Exclusive interview with Joost de Beijer, CEO Intergamma
European DIY retailers are always hoping to take a piece of the e-Commerce cake especially on occasions such as Black Friday. The key figures do not lie: DIY is surfing the positive waves of online sales. According to the recently published European e-Commerce Report, B2C online sales all over the continent grew by 6% in 2022, from €849 bn to €899 bn of sales, despite a rather unfavourable economic and political climate.

The report also identifies technological progress and new store openings as drivers of deeper e-Commerce penetration smoothing out regional divides. Another aspect raised by the European report, is the growing demand for more sustainable e-Commerce which is expected to build on more efficient deliveries, as well as greener product patterns. Christel Delberghe, Director of EuroCommerce in Brussels commented “The customer journey is rapidly changing and combining online and offline interactive buying habits. We expect online sales to reach an estimated 30% of retail sales in 2030”. (Currently 21%).
How to embrace DIY, e-Commerce and Robotics
E-Commerce is a business in its own right because, for a DIY retailer, online operations have to reconcile with physical shop operations. From the consumer’s point of view, there is no longer any distinction between their purchase options. From now on, as Dr. Robert Rooderkerk, Erasmus University Rotterdam, already commented in a previous article of ‘A View from Europe’, “Retailers must also think this way: there are no more ‘channels’, just a consumer who wants to be served optimally everywhere, at any time, or at least have their goods delivered quickly, which in fact means faster than ever before”.
The bottom line is that e-Commerce requires a well-considered approach, combined with constant substantial investments in logistics and technology, especially in DIY.
Joint Venture Intergamma – Katoen Natie
The Benelux market leader in DIY & Home Improvement, Intergamma (operating with the retail banner Gamma in Belgium and the banners Gamma and Karwei in The Netherlands), is clearly aware of the opportunities available to take the lead in e-Commerce. Ten years ago, Intergamma strapped its cart to the draft horse to Belgian company Katoen Natie – one of the world leaders in total supply chain services.
It has its central hub in Kallo, on the left bank of the Belgian port of Antwerp-Bruges, the second largest terminal in Europe. “During the past decade, we have had an almost flawless track record together and were looking forward with conviction to the next challenges to lift up to our fulfilment service for the end consumer in the Benelux by providing the right and necessary developments in cross-channel retail,” says Joost de Beijer the Intergamma CEO.
Together with the top management of the Consumer Goods Business Unit at Katoen Natie, the decision was quickly taken to make substantial investments in a state-of-the-art high-tech automation process for inventory and order picking to ensure a multi-consumer service. The overall project was delivered barely nine months after signing the contract.
State of the art Technology
The cooperation recently led to the start-up of Europe’s largest robot-controlled distribution centre (900 m²), namely AutoStore, a technological concept from the Norwegian company ElementLogic. The impressive concept consists of a kind of cube grid in which 16 bins are stacked on top of each other. 20 robots pick orders by lifting the bins from the grid and rearranging them until they grab the correct product. An algorithm, powered by artificial intelligence, ensures that stock is picked in the most efficient way. The robots transport the items to their designated destination. Orders of larger dimensions, such as garden furniture, ladders or products that are flammable such as paint cans, are still handled manually. In the following phase, the robot transports the ordered product to a specific meeting point where one of the 150 Katoen Natie employees bundles the order from several robot packages. The order is then forwarded to the conveyor belt that will handle the final packaging. Afterwards, the order leaves the distribution centre to be delivered via road transport from Antwerp to the Gamma or Karwei end user in Belgium or in The Netherlands. Orders which are digitally registered before 21:00h are usually delivered the following day, according to the drop shipment procedures.
“Thanks to the investments in ‘AutoStore’ and the far-reaching cooperation with ‘Katoen Natie’, Intergamma is already succeeding in maximising its ‘Long Tail’ (infinite assortment offer) strategy” and further optimising the efficiency of the online business, Joost de Beijer emphasises.
With total sales of over €20.5 bn, the Netherlands is number five in the European ranking of DIY online and e-Commerce sales. According to the Belgian e-Commerce barometer, online sales in Belgium amounted last year to €13.8 bn. The main Benelux challenges for Intergamma Joost de Beijer, the top executive at Intergamma, is a business economist (Business Administration, University of Tilburg) and moved into the Leusden (South-East of Amsterdam) headquarters 15 months ago. As a matter of fact he is no stranger to the DIY landscape as he previously worked at Maxeda (Praxis banner) between 2011 and 2019, first as finance director, then as general manager.
The Dutch retailer has a clear view on how to reinvent the Home Improvement business model in both countries where his organisation is operating. Even though he was only recently appointed he has mastered perfectly well the three main challenges for our industry:
- Create meaningful relationships with suppliers in order to focus on well thought out partnerships which enable the transformation of the DIY and Home Improvement business model;
- Harmonise the physical DIY retail operations with e-Commerce and online activities;
- Ensure the shift from the traditional ‘product mindset’ to a ‘service mindset’.
These three challenges are critical in the global economic context where some consumers remain relucant to spend on home improvement.
“Reinventing the business model together with a selection of our suppliers will light the path to enhance our mutual targets”, declares Joost. “As a matter of fact, we are scrutinising the field to select those industrial partners in Belgium and The Netherlands who already have made major investments in ‘Do-It-Together service models”. “And, we are actively searching for total supply management suppliers who could assist Intergamma to enhance the e-Commerce experience by organising direct deliveries to our stores, especially for oversized assortments such as garden fencing.
Indeed, we are expecting that our stores may become a significant game changer in augmenting the omnichannel experience and by extension increasing its turnover.”
It becomes more and more obvious that the relationship between DIY and e-Commerce are growing towards a symbiotic interaction as both online and instore retail will benefit from their specific contribution to answer the customers’ needs. “To be honest, that is precisely our aim to anchor on a substantial marketing differentiator with our 384 stores as levers for the ultimate shopping experience”,
comments Joost.
Benchmarking with world leaders
To his credit, Joost de Beijer shows immense respect and admiration for the world leader in Home Improvement, Home Depot: “Indeed, Home Depot reminds us daily to maintain the focus on the end user and from that perspective, always look for all possible efforts to improve the profitability per m².
During my last visit to the US, it was once again made clear to me why we need to further invest in high technology, including AI. Within a short time from now, the symbiosis between data analytics and high tech will lift DIY & Home Improvement to a totally different level. And above all, we have no other option than to embrace any sustainable consideration that meets our paths”.
The future of DIY & Home Improvement is bright and maybe just a little more brighter when embracing the physical business with e-Commerce in correlation with the most ideal partnership.
About Intergamma
- Total number of stores in The Netherlands + Belgium: 377
- Total number of stores in The Netherlands: 294
- Number of Gamma stores in The Netherlands: 164
- Number of Gamma stores in Belgium: 83
- Number of Karwei stores in The Netherlands: 130
- Global Turnover Intergamma (NL + B): €1.4 bn
Thierry Coeman shares with us more than three decades of experience in the international Home Improvement Sector. He was the chairman of the Belgian DIY Association, a unique organisation which brought together retailers, independents and manufacturers much like Hardware Association Ireland. He works with a network of European and Worldwide Stakeholders to share best practice while seeking innovation in the art of facilitating the common interest focussing on customers’ needs. He is the author of the essay Hammertime, a provocative vision on the future of the Home Improvement store.