“Gut & CHEAP”, “Tip”, “Ja!”, “K-Classic” – own brands have long been established in the food retail trade. In other sectors, on the other hand, own private labels were taboo for quite a while, until 2010. At that time, Media-Saturn-Holding pushed forward with its own brand “Ok” and defied brand manufacturers.
At the beginning of the 2010s, the electronics supermarkets Media Markt and Saturn began to have their own private labels for the first time. The first are the own brands “Ok” and “Koenic”. Media-Saturn-Holding has some of its products produced in China or in south-eastern European countries.
They are based on the originals of well-known brands. In many cases, however, the devices can also keep up with the big models in terms of quality. However, customers usually pay at least ten percent less for the imitation products. The low price then attracts customers, so private labels mean good business overall for the electronics giant.
Media Markt and Saturn now have four of their own brand series. In addition to “Ok” and “Koenic”, “Isy” and “Peaq” have been added over the years.
What is the strategy behind own brands?
In the meantime, own brands in the electronics sector are no longer a rarity. Some aren’t necessarily even recognized as such, such as Parkside, a Lidl own brand. Others, such as Amazon Basics, have clear branding. There are several reasons for own brands:
- Retailers are making themselves independent of the pressure from brand manufacturers.
- Own brands ensure a better image. The articles are unmistakably linked to a company. If the quality is right, the price decides which TV or washing machine goes in the shopping cart.
- Customer loyalty increases. However, only if the customers have had good experiences with the products under the private label.
- Retailers can also flexibly change the manufacturer of a product. The customers don’t notice anything because articles are always offered under a uniform brand label.
This strategy is paying off for Media-Saturn-Holding: Currently, the share of own brands in the total turnover of almost 22 billion euros is about two percent. That makes a share of almost 500 million euros. In the long term, the electronics group is aiming for a share of five percent.
Also interesting: What the reorganization of Media Markt and Saturn means for customers
As already mentioned, Media Markt Saturn has a total of four own brands, with “Ok” and “Koenic” being the most well-known. Below we briefly introduce the brands.
Ok
The product range under the own brand “Ok” ranges from large household appliances and microwaves to televisions. All devices are kept simple and functional.
An excerpt from the “Ok” product catalogue:
- White goods: washing machine, dryer, refrigerator
- Small kitchen helpers: waffle iron, microwave, hand mixer
- hairdryer
- Vacuum cleaner
- Fans
- TV
- Iron
Koenic
The “Koenic” brand mainly includes large or small household appliances. But the brand also has a lot to offer in the beauty sector. The range has also been steadily expanded in recent years.
An excerpt from the “Koenic” product catalogue:
- White goods: washing machine, dryer, refrigerator
- Small kitchen helpers: toaster, kettle
- curling iron
- vacuum robot
- Heizlüfter
His mother
The range of the own brand “Isy” mostly includes consumer electronics devices. Hobby photographers and computer freaks will find inexpensive alternatives to the more expensive branded devices here.
An excerpt from the “Isy” product catalogue:
- Accessories for smartphones and tablets
- Lamps
- Computer and gaming accessories
- Tripods
- headphones
- batteries
Peak
Many audio, video and computer products come under the “Peaq” brand name. Even smartphones operate under their own brand.
An excerpt from the “Peaq” product catalogue:
- Bluetooth Boxes
- Digitalradios
- Hi-Fi systems
- TV
- Laptops
- Office- und Gaming-Monitore
- Smartphones & Tablets
This is what the own brands “Ok”, “Koenic”, “Isy” and “Peaq” stand for
Media Markt Saturn’s own brands are roughly divided into different electronics areas. This is also reflected in the optics of the devices. So “Isy” with its products is more likely to be classified in the lifestyle area. The devices are kept simple, but also have a certain color palette. “Peaq” has a similar, but slightly higher quality – and more expensive – design.
The brands “Ok” and “Koenic” also make similar products in the household sector, but serve different target groups in some cases. For example, “Ok” appeals to a particularly price-conscious target group, while “Koenic” offers a few more features. In addition, one finds “Ok” rather the slightly smaller, with the other brand, however, the slightly larger household appliances.