Flip Reviews: Sonderpreis Baumarkt
How DIY discount retailer Sonderpreis uses the AI-native employee app Flip to make decades of knowledge instantly accessible across 364 branches
Sonderpreis Baumarkt operates 364 branches across Germany – around 170 of which are franchise stores. With the employee app SPBTeam, built on Flip, the company based in Neustadt bei Coburg is now able to reach all staff directly for the first time, and makes decades of accumulated expertise instantly searchable via AI.
Benefits of the Flip Employee App
Challenge
Nearly 4,000 employees across more than 360 branches in Germany needed to be reached reliably – but how? Information only reached shop-floor staff via line managers. Communication relied on e-mail and an outdated intranet. Desktop-free employees had no direct access. WhatsApp was used in part, but required staff to share their personal mobile numbers, and offered no data protection whatsoever.
Solution
Introduction of SPBTeam, built on Flip, as the central mobile-first platform for all employees – accessible via smartphone. Flip Flows digitised paper-based processes including feedback, improvement suggestions, and onboarding. The AI assistant SMILE makes the entire knowledge base instantly searchable.
Result
Since rolling out Flip, 90% of staff in managed stores are actively using the app, and SMILE – the built-in AI assistant – has achieved an acceptance rate of 56% across all users. Four active Flows now automate core processes that were previously handled manually.
About Sonderpreis Baumarkt
The Customer-Focused DIY Discounter, Expanding Fast
Sonderpreis Baumarkt is particularly well known for its extensive range of small parts and fixings. What began in 1995 as a weekly market stall selling screws and nails in Uckersdorf has grown into one of the fastest-growing retail chains in the German DIY market. Today, the FISHBULL Franz Fischer SE & Co. KG operates 364 stores nationwide – around 170 of which are independent franchise outlets. The company has ambitious plans to grow to approximately 600 stores by 2030.
Industry
Retail / Hardware Discount
Size
4,000 employees (central/franchise)
Use Cases
Flip Flows
Ask AI (SMILE) for knowledge hub
Chats and cews channels
'AskAI makes work much easier for store employees — it saves them time and eliminates the need to ask the store manager or the specialist department. They receive a lot of information, and much of it is already available on the wiki — it’s just that some of it is hard to find. The AI is a huge help here.'
Before Flip
364 stores, but no shared information channel
With hundreds of locations across Germany – including a rapidly expanding franchise network – Sonderpreis Baumarkt faced a central challenge: How do you reach shop-floor staff who have no PC workstation, with the right information at the right time?
Previously, only managers had access to relevant information, which then had to be passed on manually to individual branches. When store managers and their deputies were unavailable, important information – from sales bans to price changes – simply wasn't getting through. Alongside e-mail and an old intranet, the team had been using WhatsApp and an intranet platform, both with significant drawbacks: not everyone had access to the data, and on WhatsApp, staff had to use their personal mobile numbers. That was precisely what Sonderpreis Baumarkt wanted to avoid.
'The employee app SPBTeam makes internal communication more modern, faster, and more transparent. For us in the store, the app is a genuine support in the day-to-day working routine.'
The Flip Experience with Flip Flows
Why Flip – and not "just Microsoft"?
The goal was clear: everyone in the company should have access to the relevant data, information, and knowledge. When evaluating solutions, the decision was made deliberately against pure Microsoft tools. The reasons: Microsoft licences are barely manageable for a company with hundreds of small branches. Flip's AI integration and straightforward administration won them over immediately.
The rollout began with a pilot phase in selected stores before Flip was gradually rolled out across all branches. New features were also introduced in phases. The team currently uses short training videos with explanatory content directly in the app to further drive adoption. The project is led by Felix Ruttmann (Head of Technical Sales) and Marcus Kienel (Managing Director).
Felix Ruttmann
Head of Technical Sales, Sonderpreis Baumarkt
What Drove Adoption Most?
Two factors stand out: integration into existing workflows and the simplicity of the app. Initial scepticism towards a new tool quickly faded – the app's intuitive design practically sold itself.
Franchise onboarding is currently growing especially fast: within just two weeks, the number of franchise employees using the app grew from around 120 to approximately 700. For new users, e-learning modules explain all the features and functions.
Franchise Partner, Sonderpreis Baumarkt
Flip Flows: From Anonymous Feedback to Onboarding
Sonderpreis Baumarkt currently uses four active Flip Flows, each of which digitises and simplifies a specific process:
Flow 1: Feedback – Employees can submit anonymous feedback via the app – something that simply wasn't possible before. The result: significantly more and more candid feedback, thanks to guaranteed anonymity.
Flow 2: Improvement Suggestions – Without access to e-mail, employees can now submit an improvement suggestion that is automatically routed to the relevant department. Previously, suggestions had to be sent to a shared inbox by e-mail, with no way of tracking whether the suggestion had actually been submitted. The new Flow includes the name of the person making the suggestion, enabling clear accountability.
Flow 3: Employee Newsletter Suggestions – Anyone can suggest a topic or a hobby for the internal staff newsletter – a low-threshold way to help shape company culture.
Flow 4: Head Office Onboarding – New head office employees are introduced to the physical environment and the most important topics via a structured Flow. Previously, this information – from "What do I do if the fire alarm goes off?" to "How do I order from the canteen?" – varied from department to department and was often not communicated at all. The Flow standardises all of this and hands new colleagues all the information they need straight away.
Technical background: The Flows use webhooks and Power Automate. Depending on the selection within the Flow, different e-mails are sent to different recipients – including the information entered in the Flow. Setting up the first Flow took approximately two days.
Planned: Intelligent Flows for the Day-to-Day Branch Experience
Sonderpreis Baumarkt already has a pipeline of further Flow ideas to be implemented next:
Till discrepancy reports: A "guided troubleshooting" approach – the Flow first asks standardised questions (e.g. "Has this happened before?") before escalating if needed. The accounts department is then relieved of calls and only receives a notification when the discrepancy genuinely cannot be resolved.
Reminders for e-learning courses
Inventory checklists with time-controlled reminders
Incident reports
Expected impact: Fewer calls to head office for issues that can be resolved independently, better stocktake results, and greater overall operational safety.
'Our employee app is more than just a communication tool – it is the digital companion for everyone in the company. With AI SMILE, we are creating a platform that doesn't merely inform, but understands. It helps us share knowledge faster and simplify processes.'
The Flip Experience with ASKAI
SMILE – The AI Assistant That Named Itself
The AI assistant at Sonderpreis Baumarkt is called SMILE – short for (Sonderpreis Employee Information and Performance Unit). Where did the name come from, you may ask? The AI was asked – and suggested it itself.
SMILE has the highest AI acceptance rate of all customers – around 56%. Employees use it every day to look up article numbers and order processes, to check returns procedures, or to find the right point of contact for a given topic.
The vision: SMILE should become the "gateway to everything" – no matter what the question, SMILE should point staff to the right process. The team estimates it has currently achieved around 30% of the way towards that vision. One outstanding element is the integration of time tracking. Even so, the AI triggers are already making an enormous difference.
Rick Fischer
Franchise partner, Sonderpreis Baumarkt
Sonderpreis Baumarkt describes Flip as a "fresh start for frontline knowledge" – moving away from a fragmented SharePoint towards a central, transparent knowledge base. The database contains information gathered over many years of company history and is continuously updated.
Conclusion
Faster Access to Information, Less Administrative Overhead, More Engagement
Sonderpreis Baumarkt has ambitious plans for further development with Flip:
AI-triggered Flows: First up, the feedback Flow and the press enquiry Flow are to be integrated to capture information about incidents in a timely manner.
New channels by user group for more targeted communication
More Flows for the day-to-day branch experience
Clearer information structure in the app
Onboarding target: 90% of employees in managed and franchise stores actively engaged within 6–12 months
Continued high usage of the AI and the Flows
Top 3 Recommendations (for other multi-site businesses) from Bea Arbeiter, Internal Communications Manager at Sonderpreis Baumarkt:
"Start with the Flows that stores actually need and that make life easier for them – that's what drives acceptance."
"A Feedback Flow is a great entry point – it makes employees feel heard, and you can try the Flow out straight away."
"Don't be afraid to ask Flip for help – the support team is really helpful and quick!"
More Flip reviews
Read more stories here about how companies have used the employee platform Flip to streamline communication, bring their teams together and boost productivity.
Book a demo
Ready to have a real impact?
Tell us your goals, get your questions answered, and receive expert guidance on a 30-minute call.
What customers are writing about Flip
Want more real-world insights? On our Wall of Love, customers share their first-hand employee app experiences with Flip.