Industry
Retail
Challenge
Manual ordering, fragmented communication, limited real-time visibility and no solution to reach the entire market
Results
With Tradeplace Portals Hub, Haier streamlined order handling, reduced operational cost, reached over 250 stores, and established 24/7 access to product information and ordering.
Key Solution
Tradeplace Portals Hub, Tradeplace Message Hub, Tradeplace BtB Portal
“We consistently rely on modern digital solutions that make everyday work easier for our retail partners. The connection with Tradeplace improves information availability, accelerates processes, and provides noticeable relief in day-to-day operations.”
About Liebherr
Since 1954, Liebherr-Hausgerate has been developing and manufacturing premium refrigerators and freezers. As part of the international Liebherr Group, the company stands for German engineering, long product life, energy efficiency, and reliable quality. From its base in Ochsenhausen, Liebherr supports a broad specialist retail landscape across Germany.
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Executive Summary
Liebherr Germany launched a focused digitalization initiative with Tradeplace to improve ordering and information exchange across electronics retail and kitchen retail. By
combining Portals Hub as the secure single sign-on foundation, a Liebherr-branded B2B Portal for daily portal-based collaboration, and Message Hub for direct back-end transaction flows, Liebherr created a setup that serves both digitally advanced partners and retailers that need a straightforward portal route.
The Challenge
Before the project, a large share of Liebherr's retail ordering activity was still handled manually. Phone calls, email exchanges, and repeat
ed follow-up questions around prices, availability, documents, and order status slowed down both Liebherr teams and their retail partners. A retailer survey confirmed strong demand for a portal experience as well as direct system connectivity, especially in environments using ERP systems or kitchen planning tools.
2 Solutions - 1 digital foundation
Portals Hub + B2B Portal
Tradeplace Portals Hub provides the secure single sign-on layer and the shared digital entry point for retailers and manufacturers. On top of that foundation, Liebherr deployed its branded B2B Portal, the Tradeplace white-label SalesPortal, to give retailers one place for ordering, documents, pricing, product information, and availability. This setup reduces onboarding friction, supports 24/7 access, and makes digital collaboration easier for retailers that are not working through deep system integrations.
Message Hub
For retailers with established ERP landscapes or planning environments, Message Hub enables direct, real-time communication between retailer and manufacturer systems. Orders, availability checks, price requests, confirmations, and related operational messages can move automatically in the background. This reduces manual rekeying, limits errors, shortens response times, and gives Liebherr a scalable path to increase automated transaction volumes across specialist retail.
In kitchen retail, the setup also supports the move toward tighter integration with planning tools such as Carat and Winner. This helps turn appliance planning into a more connected ordering workflow and supports more reliable offers and delivery expectations for end customers.
Digital foundation applied to 2 different use cases
Electronics Retail
Integrating ERP and Portal usage
Nearly all electronics retailers work with ERP systems such as HIW, Wanda, HQS, or EasySystems. Over 70% expressed interest in EDI or Direct Connection.
Digital information on product availability, prices, order status, and invoices is particularly important for this sector.
Through ERP integration via Message Hub and the use of the BtB Portal, retailers benefit from significantly simplified workflows:
• Real-time price and stock information
• Automated order transmission
• Fewer inquiries and errors
• Faster processing
The results speak for themselves: digital orders increased from 31% to 62%
Many major buying groups, such as Expert, Euronics, EP, and EK already actively use Tradeplace Message Hub, coming from EDI.
Kitchen and Furniture Retail
Integration of Planning Tools and Portal Usage
In the kitchen retail sector, digital planning plays a central role. Studios work with tools like Carat or Winner, where appliance information and availability are needed directly within the planning process.
Previously, many studios still ordered completely manually — a process prone to errors and time-consuming.
With the Tradeplace integration, kitchen studios can now transfer appliances directly from the planning tool into the ordering process. Live data on prices, delivery dates, and incoming goods increases planning reliability and ensures accurate customer quotations.
The result is a seamless digital workflow that eliminates media disruptions and accelerates the entire order process.Digital order share in kitchen retail is already above 20%, with strong growth driven by demand for full planning tool integration.
The Results
Massive increase of digitalization.
Within one year, Liebherr moved digital ordering from a limited share of total intake to a much more central role in daily retail operations. Increase of digital order intake from ~13% to almost 50% within 1 year.
The initiative improved transparency, reduced manual effort, and created a stronger digital service model for both electronics retail and kitchen retail. Portal adoption grew quickly, while Message Hub established the basis for further automation and a broader direct-connection strategy.
- Efficiency: Retailers can access pricing, availability, documents, and ordering workflows in one connected environment, reducing repeated questions and shortening process cycles.
- Market reach: More than 2,500 users registered in the first half year, with continued growth as more retail partners adopt the digital route.
- Customer experience: Real-time information and easier access support faster responses, more reliable planning, and smoother day-to-day collaboration with retail partners.
- Brand visibility: The portal becomes a stronger daily touchpoint for the Liebherr brand by giving retailers one central place for operational and commercial information. This supports stronger visibility in the specialist retail channel.
- Scalability: The combination of portal access and Message Hub gives Liebherr one scalable setup for retailers at different levels of digital maturity, from portal-based interaction to automated back-end processes.
- Digital & Green impact: Digital product information and connected workflows help reduce fragmented communication, avoid manual duplication, and support a more efficient and less wasteful way of working across the retail value chain.
Why Tradeplace
Liebherr chose a combination of Tradeplace solutions because the platform supports both broad portal-based collaboration and deeper transactional connectivity. Portals Hub offers a secure single sign-on environment and fast market access, while Message Hub extends that setup with back-end automation. Together, they create a practical digital foundation that can keep expanding with retailer demand.
“With Portals Hub and Message Hub, manufacturers can serve different retail needs through one connected digital foundation.”
Iwan de Dooij, Sales Manager Tradeplace
Interested in a Tradeplace setup? Contact Tradeplace for a live demonstration.
