Makro Kerstpakketten

About a quarter of Dutch employers rely on Makro KP (part of METRO AG) to thank their people for their work. As the importance of appreciation grows, so do expectations. The traditional ‘Christmas box’, despite its good intent, can feel routine rather than meaningful. Recognising this, Makro KP set out to transform the experience.

The key to making employees feel appreciated is ensuring the gift reflects genuine effort and consideration from the employer. What matters most is the thought, not the price. At scale, that is hard. We focused on turning this moment into a memorable, shareable experience with a simple story and personal touches. To support this, we developed an interactive commerce platform as an extension to the traditional gift box, called BeleefKado.

The foundation of the CX is a renewed e‑commerce environment that streamlines the gifting process. The design communicates a warm, festive feel, with story‑driven illustrations woven through the journey.

We created a versatile design system that can adopt any client’s brand while maintaining accessibility, so employees are always guided in a familiar, branded way when choosing their gift. To deepen the experience, we added personalisation at key moments, for example through components for tailored thank‑you messages or short videos that carry appreciation beyond the parcel itself.

We wrapped the new shopping experience in a light narrative colleagues can enjoy together as the holidays approach. BeleefKado offers an immersive path where employees navigate a simple mystery that leads to a personalised gift recommendation. Each choice moves the story forward and reinforces that the thought behind the gift matters most, making the employer’s effort visible.

Balancing the needs of the Makro sales team was a core challenge: on one side, a fast way to set up and duplicate shops, products and settings was essential; on the other, almost every detail needed options for client‑specific customisation. This required in‑depth analysis of requirements, user flows, exceptions, fields and management options. After mapping all flows and needs, we created a functional design aligned to the system requirements and user interface (UI) patterns of Salesforce B2B Commerce, in close partnership with our sister company Penfield Digital.

An essential final step was seamless integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (enterprise resource planning, ERP), covering products, pricing, inventory and connections with fulfilment partners. Through close collaboration with Nominow, we achieved streamlined, reliable data alignment across systems. Together, this approach shows how The Valley Group delivers joined‑up solutions that drive customer success.

BeleefKado is the first result of the partnership between Makro KP and The Valley. It is designed to strengthen the relationship between employer and employee over time. The platform supports a range of customisable options and future themes that align with clients’ company vision and team preferences. The introduction of BeleefKado brings a new customer experience to the category and raises the standard for employee appreciation.