Growth with a tailwind: The SIGA Batteries success story
The main branch in Mannheim is where everything comes together at SIGA Batterien – from this location, the team manages its business across Europe, with a focus on Germany. Managing Director Chris Kiriazis remembers the beginnings as a mixture of curiosity and a test of reality: the company started working with batteries in 2007/2008 and online sales began in 2010. First there was a lot of trial and error because the product was demanding – then there was a break. Then, in 2012, the moment came when “we’re testing” became “we’re going through with it”. The market was conquered in no time – thanks to smart decisions and the right partners.
Growth needs more than manual labor
The range is wide: Car batteries, motorcycle batteries, solar batteries, plus solutions for building technology and industry – from forklifts to aerial work platforms. With each additional sales order, not only the number of packages increased, but also the error rate. In the beginning, a lot of things were done manually – and at some point it became clear that our growing business could no longer be handled this way. So the search began for a structure that would grow with us.
The turning point
The decision was made in favor of JTL software – and the difference is immediately apparent in day-to-day operations: The system was easy to understand, even for employees without an IT background. And the first time we actually worked with it, it did exactly what we wanted it to do during the peak phase: enter the sales order, complete the parcel label and invoice – within seconds.
It was like a dream when we worked with JTL software for the first time: Within seconds, the sales order was entered and the delivery bill and invoice were generated.
Maximum reach with eBay
Alongside the process side, the company needed reach – and a platform on which the target group would really search. Kiriazis describes the path clearly: “Through market analysis, the decision was quickly made in favor of eBay, as the segment (automotive/spare parts and especially batteries) was particularly strong there. Around 15 years ago, there was hardly any competition in this area and no similarly busy marketplace. For SIGA, there was no question about it – and it remains a central sales channel to this day.
Growth with strong partners - even across national borders
And then came the next step: internationalization. SIGA was able to set up international sales without any problems, mainly thanks to supporting tools from JTL and eBay – including eBaymag – and quickly overcame financial and tax-related hurdles.
What is striking here is that it is not about “expanding faster at any price”, but about a setup that reduces the effort per additional country – and thus makes growth practicable.
With eBay, we have a very strong support partner whose support makes a big difference compared to other marketplaces.
Bearings under control
At SIGA, growth doesn’t just mean “selling more”, but above all: moving more goods without chaos. That’s why the company relies on JTL-WMS in stock and uses many other JTL modules to optimally record incoming and outgoing goods.
This is the moment when an online business becomes a reliable operation: less improvisation, more routine – and routine is scalable.
The employees of SIGA Batterien were able to work with the JTL software without any problems after just a short time.
Of course, the switch from manual processes to digital workflows was not a switch that was simply flipped. SIGA already had many listings and items online – and data maintenance was “not particularly good”, as Kiriazis himself admits. Instead of dragging the issue along, it was solved: with JTL-DataTransfer – a flexible import and export tool. The result: everything was implemented within three months and has been running smoothly ever since.
Keep at it - and really use tools
Chris Kiriazis’ final piece of advice for online retailers is to get stuck in, analyze the JTL tools and incorporate them into your daily routine.
If you want to grow, you not only need reach, but above all a foundation that processes every sales order smoothly. The success story of SIGA Batterien shows what happens when strong partners and clear processes come together: less manual work, more control – and a retailer that delivers reliably both online and locally.
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