Good and bad companies

Since Obi CEO publicly identified Amazon, Rakuten and co. as main opponent of European DIY store operators at a congress in Berlin in June 2017, a lot of waves have been created in the DIY industry and a radical change of course in competitive strategy on the part of Obi was announced. The main focus, according to Giroldi, is stringently and consistently the customer. They are the sole criterion for Obi's activity, after all, they are the ones who instruct both producers and traders on what is ultimately manufactured and sold. Motto: long live the customer; they are our actual category managers. This is possible by consistently using and evaluating the data we already have about customers.
In Berlin, Giroldi, who also made his appearance there as new president of the international trade association Edra/Ghin, ascertained that the business model in the home improvement industry would have to be completely different to that of Amazon, as they only deliver products: "We mustn't simply offer products, but provide solutions," according to Giroldi.
Almost one month earlier, Obi had already announced that they were following a new business strategy with the aim of restructuring "the company as the leading customer-orientated cross-channel DIY store operator," according to the company. In order to develop and test the new offer, the new unit has been created under the name of "Obi next", which has been located in Cologne. The first national market to implement and test the new business model is Austria. As soon as the elements developed there have proven to be successful, they are to be introduced into the whole of the company.
Dr Sebastian Gundel, at Obi since 2012, has become the director of the "Obi next" unit in Cologne, as well as the entire Austrian business of the DIY store operator. Paolo Alemagna, member of the executive board at Obi since 2005, has left the company as part of this restructuring.
The realisation that the competitive situation is getting increasingly difficult has caused Obi to break new ground. This also includes wanting to present oneself more strongly as German market leader and as one of the largest European players, also in the associations, both on a European basis (Edra), as well as in the national association BHB, in which an Obi man is once again represented on the board with Franz-Peter Tepaß.

How do you assess the  current competitive situation, in what direction is the DIY retail…