Kesko and Itella to expand their e-commerce cooperation

Kesko and Itella have made an extensive cooperation agreement for developing electronic business operations. The aim is to use the service packages offered by Itella to help Kesko’s divisions launch their online trade projects. The agreement now signed will first be leveraged in Kesko’s home technology and sports trade. The new cooperation agreement is a further step in the long-established cooperation between Kesko and Itella.

“Our aim is to offer the K-Group customers new, interesting and convenient e-commerce services. The new cooperation agreement will enable us to enhance and accelerate online store openings and thereby to generate cost benefits and more sales to both companies,” says Kesko’s Niina Ryynänen.

“We are excited about this new kind of extensive e-commerce cooperation with Kesko. The trading sector and the development of its online services are important for Itella. The agreement on e-commerce cooperation now signed is a new stage for the whole sector in Finland. Online shopping is growing strongly. Its undeniable benefits for customers are reliability and the speed and ease of shopping, because the stores are open on 7 days a week and 24 hours a day,” says Senior Vice President Tarja Pääkkönen of Itella Group.

Electronic customer communication and related services are developed intensively in the trading sector. The availability of Internet services is highlighted in the service offer of the K-Group stores. Kesko has designated the development of electronic customer communication as one of its strategic projects. The online retail services for customers produced by Kesko’s divisions are part of this project. Itella’s e-commerce service package is unique as it covers services for both information and material flows

The biggest of Kesko’s currently available e-commerce sites is the online department store NetAnttila (www.netanttila.com) with some 450,000 visitors every month in Finland. NetAnttila also operates in Estonia (www.anttila.ee) and Latvia (www.anttila.lv). Kesko’s other online stores include Kodin Ykkönen (www.kodin1.com), concentrating on home goods and interior decoration, the online music store, CM-store (www.cm-store.fi), and K-maatalous (www.k-maatalous.fi) engaging in agricultural online trade.

Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations inthe Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, and Belarus.

Itella Group provides solutions for managing information and material flows. Itella operates in mail communication, information logistics and logistics. The Group, with operations in the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, Germany, Poland and Russia, employs some 30,000 staff. Itella Group reported a turnover of €1,688 million in 2007. Corporate services are delivered under the Itella brand, while the Posti brand is used for services targeted at consumers in Finland. More information on the Group is available at www.itella.com/group.