--- title: Cooperative Groups description: novomind provides optimal support for the digitalisation of cooperative groups and their members in digital commerce, as well as in customer service. url: https://www.novomind.com/en/industry/cooperative-groups/ markdown_url: https://www.novomind.com/en/industry/cooperative-groups.md type: page slug: cooperative-groups published: 2022-04-21T05:42:11Z modified: 2025-12-15T10:15:23Z language: en-US word_count: 1398 tokens: 2693 --- # Cooperative Groups Helping shape the data revolution As the world becomes increasingly digital, more and more new companies are emerging with a business model that no longer requires traditional cooperative group services. The sharing of knowledge between individual cooperative members and the pooling of data determine the groups’ future prospects in both wholesale and retail. Contact us New players are conquering the markets A digital business model is missing Cooperative groups have a history that stretches back a long way. In an era of Amazon and mobile shopping, however, they are finding it difficult to find solutions for their members. New players on the scene are taking over the traditional services, such as product range generation, warehousing and logistics. Digitalisation, therefore, is taking away the raison d’être for a large number of today’s cooperative groups and changing business processes. Very few cooperative head offices are taking the important issue of data usage into their own hands. Hundreds of industrial suppliers? Thousands of supplier catalogues? Millions of item data sets? Successful concepts involve big data management. A centrally-managed online platform can help overcome the challenges of fully exploiting the strengths of the retailers involved, whilst also taking sufficient levels of freedom into account so as to offer a consistent customer journey at the same time. In doing so, central services are transferred over to a competitive omnichannel model. Did you know? In Germany alone, there are 320 cooperative groups from 45 industries containing around 230,000 medium-sized companies. These generate annual sales in the mid three-digit billion range. Source: MITTELSTANDSVERBUND (SME COOPERATIVE) 90% of the cooperative groups offer members the option of centralised purchasing. But today, only around 40% have added online sales solutions to the services, in the form of their own online sales channel or connecting to external marketplaces, for example. As little as 15% support a digital POS. Source: Study by eStrategy Consulting Only 34% of cooperative groups offer a Click & Collect service, 29% Click & Reserve, 18% in-store availability checks and as little as 5% offer in-store returns. Source: Study by eStrategy Consulting Three ways in which cooperative groups are tackling the challenges of digitalisation and supporting their members A central online shop Groups themselves may set up and run a central online shop. Shared market place Groups may set up a marketplace for members, or make use of external marketplaces. Online shops for members Cooperative groups may help their members with setting up decentralised online shops. Central platform, optimal data Access to customers is critical to success Direct contact with customers, combined with a uniform brand image, is becoming increasingly important in the digital environment. Central customer communication and traditional business rules (e.g. individual retailer prices and exclusive rights of representation) must be brought into line with one another on a digital platform. novomind supports this with appropriate business logic. In order to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalisation, cooperative members must have access to optimal data material on both the goods and the customer at all times. Contact us Our solution for your company A central platform for a decentralised business model novomind provides optimal support for the digitalisation of cooperative groups and their members in digital commerce with novomind iSHOP and novomind iMARKET, as well as in customer service with novomind iAGENT. The main driver of lasting success is the modular Commerce novomind iPIM system for groups with highly complex product and customer information. Our range of services: E-commerce platform A central e-commerce platform with individual personalisation options for group members. B2B white label stores B2B white label stores, for an even more individual brand presence for members. Central product data Central product data for all members and all channels. Show more Order management system A central order management system with control for all retailers, allowing mixed shopping carts. Data integration Integration of e-commerce order data into customer service. Supplier onboarding Comprehensive supplier onboarding. Innovative and modular novomind iSHOP is an innovative, modular real-time shop system that combines all important features for successful online retail in one platform. Find out more Maximum reach novomind iMARKET guarantees maximum reach: the marketplace software creates a seamless connection to specialised marketplaces for groups and their members. Find out more 360° customer service novomind iAGENT is the perfect complement, as a leading omnichannel contact centre system for large organisations with high volumes of inbound queries. Find out more Holzland Further case studies Holzland Heading into the digital future with modern PIM For HolzLand, novomind iPIM can cope with even the largest data volumes: over 1.3 million item data sets for more than 250 industrial suppliers with over 1,000 supplier catalogues. “We found the consulting expertise we had been looking for.” Christian Haltermann, Head of Digital Services, HolzLand Request case study now Further case studies Case Studies & Whitepaper Knowledge from theory and practice Here we provide exciting expert knowledge and collect real success stories from our customers. In the case studies, we show practical examples of how companies use our products. Our whitepapers provide the necessary background knowledge on various topics from the world of customer service and digital commerce. Read cases & papers now What do our customers say? “We found the consulting expertise we had been looking for.” Christian Haltermann Head of Digital Services, HolzLand novomind Connected iProducts More than the sum of its parts. Each of our novomind software products supports best-in-class digital commerce and customer service, but the interaction between several novomind Connected iProducts creates valuable additional benefits: more efficiency, a faster time to market, higher conversion rate and a flawless customer experience. novomind iPIM The comprehensive (and modular) PIM system for digital product experience management (PXM) and product-related master data management (MDM). Find out more novomind iSHOP The innovative, modular real-time shop system for growth-oriented B2C and B2B omnichannel commerce. Find out more novomind iMARKET The highly-automated, modular marketplace middleware for strategic marketplace trading. Find out more novomind iAGENT The intelligent contact center software for optimal omnichannel management – from chatbots to email management, video chat and social media communication. Find out more Let’s get in touch Do you have any questions? Are you interested in our company and services? The novomind team is available to assist you through the channel of your choice. Chat with us Call us +49 (0) 40 80 80 71 0 Email us info@novomind.com Join us jobs@novomind.com We look forward to receiving your email Chat with us Call us +49 (0) 40 80 80 71 0 Email us info@novomind.com Join us jobs@novomind.com Let’s get in touch Do you have any questions? Are you interested in our company and services? The novomind team is available to assist you through the channel of your choice. 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