In many German cities, branches of the electronics chain Saturn are being closed and Media Markt is moving into the same location.

Saturn becomes Media Markt: In several German cities, customers are being surprised while shopping these days. Where there was once a Saturn store, a red Media Markt sign now stands. This is the case in several North Rhine-Westphalian cities such as Neuss, Hilden, Cologne, and Aachen.

Numerous stores have already been converted. A few years ago, there were approximately 150 Saturn stores in Germany. By fall 2024, there were only 87, according to Ceconomy, the parent company of the two chains. Since the beginning of this year, Media Markt has moved into 14 additional Saturn locations, a spokeswoman said. More will follow. The number of Media Markt stores has now risen to more than 300.

Ceconomy explains this development by saying that customers are increasingly less likely to differentiate between the two brands. Therefore, the company is investing in the further development and modernization of its stores. "It is true that we have reopened some Saturn stores as Media Markt stores in this context and will continue to do so," says the company spokesperson.

The company did not answer the question of how many Saturn stores currently exist and how many are still being converted. However, the brand is not going away. Saturn remains an essential part of the company's strategy, they say.

The consequences for affected customers are manageable: The product ranges are very similar. Many products are available at both Media Markt and Saturn. Offers and advertising are identical. Ceconomy wants to "integrate" both brands more closely. The bonus programs are to be merged next week. Customers will then be able to shop at both chains, collect points, and redeem them independently of the brand. All points already collected from past purchases will also be automatically merged.

In other European countries, only the Media Markt brand remains. In countries such as Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Poland, Saturn stores have been closed or converted into Media Markt in recent years. At the end of March, Ceconomy had more than 1,000 stores in 11 countries.

The first Saturn store opened in Cologne in 1961, and the first Media Markt store opened in Munich in 1979. The retail chain acquired its competitor Saturn in 1990. A few years later, Metro AG acquired a majority stake in both brands. The retail company Ceconomy, to which the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group now belongs, was created in 2017 as a spin-off from Metro.