CIO InterviewRetail Technology Trends

Denise KlugAssociate Analyst

Björn WeberResearch Director Retail Technology

Sarah HerrleinSenior Retail Technology Analyst

JENS SIEBENHAAR

Head of IT

PlanetRetailCIO Interview - Jens Siebenhaar, Rewe Group

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www.planetretail.net - Planet Retail 2011

PlanetRetailCIO Interview - Jens Siebenhaar, Rewe Group

Contents

Landscape: Rewe Group 1

Focus: Jens Siebenhaar 2

IT Exposure: Rewe Group 8

Panorama 11

Planet Retail 2011 - www.planetretail.net

PlanetRetailCIO Interview - Jens Siebenhaar, Rewe Group

1www.planetretail.net - Planet Retail 2011

PlanetRetailCIO Interview - Jens Siebenhaar, Rewe Group

fter several years hard work on the in-house development and implementation of a new merchandise management system, Rewe Group

in Germany is starting a new era of technology deployment. Rewe Group has been hesitant to test and implement self-service checkouts and other pioneering instore technologies until recently, but is now sprinting to the forefront in terms of trialling innovations. The retailer plans to test fully-automated scanners at the checkout of a store later this year and is already trying out electronic shelf labels, self-checkouts and self-scanning with mobile devices. It is also rolling out a digital signage network. In addition to its store development, Rewe Group has radically improved technology deployment in its logistics. The way the retailer uses RFID, for example, is likely to be a model for other retail groups in the world.

The modernisation of technology deployment at Rewe Group is not at least the result of a change in management. Jens Siebenhaar, who joined Rewe Group in March 2009 from Tengelmann Group’s DIY banner Obi, is one of the key decision makers in this area. Planet Retail spoke with him about his views and plans on retail technology.

A

Landscape: Rewe Group

Jens SiebenhaarJens Siebenhaar is Rewe Group’s Head of Information Technology and Managing Director of the retailer’s IT subsidiary Rewe Informations Systeme GmbH (RIS). He joined Rewe Group in March 2009 from Tengelmann Group’s DIY banner Obi. In his role as CIO of Obi, Siebenhaar oversaw the in-house development of a modern, Java-based merchandise management and POS system for the DIY retailer. He was also Chairman of the executive board of Obi’s IT subsidiary Gesellschaft für Datenverarbeitung (GfD). Before joining Obi in April 1994, Siebenhaar studied computer science at the RWTH Technical University in Aachen. Siebenhaar is enthusiastic about sport; he loves football and trains for marathons.

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