OCTOBER 2024Retail Business Review8In My OpinionLukas Nemcik is the Head of Marketing and Business Development at Skupina COOP, where he has been a driving force since 2011. With a keen focus on innovations, new technologies and foreign trade, Lukas has led significant advancements within the COOP Group. His notable achievements include launching e-commerce services, introducing the first refrigerated food delivery box and implementing AI in stores. Lukas also pioneered the creation of Europe's first automated 24/7 store, positioning Skupina COOP at the forefront of retail innovation.Through this article, Lukas discusses the unique structure and community-oriented focus of Czech and Moravian consumer cooperatives, which operate over 2,400 stores across the Czech Republic. Lukas highlights the cooperative's commitment to supporting local communities through initiatives like small in-store cafés and innovative solutions such as the development of automated 24/7 stores. He also explores the challenges and successes in implementing these technologies, emphasising the importance of sustainable practices, community engagement and collaboration with technology partners.Czech and Moravian consumer cooperatives, which operate under the COOP name, have a tradition of over 170 years in the Czech Republic. Forty consumer cooperatives operate about 2,400 stores nationwide and are owned by 100,000 Czech citizens. They are rooted in regions and each cooperative focuses on a different area. Above all, there is a central organisation where I work.Thanks to this structure, cooperatives are oriented toward the regions where they operate. They support small regional producers, municipalities and employment and the focus is on social solid basics, which differentiates them from other business retailers. If you work in an organisation like that, you must work differently. Cooperatives are more like a family, where you work with people for a long time and communication is more direct.We also reflect these in our marketing. Some time ago, for example, we started a campaign where we highlighted that we THINK GLOBALLY, BUY LOCALLYBy Lukas Nemcik, Head of Marketing and Business Development, Skupina COOPLukas Nemcik
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