Diversity month, part 3: Inclusion at toom
To create more participation for people with intellectual or learning disabilities, toom uses plain language - in do-it-yourself brochures, explanatory films and on the company website. Dominique Rotondi, Managing Director Purchasing Logistics, on toom's commitment to inclusion.
Inclusion at toom
Mario Boy is hearing-impaired and has been working as a system merchandiser in the toom building block laboratory not far from the company headquarters in Cologne-Porz since 2019. He also wanted to get a taste of the market for a few days - as is customary for all toom centralisers. How did that work out? We spoke to him.
REWE Group jubilarians
If that's not a positive record: all those celebrating anniversaries at REWE Group's Central locations totalled 5,230 years of service - more than ever before. The reason for this record is a welcome innovation: for the first time, colleagues from toom were also honoured at the end of November in Cologne's Wolkenburg.
Chip magazine has recognised toom as the industry leader in the "digital service offering" in the DIY store and retail sector.
BUND pesticide test:
After 2021 and 2022, BUND has once again analysed bee-friendly plants in stores for pesticide residues. Of the seven garden centres and DIY stores examined, toom was the only one that did not detect any bee-harmful pesticides on plants advertised as bee-friendly. We spoke to Ribanna Jansen, Project Manager Sustainability at toom, about the "beneficial bee-friendly" range, the different needs of beneficial insects and quality control at toom.
REWE Centre market tour
It is commonly said that standing still is going backwards. Experience shows: This also applies to currently successful market concepts, as customer demands are changing rapidly, and not just as a result of inflation and rapidly rising energy prices.
Pilot project with Fairtrade
Toom is the first retailer in Germany to launch a pilot project with Fairtrade Germany for more cuttings with the Fairtrade seal. The aim: more fairly traded plants, lower production costs, higher premiums. In addition, toom pays an extra premium of one cent per Fairtrade plant purchased to the workers on the cutting farms.
Honouring the next generation
On 18 October, the time had come for this year's toom graduates to celebrate after passing their exams - after a two-year break due to the pandemic, they were finally back in person and partying.
toom is expanding its digital services and is now the first DIY store to send its brochures via WhatsApp.
What the junior staff say
The days when young people had to send off hundreds of applications before they got a job are over. Today, young talent is in high demand and will remain so in the future. one asked trainees from all business units what they particularly value about their training.
Little Homes
100 people build ten mini houses in ten hours: The Little Home association invited people to Berlin in mid-August to attempt this world record. The winners are the homeless people who will now benefit from the little houses.
More sustainable transport
Since 25 July, users of the car-sharing and van-sharing provider Miles have been able to park for 60 minutes free of charge in Toom car parks at 15 locations. The pilot project will initially run until the end of 2022.
Interview with marketing directors
For the first time in several years, the market share of private labels in the food retail sector has increased again. We spoke to the heads of marketing at REWE, PENNY and Toom about the importance of private labels.