Citation:

Muhammad Rayshad Azzura, Ismi Darmastuti. "Strategic Transition of Ankerslot B.V.: From B2B Dominance to B2C Market Entry in Germany" International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Vol. 4, No. 10, pp. 31-36, 2025. Crossref. http://doi.org/10.56472/25835238/IRJEMS-V4I10P105

Abstract:

Ankerslot B.V. is a Dutch company, founded in 1946, that develops, designs, and manufactures practical, high-quality keys using computer-controlled machinery (Ankerslot, 2023). Ankerslot now sells mechanical locks in the B2B market in the Netherlands. Using the 'Contract manufacturing' business method, they enter into contracts with B2B customers (other companies such as Noxxa and Isero) and generate patent locks and keys in the customer's company name. Ankerslot also sells it to the general public, including banks (Rabobank ABN, ING), universities (Saxion and Twente), the government, and prisons, but not to end users directly. Ankerslot has primarily used word-of-mouth strategies to raise brand awareness in the neighborhood. They intend to grow their customer base into overseas countries like Germany and Serbia. They intend to join the B2C market in Germany for the first time, but Ankerslot will face a difficulty due to a lack of prior experience. Germans take pride in their own local products, so Ankerslot would face a hurdle entering the mechanical lock market as a foreign organization, given there are already many competitors in the market. Explaining each component of DESTEP to demonstrate the customer demographic, the economic environment in Germany, market trends, and the state of the mechanical lock market in Germany. Marketing research and analysis are critical to understanding and developing Ankerslot's German market entry strategy. The study structure begins with Ankerslot's internal marketing strategy and then moves on to macro and meso-level analyses to better understand German market dynamics and rivals' communication methods. Ankerslot's internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats, were assessed using a comprehensive SWOT and TOWS analysis.

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Keywords:

B2B to B2C, DESTEP, SWOT Analysis, TOWS Analysis, Germany, Mechanical Lock Industry.