Kotsovolos

Kotsovolos started in 1950 in a regional, small shop downtown Athens.[1] Panagiotis Kotsovolos opened an electrical appliance store on 1 Aristeidou Street. Using the motto “Everything without money”, he started selling radios and kitchen stoves with installment payments, at a time when electrical appliances were considered a necessity in any modern household.

In the 1960s and 1970s Kotsovolos established itself among the largest retail stores of its sector. 1979 was a turning point for the company, with Marinos Paravalos taking over its management and launching the iconic slogan, “Kotovolos - New Generation - No 9 Aristeidou Street”.

By the end of the decade, Kotsovolos featured five privately owned stores.

In 1993 Kotsovolos was bought out by "Fourlis Trade S.A.".[5] This brought a rapid expansion in its network, with 25 new stores throughout Greece.

In 1998 Kotsovolos bought out the "Radio Athinai" chain, expanding its network even further.[6]

In 1999 the Kotsovolos entered the parallel market of the Athens Stock Exchange.

Kotsovolos expanded into markets outside Greece and in May 2000 embarked on a strategic cooperation with the British multinational, Dixons Carphone plc.[7][3]

In 2004 it joined forces with the Dixons Group with new privately owned stores, as well as through a franchise system. It renovated its stores in accordance with the international standards of the Dixons group and introduces a new store concept in the market, featuring total support coverage for appliances.[5]

In 2007 it launched its online store www.kotsovolos.gr.[8]

In 2008 Kotsovolos entered appliance recycling, recycling tons of electrical and electronic devices within a few years.[9]

Kotsovolos Store at The Mall Athens[10]

In 2010 Kotsovolos launched the Support 360° integrated customer support umbrella of services, and introduces innovative products to the market, such as 3D TVs and Smart TVs.[1]

In 2015, Kotsovolos celebrated its 65th anniversary[11] with a technology exhibition at the Technopolis of Athens. Exhibits included appliances of the past and state-of-the-art appliances of the future that are not yet released in the Greek market. The Thanks to Tech[12] annual technology exhibition was thus established. Free of charge and easily accessible to all, the exhibition presents technological innovations and devices that are not yet on the market, together with devices that have appeared only at the IFA International Exhibition.[13]

Kotsovolos launched its first online show, "TryMe" on YouTube in 2015.[14]

In 2016 the company presented the corporate social responsibility program "Second Home", which mobilizes those who own appliances that work but are not in use, to offer them to families in need.[15]

In 2019, for the first time in the Greek market, Kotsovolos created the Pay Express service.[16] It enables customers who pay by credit or debit card to complete their transaction anywhere in the store, without going through a cash register.

Through the "Second Home for the appliance you don’t need" program, the company facilitates people who have a working appliance they no longer use, to donate it to someone who needs it. The company is cooperating with 6 municipalities to make this possible and has undertaken the collection, repair, disinfection, and delivery of these appliances to families in need.[18]

The company supports Non-Governmental Organizations on an annual basis, such as The Smile of the Child, The Ark of the World, Make A Wish Greece, and ELEPAP. It has also put in place an integrated system to receive, assess and implement contribution requests coming from single citizens or entities, or from smaller groups.

The "Good Deed Day" was established in 2012[19] and has since become an institution. Kotsovolos’ employees are divided into groups and each does a good deed collectively, as a team. They pick their good deed action depending on the need of the area they are assigned and take care of all steps from planning to execution. Actions concern supporting children, the elderly or other vulnerable groups, as well as cleaning areas, such as beaches, parks, or public buildings. The program is increasingly popular among the company's employees, attracting more participants every year.[20]

The "Better Life Challenge" innovation competition, lasting from November 2019 to March 2020, aimed at mobilizing technology professionals to create a better life through their work for people with disabilities. A judging panel of distinguished academics and experts assessed all 140 entries, guaranteeing the high quality of the results. The three winners presented innovative technology ideas that facilitated everyday life of people with disabilities. Besides the cash prizes, the winning team was also offered a master's degree scholarship from BCA College.[21]

The company was the first to start recycling old and high energy-consuming appliances, in April 2008. To this day it has recycled more than 1,500,000 appliances, in cooperation with Appliances Recycling S.A.

At Kotsovolos, one can recycle in-store, using the special bins for appliance recycling, or at home, using the pick-up service for large appliances (fridges, stoves, washing machines, air conditioners, etc.). In addition, the company often offers special promotions, encouraging consumers to replace their old appliances with a new one at a special price.[22]