Between site expansion and platform strategy — JYSK in an update

In this update episode of Kassenzone, Karo Junker de Neui talks to Christian Schirmer, Country Director of JYSK Germany. The Scandinavian furniture store, formerly a Danish bed warehouse, is part of the Lars Larsen Group and, with a turnover of over 1.2 billion euros, JYSK Germany is the largest market in the JYSK network. Christian has been with the company for over 25 years and is familiar with the development from the first branch in Flensburg to over 900 locations nationwide.

JYSK is positioned in the mid-price segment and is based on a clear concept: good accessibility, Scandinavian design and a strong omnichannel approach. The core remains the store — supplemented by a new unified commerce platform that intelligently interlinks online and offline channels. In the future, customers will be able to shop across channels, while processes for employees will be simplified in the background.

In an interview, Christian talks about growth plans in southern Germany, challenges with land permits and the balancing act between reliability and change. Marketing also plays a central role. In addition to brochures and TV, JYSK is testing TikTok — with surprisingly good results. Other topics include the planned loyalty program, the growing B2B business and the role of AI in content, customer service and business model development.

An exciting insight into a company that is evolving from a traditional chain store to a data-driven retailer — without forgetting its roots.

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Our key insights about JYSK

💡 Comprehensive presence & optimization: With 900+ locations, JYSK can be reached almost everywhere — the focus is on uniform area size, urban concepts and expansion in southern Germany.

💡 Omnichannel instead of marketplace: Thanks to the unified commerce platform, online and offline are merging — for customers, this means a cross-channel shopping cart and direct access to the entire range of products in the store.

💡 Marketing mix with TikTok test: In addition to brochures & TV, social media is becoming more important — TikTok is showing initial successes, targeting is being further developed based on data.

💡 Private brands & product range enhancement: Focus on Scandinavian design, high-quality materials and regular product range changes mean that shopping baskets are increasing.

💡 B2B & new services: Office and catering equipment is becoming a third line of business — a separate B2B shop is in progress.

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