Bram Vromans

Behind every great transformation story, there's a number that changes everything. Picture this: Two MediaMarkt stores, similar products, comparable locations. One generates 10.8 percentage points more sales per square meter. The difference? Transformation. This isn't theory – it's our reality at CECONOMY and MediaMarktSaturn. "How do you measure if transformation is working?" It's a question I hear frequently, and one that fuels my passion for what we're building. That's why I'm starting a small series called "Transformation in numbers" where over time I'll share some key metrics that show how our strategic initiatives are creating real value. TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT: Store Modernization Impact This number genuinely excites me: +10.8 percentage points increase in space productivity after store modernization in our financial quarter Q2, compared to the same time last year. Simply put: our modernized stores are generating significantly more sales per square meter compared to our traditional locations after a few months. We're also seeing a +3.5pp boost in visitor frequency. Customers are actively choosing our upgraded stores! And the payback period is really short. Why? Because we're not just renovating MediaMarktSaturn stores - we're reimagining the entire customer experience with four distinct store concepts, tailored to different customer needs: ✅ CORE STORES: Our proven mid-sized format delivering expert advice and full-service experience ✅ XPRESS STORES: Neighborhood convenience with smart product selection and digital integration ✅ SMART STORES: Compact city locations for quick, targeted tech shopping; convenient online pick-up points for Click&Collect ✅ LIGHTHOUSES: Flagship destinations offering immersive product experiences in major cities So, those space productivity numbers reflect something fundamental: better shopping environments drive customer behavior. When we invest in modernizing stores, customers visit more frequently, stay longer, and generate higher returns per square meter. This isn't about aesthetics, it's about growth and operational efficiency. With 64% of our stores already transformed, we're well on track to reach our goal of modernizing over 90% of our European stores by 2025/26. The transformation is working. The numbers prove it. Behind every metric is a customer with a better experience and sustainable value creation. Let's Go! What aspect of retail transformation resonates most with you? #MediaMarktSaturn #CECONOMY #transformation #strategy #ExperienceElectronics Dr. Kai-Ulrich Deissner Kathy Keppeln Sascha Mager Iris Pruefer Alexander T. Rauchut Michael Schuld Andy Wolfe Faruk Kocabaş Guido Monferrini Marcus Tengler

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🔥 Full house in Antwerp. 19 marketers. One shared urgency: “We need to infuse our marketing with AI. Now.” Every time I host the AI for Marketers Masterclass, the energy grows. 🧩 As one participant (Jens Bouvin) said it best: “AI for marketing isn’t about hacks. It’s about creating an ecosystem.” Because real value happens when: 1️⃣ Tools talk to each other 2️⃣ Workflows solve real problems 3️⃣ Teams get time back (not just tasks done) Here’s what we explore in the masterclass: ✅ A broad introduction to 20+ tools across the marketing funnel. ✅ Use cases that actually matter to your team. ✅ The mindset shift: from tactical execution to system thinking. ✅ You get a helicopter view in orde to see your AI for Marketers roadmap. You don’t need an agent doing 100 API calls every 15 minutes. You might just need a better prompt strategy. 👉 What if dictating prompts saves your team 3h/week? 👉 What if you cut €3K/month in video costs with AI tools? The key? Pick 3–5 tools that align with your marketing goals. Assign an owner. Roll it out like a project. That’s how AI delivers ROI. Next up: 📍 Ghent – Aug 8 📍 Antwerp – Aug 12 → DM me or comment “MASTERCLASS” and I’ll send the details. Or book it directly via the link in the comments.

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Big news from Hyperfox! The Hasselt-based startup has raised €3.2 million in seed funding to enhance its AI-powered platform, which automates incoming order processing. Co-founder Tom Devos explains that the platform reduces repetitive tasks, freeing up back-office teams to focus on more valuable work. This funding will help Hyperfox expand its reach and develop new capabilities, like automating orders from scanned documents. Exciting times ahead for this innovative startup! 🙌 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dXBapDqA #Hyperfox #AI #Startups #Innovation #SeedFunding

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"I like things to be easy... so I let AI think along." - Kees van Middendorp Kees joined our Zoom call late, wifi issues. But within minutes, it became clear: this isn't a coach experimenting with AI. He's a very early adopter in the coaching world. Executive coach. Start-up mentor. Three days a week, 90% online. Kees is also an associate at Global Coach Group, a global network of 3,500 carefully selected independent coaches. His AI toolkit? A Zoom notetaker, Reanotes for ICF competency analysis, and You.com, access to over 30 AIs for €200 per year. What stuck with me wasn’t just his tech stack. It was his clarity: "I get my work through coaching networks and platforms. But if I want to keep making a real impact, I need to build something of my own." Kees is planning to launch a training program for new coaches and a start-up mentor growth journey. AI-augmented learning paths where you don’t just train your skills, you learn how to work with your own AI Twin. He’s ready to get his AI twin with CoachNova. If AI could take 50% off your plate, what would you do? #CoachingBusiness #AIinCoaching #CoachingInnovation #coachnova

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🔐 Escape Room meets Information Security 🧩 How do you make complex information security topics engaging and memorable? At io, we experienced it first-hand through The Honeypot training by HIDDEN Awareness. In a dynamic escape room format, our teams were challenged with realistic scenarios: phishing attacks, social engineering, weak passwords, and handling of sensitive data – all under time pressure and in close team collaboration. 📌 At io, we take information security very seriously – not only in our projects, but also in how we train and empower our teams. 💡 The immersive format ensured full focus on the topic – no distractions, no side conversations. Just active learning and team-based problem solving. 🎯 The goal: Raise awareness for critical information security issues and sharpen our mindset for daily work. The outcome? Interactive, insightful, and highly effective. An excellent example of how security awareness training can be both impactful and fun. Big thanks to HIDDEN Awareness for the creative concept and professional execution!

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Eurofiber Belgium takes over sector peer Arcadiz and becomes a fiber powerhouse. The Leuven based Arcadiz is specialised in finersolutions for corporates. It has 38 employees with a turnover of  14.2 million euros in 2023. Combined revenues was 49 million euros. @digitalnews.

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Driven, a Ghent-based startup building an AI-powered platform for managing sales commissions, has raised €1.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Pitchdrive, with participation from NewSchool.vc and a roster of prominent angel investors, including Jeroen De Wit (Teamleader), Gilles Mattelin, Jorn Vanysacker, Wouter Van Respaille (Henchman), and Matthias Geeroms (Lighthouse). 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 👉 https://lnkd.in/eMxuDuck Ludovic Diercxsens Lorenz Bogaert Andres De Jonge Tom De Kooning #Startups #FundingNews #Founders #Tech #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #SalesCommission

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