MediaMarkt

MediaMarkt was founded on November 24, 1979, when the first store opened in Munich, Germany. The company was established by entrepreneurs Leopold Stiefel, Walter Gunz, Erich Kellerhals, Helga Kellerhals, and Markus Fernandez. Walter Gunz, who previously served as head of the consumer electronics department at Karstadt Warenhaus, left his position in 1979 to co-found MediaMarkt with a starting capital of only DM 20,000. By 1985, nine additional stores had opened near Munich. The founders pioneered a new retail model featuring large-format stores, extensive product ranges, and highly competitive prices.

Ten years after founding, the company became part of the Metro Group. In 2017, CECONOMY AG was demerged from Metro Group, becoming the parent company of MediaMarktSaturn. As of 2026, Dr. Kai-Ulrich Deissner serves as CEO of CECONOMY. The company operates over 1,000 stores across 13 European countries and employs approximately 50,000 people.

MediaMarkt offers a comprehensive range of consumer electronics, including computers, televisions, audio equipment, photography products, mobile phones, video games, and home appliances. The company operates a rapidly growing online marketplace that, as of May 2026, features over 2,600 sellers and approximately 4.0 million products. The marketplace launched in Switzerland in 2026 and now covers countries representing roughly 98% of the group's sales footprint.

In July 2025, Chinese e-commerce company JD.com agreed to acquire CECONOMY for €2.2 billion, signaling the convergence of online and offline retail in the European electronics market. MediaMarkt reported revenue of €21.7 billion in 2022. [edit]