About Puuilo
Puuilo is a Finnish retail store chain, known in particular for its wide product assortment, low prices, good store locations and convenient shopping experience. The company is focused on, in particular, handcraft and household accessories, and pet food products.
Puuilo has more than 50 stores and an online store in different parts of Finland, which is an important part of Puuilo’s multi-channel business model. Due to its successful store concept, Puuilo has become one of the leading players in the discount market in Finland, and measured by turnover, it is one of Finland’s largest store chains focusing on consumer goods.
The challenge: Keeping retail staff connected in a fast-paced environment
With over 1500 employees in more than 50 locations across the country, the majority of whom are non-desk workers, Puuilo faced some internal communication challenges they set out to fix:
- Information fragmentation: With employees spread across store floors, stockrooms, and back offices, traditional communication methods were creating information silos.
- Timeliness issues: Critical updates about promotions, and company announcements weren’t reaching frontline staff when needed most.
- Employee engagement: Without a unified communication channel, maintaining consistent engagement across all store locations was difficult.
“Our retail environment moves quickly, with constant changes in promotions and company updates. We are using Valotalive to deliver information fast to our employees regardless of where they work in our stores,” explains Juha Parviainen, CIO at Puuilo.
The solution: Digital signage as the backbone of Puuilo’s internal communication strategy
Puuilo implemented Valotalive’s comprehensive digital signage solution, consisting of:
- Valotalive content management platform (SaaS): A cloud-based digital signage system allowing centralised control of all 50 digital displays
- Google ChromeOS media players: Reliable hardware for consistent content delivery
- Google Chrome Enterprise device management: Secure and efficient control of all display devices
Key use cases at Puuilo
1. Distributing company news and updates
Puuilo’s digital displays have become essential for sharing important company information across all store locations.
Announcements appear prominently on screens, ensuring all employees receive updates about policy changes, new initiatives, and company achievements regardless of their role or schedule. When Puuilo introduces e.g sustainability initiatives or corporate strategies, these are immediately visible on screens in employee break rooms.
The displays also serve as a platform for internal job postings, advertising open positions to encourage internal mobility and growth. Screens in high-traffic employee areas can showcase new job opportunities, making career advancement possibilities more visible to all staff members.
2. Improving operational efficiency and information access
The digital signage system has streamlined operational communication throughout Puuilo’s stores.
Puuilo promotes training and development opportunities through their screens, making information about upcoming sessions, learning resources, and professional development tips easily accessible. This approach has increased participation in growth opportunities.
Safety and compliance information receives consistent visibility across all locations. The displays communicate essential safety protocols, emergency procedures, and compliance guidelines, ensuring employees have continuous access to this critical information. Safety reminders and evacuation plans are strategically placed in highly visible locations for maximum impact.
3. Building culture & engaging employees
While used selectively, Puuilo has also discovered meaningful benefits from featuring employee-focused content on their displays.
The screens highlight individual achievements, celebrate work anniversaries, and showcase successful team projects. These recognition moments, though simple, can strengthen the workplace culture by publicly acknowledging employee contributions. The displays also occasionally feature motivational content aligned with company values, helping to reinforce Puuilo’s core mission and principles in a subtle but persistent way throughout the workday.
The results: Enhanced visibility of critical updates for frontline staff
Since implementing Valotalive’s digital signage solution, Puuilo has realized numerous improvements:
- Enhanced information flow from headquarters to frontline staff
- Immediate visibility of critical updates across all store locations simultaneously
- Reduced reliance on printed notices and repetitive manager announcements
- More consistent execution of promotions and company initiatives across store locations
- Increased awareness of company news and developments among floor staff
- Greater workplace connectivity, especially for employees without regular computer access
As Parviainen concludes:
“Valotalive corporate digital signage serves as a powerful channel to reinforce important messages. Our Info TVs will prominently display key information, including training schedules, updated guidance documents, current job vacancies, scheduled appointments, and ongoing marketing campaigns.”
