The e-commerce landscape has changed rapidly in recent years. At the heart of this development is the concept of omnichannel, which enables companies to serve their customers seamlessly across multiple channels. A striking example of the successful implementation of an omnichannel strategy is the German company Hugendubel.

Tripling of Hugendubel's online sales in the last five years

Hugendubel, an established player in the book market, has tripled its online sales in the last five years. The company recognized early on how important it is to link its physical stores with its digital offering.

Hugendubel app as a driver of the customer experience

Proof of this is the Hugendubel app: two thirds of visits to the Hugendubel website are now made via mobile devices, and sales via these devices have increased significantly over the past year.

Increasing share of online book orders via smartphone

Per Dalheimer, Managing Director of Hugendubel Digital, emphasizes: "Online book orders via cell phone to the store are currently highly relevant. After the pandemic, this share has also increased significantly compared to 2019."

Omnichannel excellence in figures: 30% Click & Collect at Hugendubel companies

The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation and many traditional store customers have discovered Hugendubel's online store during lockdowns. The company responded quickly by shifting the expertise of its stores to the digital space and offering free home book delivery. Furthermore, the option to reserve books online and collect them from the store on the same day - known as "Click & Collect" - has become increasingly popular. Currently, almost 30% of Hugendubel's online orders are processed via this service.

Particular strength: multichannel brand loyalty

Nina Hugendubel, Managing Partner of Hugendubel, explains: "People who order from us online also like to come into the store. Overall, we can say that cross-channel brand loyalty is pleasingly high."

Reliable delivery performance plays a key role in Hugendubel's e-commerce strategy. With an impressive delivery reliability of 98% and a high Net Promoter Score of 73, the company shows how important it is to meet and even exceed customer expectations as an online retailer.

In conclusion, the example of Hugendubel shows how important omnichannel excellence is for success in e-commerce. Companies that are able to efficiently link their channels and online stores and offer their customers a consistent shopping experience will continue to be successful in today's digital landscape.

Cooperation Hugendubel Digital with Beyond E-Commerce: A field report on the selection of a helpdesk service solution

We are proud to have worked for Hugendubel Digital and are honored that Per Dalheimer has issued us with a meaningful reference. Our collaboration with Hugendubel Digital was characterized by a common understanding and the motivation to find and implement efficient solutions.

Selection of a helpdesk solution

Our project with Hugendubel Digital focused on selecting a helpdesk solution for their customer service. At Beyond E-Commerce, we value a structured and targeted approach. This is reflected in Per Dalheimer's words: "Beyond E-Commerce enabled us to make the selection process for our helpdesk solution efficient and successful. Their deep understanding of our specific requirements and the comprehensive evaluation process gave us the confidence to make the right decisions."

It is particularly important to emphasize that our collaboration was not only on a professional level, but that we also understood the culture and the medium-sized character of Hugendubel Digital. "The joint negotiation of conditions with the solution providers was pragmatic and goal-oriented," says Dalheimer.

Per Dalheimer concluded by emphasizing the quality of our collaboration: "It has been rewarding to work with a partner like Beyond E-Commerce who not only understands our needs, but also inspires us to be even more ambitious in defining our business goals."

We appreciate the positive feedback from Hugendubel Digital and look forward to continuing our successful partnership in the future.

Per Dalheimer: Hugendubel Digital

Hugendubel Digital GmbH & Co. KG, based in Hamburg, was founded in 2015 and represents a central building block in the digital strategy of the renowned bookstore chain Hugendubel. Under the leadership of Per Dalheimer, Managing Director of Hugendubel Digital, the company has a clear vision: to dovetail online and offline channels in the book trade.

Hugendubel Digital now combines the strengths of the online stores Hugendubel.de and eBook.de with Hugendubel's more than 90 brick-and-mortar stores. This approach makes it possible to offer customers a consistent and enriching shopping experience both online and offline.

Career Per Dalheimer - Managing Director of Hugendubel Digital

Dalheimer, the Managing Director of Hugendubel Digital & part of the tolino Alliance management team, has a deep connection to the digital book industry. Before taking over the management of Hugendubel Digital in 2015, he had been Managing Director of eBook.de NET GmbH since 2002. This experience, combined with his degree in industrial engineering, makes Dalheimer a central figure in the implementation of Hugendubel's digital vision.

Overall, the development of Hugendubel Digital shows how established companies like Hugendubel, with the right strategy and under the leadership of experienced managing directors like Dalheimer, can successfully master change in the retail sector.

About Hugendubel

Founded in 1893, Hugendubel is a company with an impressive history of over 130 years. Even today, after so many years, the company remains true to its passion for books. With around 3000 locations throughout Germany, including over 90 stores, 800 shop-in-shops and the online store Hugendubel.de, Hugendubel has established itself as one of the largest owner-managed booksellers in Germany.

Business units Hugendubel GmbH & Co KG

Hugendubel also operates the wholesale business Hugendubel Fachinformationen and has a strong presence in the digital book market with eBook.de. Another milestone in the company's history was the acquisition of lovelybooks.de in 2021, which means that Hugendubel now unites the largest German-language book community under its roof.

Hugendubel GmbH Co as a family business in the fifth generation

The company is now in its fifth generation of family management by siblings Nina and Maximilian Hugendubel. One of their pioneering initiatives was the co-founding of the tolino alliance, a unique and successful alliance for digital reading "made in Germany".

Omnichannel approach as a strategic guideline

Hugendubel's approach is to dovetail the store business and online store and thus pursue a cross-generational multichannel strategy. Today, the company employs around 1,600 people across Germany and continues its tradition of focusing on the love of books.

Nina Hugendubel: A passion for books and the family business

Nina Hugendubel represents the latest generation in the impressive history of the Hugendubel family business. Together with her brother Maximilian Hugendubel, she has been managing partner of the renowned book retailer since 2003. Hugendubel is also part of DBH Deutsche Buch Handels GmbH & Co. KG.

Nina Hugendubel's educational path has taken her on a multifaceted academic journey. She studied politics, philosophy and economics at renowned universities such as Passau and Berlin. But her thirst for knowledge also drove her abroad. After graduating, she gained valuable international experience through internships in cities such as Cambridge, Hong Kong and Tokyo. These experiences gave her a global perspective, which she eventually brought with her to Germany.

Nina Hugendubel's focus in the family business

In Hugendubel's corporate structure, Nina Hugendubel plays a key role in the areas of marketing and sales. Her leadership, combined with her diverse education and international experience, is instrumental in ensuring that Hugendubel continues to play a leading role in book retailing in the 21st century.