Makro The Netherlands joining Seats2meet
You may have heard something through the grapevine: wholesaler Makro The Netherlands will join the Seats2meet ecosystem… We can now officially confirm: as off May 1st, 2016, Makro will indeed join us with its 17 Dutch locations! Makro started out as a Dutch-based wholesale chain with a first cash & carry store in Amsterdam in 1968. Since 1988, all European Makro locations are part of the German Metro AG, a retail and wholesale giant that also owns the consumer electronics chains Media Markt and Saturn.
Everyone in The Netherlands knows Makro by the huge blue stores, usually located in an industrial area close to the highway, offering both food and non-food products to business owners with a membership card. However, Makro The Netherlands has recently chosen a surprisingly new path: to become the central meeting place for entrepreneurs that both like good food ánd want to develop themselves as even better entrepreneurs by networking and sharing their knowledge with other entrepreneurs. By facilitating this, Makro distinguishes itself from other big wholesalers in the same sector in The Netherlands. Also in the US we see big chains, like office supplier Staples, strategically choosing to build bridges with the co-working movement, understanding that adjusting their business model in that direction is key to stay relevant.
The new Makro concept is based on three pillars: shopping & purchasing, working & networking, doing business with other entrepreneurs. Before the end of 2017, all 17 Makro locations will be refurbished, putting more focus on food and facilitating meetings between entrepreneurs. I was lucky to already experience a delicious plate of asparagus with a tender piece of veal in one of the brand new food courts at Makro Duiven. Just imagine combining your (net)working day with a great lunch like that. During the fair B2B De Liemers in Duiven at April 19th, Makro first (unofficially) presented its new concept, together with Seats2meet. Responses from both employees and visitors were great.
As the non-food departments will be downsized considerably, locations will have plenty of space in abundance. Totally in line with the Seats2meet vision, Makro has decided to use that abundance to facilitate the creation of new value. Each location will get a café where you will be able to work and network as an entrepreneur and share your knowledge. Next to that there will be spaces to accommodate group meetings and events will be organized.
Seats2meet will offer the platform to accelerate the serendipity between entrepreneurs, so that they will be able to meet, exchange knowledge with each other and start collaborations. Also the booking software for the meeting spaces will be provided by Seats2meet. What started out not so long ago as a small pilot with the Makro location in Vianen, will soon be integrated in all 17 Makro locations. The roll out will take place in phases.
While visiting Seats2meet.com in Utrecht, CEO Kef van Helbergen said: ‘This feels like coming home!’ He was referring to his own entrepreneurial heart that jumped a beat, seeing so much entrepreneurial activity in one room. It’s exactly what he is after with Makro, together with the great team he has created around him: to make the Makro locations vibrant places for entrepreneurs, so that they can enrich themselves. Therefore, a warm welcome to everyone at Makro! Press releases will go out soon.
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