Flip Reviews: Toom

How toom uses Flip to connect 330 hardware stores for instant communication

toom is one of Germany’s leading DIY retailers, with around 18,000 employees and over 330 stores. To reach this widely dispersed workforce efficiently and to bring internal knowledge together in one place, the company opted for an intuitive employee app as its central hub. toom has been working with Flip since 2020.

Benefits of the Flip platform

Blue outlined rocket icon, symbolizing rapid digital workflow or process acceleration.

HR services all in your pocket

Flip brings key HR services together so staff can access rotas, holiday requests, payslips and their staff discount card directly on their smartphone instead of using paperwork.

Two blue chat bubbles icon, symbolizing frictionless digital communication and collaboration.

Shared knowledge, faster help.

Through the “Ask toom” group, knowledge that used to sit with a few experts becomes “swarm knowledge” for everyone, and questions about products or processes are answered within minutes by colleagues across Germany.

Two hands clasped in a handshake, symbolizing proactive teamwork and collaboration.

A new dialogue-driven culture

The app, known internally as “toomunity”, enables communication on an equal footing, replaces private messengers such as WhatsApp and provides a protected space where employees, store managers and senior management can communicate directly.

About toom

One of the largest DIY markets in Germany

toom is part of the REWE Group and, with its comprehensive concept, sets standards in the DIY sector. The company places great importance on sustainability and employee satisfaction, which is reflected, among other things, in its “audit berufundfamilie” certification. The digital transformation of communication was the next logical step for toom in order to strengthen the company’s culture of dialogue.

Industry
Retail / DIY Market

Size
18,000+ employees in 330 locations

Use Cases
Digital HR services (shift rota, payslip) Centralised knowledge management Feedback and exchange of ideas
Top-down and bottom-up communication

Before Flip

When traditional channels reach their limits

In a decentralised set‑up like toom, reaching all 18,000 employees at the same time was a major challenge. Traditional internal communication channels such as emails, letters or cascaded messages via store management were often too slow, which was particularly problematic during the pandemic with constantly changing rules.

When staff on the shop floor lacked specific information (for example, where shelf boards are stored), they had to ring round or send emails, meaning existing knowledge in the business often was not available where it was needed.

Key challenges

Slow flow of information due to hierarchical cascades
Use of unsecured private messaging apps for work‑related communication
Important HR information and expert knowledge not easily available on mobiles

Mitarbeiter zeigt Mitarbeiter App mit Flip Flows, HR-Portal, Employee Experience Platform im Baumarkt.

How the implementation of toomunity was successfully done

An IT project of this scale comes with a number of pitfalls. toom mainly faced:

Scepticism about using personal devices for a work-related app
Complexity in the registration process due to strict IT requirements
Changes to ways of working and the associated change process

That the app was still a success is thanks to these measures:

Drop‑in sessions for employees to clarify questions and understand the benefits
Workshops and training sessions where critical questions also had space
Close cooperation between head office and the stores
A change manager who supported the project and the employees

'The biggest challenge is often that you have many employees spread across the shop floor all over Germany. If you do not have a tool that informs and engages everyone at the same time, it becomes difficult.'

Ralf Ludwigs
Lead HR-IT, Processmanagement & Analytics

The experience with Flip

„toomunity“: the digital heart of the company

With the launch of the “toomunity” app, toom did more than introduce a tool; it digitised its culture of dialogue. The crucial success factor was focusing on real added value: from day one, the app was not just for information but a practical everyday helper.

By integrating HR services such as digital rota planning and payslips, the app quickly became indispensable. At the same time, knowledge management was transformed: employees support each other in open groups, share best practice for store layouts and give direct feedback to head office.

The app seamlessly connects frontline staff in the stores with the administration in Cologne.

Flip Features that convinced toom

HR integrations: Direct access to SAP services such as holiday requests and pay information.
Group chats: Rapid exchange in the “Ask toom” channel instead of time‑consuming phone chains.
Newsfeed: Company news reaches everyone at the same time, not just desk‑based staff.
Employee benefits: Digital staff discount card always reachable on the smartphone.

“We were convinced that there was a lot of knowledge available, but it was not bundled anywhere. And colleagues on the shop floor had no way of accessing it. Now the app serves as the starting point.”

Daria Ezazi

Head of Corporate Communications

Mitarbeiterin im toom-Markt nutzt Smartphone; Mitarbeiter App, Employee Experience Platform sichtbar.

'Employees now have a safe space where they can exchange ideas and ask questions. They no longer need to use private messengers.'

Mandy Jäschke Store Manager, toom

Results and cultural impact

94% engagement rate and noticeable relief

The “value before obligation” approach has proved its worth. Even though the app is voluntary, around 80 per cent of employees actively use it, and 94 per cent of registered users use “toomunity” on a regular basis.

For frontline staff, this means no more hunting for the right contact. They post their question in the app and receive a solution within minutes, so “toomunity” has become the central hub that speeds up processes and strengthens the sense of togetherness.

With Flip, toom shows that digital transformation in retail works when people are at the centre. The “toomunity” has brought 330 stores closer together than ever and turned isolated know‑how at individual locations into collective intelligence.

The greatest improvements at toom with Flip

Enormous time savings: solutions to customer enquiries within minutes instead of hours.
High acceptance: 80% active user rate thanks to relevant HR features.
Transparency: a direct line from management to the colleagues stocking the shelves.
Efficiency: elimination of paper-based processes for holiday and shift planning.

Mitarbeiter im toom-Markt nutzt digitale Mitarbeiterplattform-App, Schild: Danke. im Hintergrund.

'The knowledge of toom is now in your pocket: employees can check from anywhere which shift is coming up, book holiday, access product information or ask colleagues about a problem.'

Daria Ezazi
Head of Corporate Communications

Conclusion

A cultural shift that brings people together

With Flip, toom has proved that digital transformation in retail works when people are placed at the centre. The “toomunity” has brought the 330 stores closer together than ever before. It has turned isolated knowledge at individual locations into collective intelligence and has shown that an app can be more than just communication: it is a tool that makes everyday work a little easier for 18,000 people, every single day.

The “Ask toom” channel is particularly popular, where employees answer one another’s questions and share practical solutions. This openness is embedded in the strategy, as Head of Corporate Communications Daria Ezazi emphasises: “Transparency is part of the corporate culture and is reflected in the app every day.”

Beyond pure communication, toom promotes active employee participation through integrated tools: the “Idea Workshop” enables employees to continuously submit suggestions for improving everyday processes and product ranges. Surveys and feedback functions make opinions visible and demonstrably influence management decisions. In doing so, toom shows how real, effective communication works even in large organisations – through genuine participation instead of top-down approaches. For this, toom received the “Employee Voice Amplifier” award at the Flip Awards 2025.