Obi sets up the Squared innovation hub

The German DIY market leader Obi has set up its own innovation hub within the corporate group as "a new unit of Obi next". The hub, which is intended to "think outside the DIY store box", is called Squared. Among other things it should consider the question of what business models are needed in a market driven by trends such as sustainability, digitalisation and indivualisation and which is increasingly dominated by new market players alongside familiar competitors.
With Squared, Obi intends to create "an open DIY ecosystem while facilitating a successful working relationship with start-ups, partners and industry," according to the press release. An interdisciplinary team of 20 is looking at this task. The new unit is to be based in Cologne and headed by Dennis Hornung.
The first outcome of Squared's work is the piloting of the home gardening platform "plants".