ykkönen focusing on home and interior decoration products (www.kodin1.com), CM-store focusing on music (www.cm-store.fi), and
Konebox.fi (www.konebox.fi), which offers home technology products and services.
Further information:
President and CEO Matti Halmesmäki, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 1053 22201
President Terho Kalliokoski, Kesko Food Ltd, tel. +358 1053 22204
President Matti Leminen, Anttila Oy, tel. +358 1053 40100
President Jari Lind, Rautakesko Ltd, tel. +358 1053 20200
Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, and Belarus.
