Ralf Bühler is CEO of Germany-based electronics and technology reseller Conrad Electronic, which is expanding its marketplace model across Europe.
Background information
2022: Coming into the OPI Top 100 in 2022 is Ralf Bühler, CEO of Germany-based electronics and technology reseller Conrad Electronic, which has a direct presence in 16 European markets.
The company has been making strides in B2B channels in recent years after launching a B2B-only marketplace in Germany 2017. In 2021, this was expanded to Austria, with the Netherlands following in 2022. Italy, France and Poland are set to be launched soon.
Today, third-party sellers offer more than six million items on the Conrad marketplace, in addition to its own range of around one million SKUs.
While Conrad has been closing its traditional retail stores in Germany, investments have been made in a trade-only retail format. A pilot store was opened near Cologne in 2020, and two new locations are planned for early 2023.
B2B customers now account for around 70% of Conrad’s total sales and this side of the business has been growing by around 8-10% a year as the company pursues its goal of becoming the leading procurement platform for technology products in Europe.
54-year-old Bühler joined Conrad in 2019 and became CEO of the group in January 2021. He has a strong background in B2B distribution, having previously worked for the likes of Premier Farnell and Future Electronics.
