With a population of about 670,000, Rotterdam is the Netherlands' second-most populous city after the capital, Amsterdam. In the middle of the Binnenwegplein shopping street, which we visited on the 7th local time, sits "MediaMarkt Tech Village Rotterdam." It is a "Lighthouse Store," a strategic hub that MediaMarktSaturn, a home appliance retail chain operating more than 1,000 stores in Europe, runs in key commercial districts of major cities.
LG Electronics expanded the store it set up here in Nov. last year from 28㎡ (about 8 pyeong) to 73㎡ (about 22 pyeong) and revamped its display approach. It moved away from lining up products and instead turned it into a real home-like space with a living room, kitchen, and utility room. After the remodel, LG Electronics' sales at this store in the first half of this year rose more than 20% from a year earlier.
Upon entering the MediaMarkt in Rotterdam, it was clear that multiple brands had embedded strategies to catch consumers' eyes in their own spaces. Some stores highlighted products with bold lighting, while others emphasized their technology on giant screens. In this venue where major appliance makers such as Samsung Electronics, Bosch, Sony, Philips, TCL, Hisense, and Dreame compete for the Dutch market, LG Electronics put forward "experience" as its spatial strategy. The aim was to show the convenience people can enjoy at home through LG Electronics products.
Unlike the flashier spots, the LG Electronics store felt calm and, in turn, stood out. Under soft lighting and light wood-toned furniture, a round dining table was set, and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV and storage cabinets were arranged on the wall like a living room. Behind the kitchen island and sink, a refrigerator was integrated among the cabinetry. It felt like viewing part of an appliance exhibition that follows a single narrative. Among the roughly 10 leading brands in this location, LG Electronics is the only one that links the kitchen, living room, and utility room to recreate a real home environment.
◇ "It's boring to just line up products"… showing "life" instead of specs
Lee Eun-young, B2C marketing team leader at LG Electronics' Benelux subsidiary, said, "It's boring if products are just lined up," and added, "Products are ultimately used at home, so we created a space like a home to show how they look and what they can do in real use." The Benelux subsidiary oversees business in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
The core of the remodeled LG Electronics store is showing how life changes when multiple appliances in one home are connected, rather than focusing on individual product features. Refrigerators, washers, dryers, and air conditioners connect through LG Electronics' appliance platform "LG ThinQ" and the Dutch smart home platform "Homey."
When a home battery is sufficiently charged or electricity rates fall to a user-set level, the start times of the washer and dryer can be adjusted automatically. When a wash cycle finishes, it notifies users via living room lights or a display. A demo also showed a sensor detecting when a window opens to turn off the air conditioner and returning to the previous operating state when the window is closed again. Another demo showed the refrigerator and air conditioner sharing power status to adjust cooling times.
Jay Rommers, marketing manager at LG Electronics' Benelux subsidiary, said, "Online you can compare specs and prices, but you can't experience the product," adding, "Here, you can see how products actually operate in the flow of the living room or everyday life."
The demo also reflected the fact that in Dutch homes, washers and dryers are often placed on the second or third floor. Rommers said, "There's no need to go upstairs to check if the laundry is done; you can get alerts in the living room."
This experiential approach has translated into sales results. LG Electronics found that after arranging appliances like a real home, more customers purchased multiple products together, and by demonstrating AI Home features in person, consumer understanding also improved.
◇ "Space and energy efficiency" highlighted at IFA… applied to the sales floor
The strategy LG Electronics emphasized for Europe at the International Funkausstellung (IFA) 2026, the continent's largest home appliance and IT exhibition that wrapped up on the 8th in Berlin, Germany, was also reflected in this store. LG Electronics expanded "Fit & Max," previously applied to refrigerators, to washers, dryers, and dishwashers to offer products suited to Europe's smaller living spaces. Energy management using high-efficiency appliances and AI Home was also a key exhibit theme.
In the Rotterdam store, built-in ovens, induction cooktops, and dishwashers, as well as A-rated refrigerators—the highest energy efficiency rating in Europe—and washers that are 40% more efficient than the A rating standard were placed within the living space.
The Netherlands has a high population density and expensive housing, resulting in relatively many smaller homes. Adoption of digital devices is also high. According to Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office, in 2024, 94.8% of people ages 16 to 74 in the Netherlands used internet-connected devices, the highest among EU member states. Another feature is its long-standing role as Europe's logistics and distribution gateway, centered on the Port of Rotterdam. With a logistics network linking Western, Southern, and Northern Europe and the United Kingdom, global companies have used it as a base to gauge consumer response in the European market. LG Electronics configured the store to let visitors experience, in one space, built-in and high-efficiency appliances that maximize space utilization and an AI Home that connects multiple devices, tailored to these market traits.
The importance of energy management is also growing. Starting in 2027, the Netherlands will end the net metering system that offsets electricity sent to the grid from solar generation against consumption. That heightens the need to store power produced at home in batteries or adjust appliance operating times for direct use. This underpins LG Electronics' in-store demonstrations that adjust washer run times based on the charge status of a home battery and electricity rates, and that link the power use of multiple appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators. Based on the Rotterdam store's results, LG Electronics plans to expand specialized "space solution" stores that emphasize high efficiency, built-in formats, and AI Home, tailored to each region and commercial district.
◇ From OLEDs inside airplanes to heritage hotels… "custom solutions" for Dutch landmarks
LG Electronics is also applying technologies suited to the spatial characteristics of key Dutch landmarks. At Madurodam, a miniature theme park in The Hague that we visited on the 6th, a flight experience facility using LG Electronics' curved OLEDs was in operation. Children and family visitors lined up to experience a space created by refitting a real Douglas DC-3 aircraft.
LG Electronics installed 14 55-inch curved OLEDs along the aircraft's rounded interior walls. The screens are arranged to wrap the left and right fields of view so that, when seated, visitors can watch continuous flight footage of various landscapes. By combining OLEDs molded to the fuselage's curvature with lighting and sound, the setup delivers an experience in which the entire space becomes content, beyond viewing a flat display. LG Electronics built the facility in 2021 and replaced some models this year.
LG Electronics' technology was also applied to the Amrâth Kurhaus Grand Hotel, built in 1884. To minimize damage to the building's exterior, it supplied water-cooled system air conditioners that can use existing piping. Nineteen outdoor units and 294 indoor units handle heating and cooling for more than 250 guest rooms, conference rooms, and restaurants. At the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it installed about 100㎡ of high-brightness LED signage at 3,500 nits so content remains clear even under strong natural light.
An LG Electronics official said, "The Netherlands, Europe's gateway, is a crucial market where we can verify the marketability of diverse products and solutions," adding, "We will continue to expand our business by providing solutions tailored to residential, commercial, and cultural spaces based on our technological prowess."