What does real innovation in retail look like?
According to Christian Kuhn, Innovation & AI Leader, it’s not about pilots or tech for tech’s sake.
It’s about building systems that create lasting value.
This episode was recorded live at LIGANOVA’s ‘NEXT is NOW’ 30 Years Anniversary in Stuttgart and features:
🚀 A must-listen for CEOs, innovators, and anyone preparing for the future of fashion and retail.
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Disclaimer: The guest appears in a personal capacity; opinions are his own
When shoppers stop clicking, the rules of retail change. 🛍️
In this episode, Carina Lamb from EMARKETER breaks down how generative and agentic AI are threatening to collapse the retail funnel into a single conversation.
From zero-click commerce and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) to post-purchase automation and trust-based payments, discover where AI already delivers real ROI and where retailers are still chasing hype.
Listen in to learn more about:
• Smarter inventory forecasting and fulfilment
• AI-enabled customer service and post-purchase support
• Why “fix friction before flashy tools” is retail’s new golden rule
🎧 Listen now and stay ahead of zero-click commerce.
Sustainability is no longer enough. The future is regeneration. 🌱
In this German of The Retail Reality Show, retail futurist Theresa Schleicher from the Zukunftsinstitut joins Nino Bergfeld and Nicolas Kröger to explore why retail must shift from “doing less harm” to actively “creating more good.”
For decades, sustainability has been framed as sacrifice: less consumption, less pleasure, less fun. Meanwhile, consumers still click “buy now” on Temu and Shein, caught in what Theresa calls the YOLO effect: cheap, fun products win, even when values say otherwise.
Regeneration changes the story. From agriculture to fashion, it’s about building systems that restore, renew, and inspire. And unless sustainability feels desirable, it will never reach the mainstream.
In this episode, we also discuss:
🎧 Listen now and discover why regeneration may be retail’s most important shift yet.
How do retailers stay close to customers, physically, digitally, and emotionally?
In this German episode of the Retail Reality Show, we welcome Simone Krah, President of the MMM-Club and a recognized voice in the retail industry known for driving transformation in food retail. With hands-on expertise in innovation, market strategy, and consumer engagement, Simone shares powerful insights into where grocery retail is headed next.
Recorded live at the 75th International Retail Summit at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, Simone, Nino and Nicolas uncover the power of the near economy in retail, where digital influence on physical retail meets shopper wellbeing and community needs.
In this episode we’ll also discuss:
Join us and step inside the future of food retail: new formats, omnichannel personalization, and innovations that balance convenience, community, and resilience.
🎧 Listen in to learn how community, empathy, and technology are shaping tomorrow’s store formats.
What if your store didn’t sell anything – but still made people buy?
In this live episode of The Retail Reality Show, recorded at LIGANOVA's 'NEXT is NOW' 30 Years Anniversary Celebrations in Stuttgart, we dive into the transformation of physical retail, from transactional spaces to immersive brand experiences.
Julia Bischof, EMEA Retail Director at Le Creuset, shares how the iconic cookware brand is evolving from wholesale to a modern direct-to-consumer strategy using community events sensory experiences, and emotional storytelling to attract a younger audience.
Meike Hartelust, Managing Director at LIGANOVA Netherlands B.V., reveals how stores are becoming media channels: curated, flexible, and designed to connect with consumers on a deeper level.
Together with our hosts Nino Bergfeld and Nicolas Kröger, they discuss:
How to build community-driven retail formats
The role of experiential retail in premium DTC brands
Why Gen Z is falling in love with enameled cast-iron cookware
Why measuring foot traffic isn’t enough – and what KPIs really matter
How to integrate omnichannel retail strategy without losing human connection
Whether you’re a retail leader, a brand strategist, or just obsessed with the future of physical stores, this episode is packed with insights on modern retail transformation, emotional brand connection, and community marketing.
Retail is moving faster than ever.
But is it moving in the right direction?
In this episode of The Retail Reality Show, Yael and Nino sit down with Dominick Miserandino, founder of RTM Nexus, to unpack the contradictions shaping the future of the industry.
From AI-driven automation to store closures and media scandals, we explore the gap between hype and reality, and what it takes to lead when trust is low and expectations are high.
What to expect:
🎧 A fast, funny and surprisingly grounded conversation about the very real tensions behind today’s retail headlines.
Listen in now to find out Dominick’s advice on how to lead through the chaos.
What happens when the customer journey no longer starts with a search?
In this episode of The Retail Reality Show Shorts, Nino Bergfeld and Nicolas Kröger explore how large language models like ChatGPT and Perplexity are turning into full shopping interfaces, from discovery to checkout.
LLMs aren’t just suggesting products.
They’re becoming the new point of sale.
💡This episode dives into:
Tune in to understand how AI changes the way people discover, choose, and buy.
Temu, Action & Co. wirbeln den Handel auf – mit Preisen, bei denen klassische Händler kaum mithalten können.
Doch Preisdruck ist nur ein Symptom.
Was steckt wirklich hinter dem Wandel im Konsumverhalten?
In dieser Episode der Retail Reality Show sprechen Nino Bergfeld und Nicolas Kröger mit Prof. Dr. Thomas Rudolph von der Universität St. Gallen über die größten Herausforderungen für Händler und über die neuen Spielregeln, die jetzt zählen.
Jetzt reinhören, und erfahren:
💡 Eine Folge voller Insights, Marktbeispiele und klarer Empfehlungen für alle, die den Handel von morgen mitgestalten wollen.
Kaffee, Community und keine Bots.
Nespresso setzt neue Maßstäbe im Retail.
Mit dem neuen Nespresso House in München eröffnet die Marke nicht nur einen Store, sondern setzt auch ein Statement:
für Menschlichkeit, Beziehung und kulturelle Relevanz.
In dieser Episode der Retail Reality Show spricht Nino mit Lea Drusio, Marketing Director bei Nespresso Deutschland, über eine zentrale Frage im Handel:
Was kann Technologie leisten – und was eben nicht?
Es geht um die bewusste Entscheidung gegen Technologie im Vordergrund – und für echte Begegnung im physischen Raum.
Warum ist Nähe ein strategisches Asset?
Was bedeutet Customer Centricity heute wirklich?
Und wie bringt man globale Markenidentität mit lokaler Community in Einklang?
Während viele Marken noch mit AI-Integration beschäftigt sind, setzt Nespresso mit Menschlichkeit als Strategie neue Standards.
🎧 Jetzt reinhören und erfahren, warum echte Verbindung im Retail nicht automatisierbar ist.
What makes retail tech succeed – and why does most of it still fail?
In this episode, we speak with Joel Bar-El, Chairman of Trax and CEO of Xpand, who’s spent 30 years building tech that actually transforms retail.
From shelf analytics and computer vision to fully autonomous, robot-operated stores:
Joel shares what he’s learned building two unicorns, and why most innovation still ignores the shopper.
🎧 Hear why:
Tune in for a candid conversation that cuts through the buzzwords and gets to the operational truth of retail innovation.
Tariffs are rising. AI is underdelivering.
And even Swiss shoppers are embracing discount mode.
In this special episode, hosts Yael, Nicolas and Nino explore how retail leaders are adapting to an industry in flux.
Global trade disruptions, shaky AI tools, and changing shopper habits all point to one thing: uncertainty is here to stay.
From shifting supply chains to AI fatigue and unpredictable consumer behavior, this is what we dive into:
🧠 Real talk, real context – in 20 minutes.
In dieser Live-Episode der Retail Reality Show, aufgenommen auf der Salesforce Agentforce World Tour in Frankfurt, spricht Host Nino Bergfeld mit Prof. Dr. Peter Gentsch über die nächste große Welle im Handel:
Agentic AI und wie sie die Spielregeln für Marken und Konsument:innen verändert. Denn wer heute nach einem Produkt sucht, fragt nicht mehr Amazon oder Google – sondern promptet.
Die neuen Gatekeeper heißen Sprachmodelle. Und sie entscheiden mit, was gekauft wird. Wer heute im Retail relevant bleiben will, muss verstehen, wie KI denkt, entscheidet und handelt.
Wir sprechen außerdem darüber:
Eine Episode, die zeigt, warum Marken jetzt handeln müssen – bevor andere die Entscheidung treffen.
What does it take to lead through uncertainty?
In this episode, retail strategist and The Retail Pilot host Ken Pilot shares how he went from avoiding tech meetings to backing the very platforms transforming the industry.
Alongside Yael and Nicolas, Ken – former GAP & J.Crew exec – dives into:
– How tariffs are shaking up sourcing strategies
– What leaders must unlearn to stay relevant
– Why tech literacy matters more than ever
From PDPs to AI to China tariffs, Ken breaks down the complex realities of retail – and how to build teams equipped to handle them.
If you’re leading in retail today, this one’s for you.
Can fast fashion ever be sustainable?
In this eye-opening episode of The Retail Reality Show, founder and CEO of Circular Transparency, and former H&M Group leader, Nina Shariati, joins Nino in unpacking the hard truths and bold possibilities for an industry that needs to transform – not just to tweak.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:
This isn’t a conversation about swapping polyester for organic cotton.
It’s about redesigning the rules, from supply chains to shareholder expectations, to make sustainability inevitable, not optional.
We talk circularity, climate risk, SHEIN, supply chains, legislation, and what leadership really means in fashion today. A must-listen for anyone thinking beyond green labels looking for real transformation.
Tune in now!
What’s really driving retail transformation? It’s not what you think.
In this episode of The Retail Reality Show, we sit down with Miguel Bagulho, Investment Director at Bright Pixel Capital, the venture arm of Portuguese retail giant Sonae.
Miguel shares how his team sifts through hundreds of startups a year to find the few that truly move the needle – and why the most impactful technologies in retail aren’t always the flashiest.
🎯 Expect sharp insights on:
From supply chain intelligence to the creator economy and AI-powered replenishment – we explore where the smart money is going and why it matters for the future of retail.
🎧 Tune in now for a deep dive into strategy, scale, and what it takes to invest in what actually works.
Lands’ End is fighting fast fashion with personalization.
In this episode of the Retail Reality Show, we’re joined by Andrew McLean, CEO of Lands’ End, to uncover how the brand is taking a stand against fast fashion – one sustainable piece at a time.
From designing products that last a lifetime to leveraging AI for hyper-personalized shopping experiences, Andrew reveals the strategies that set Lands’ End apart in an industry obsessed with trends.
Key insights from the episode:
Why understanding why customers buy is more powerful than knowing who they are.
How Lands’ End uses psychographics to build long-term customer loyalty.
The surprising role of AI in creating trust and personalization without compromising brand values.
Is it really possible to balance sustainability with personalization, or does one always take the backseat?
Find out as we dive deep into the future of retail with one of the industry’s most experienced leaders.
🎧 Listen now!
In this episode of The Retail Reality Show, Yana Routshtein, Group Director of Product at Walmart, reveals how the world’s largest retailer is balancing AI, social commerce, and personalized experiences without losing control of the customer journey.
Social commerce is booming, AI is transforming retail, and customers demand personalized experiences more than ever.
But according to Yana, the real risk isn’t about keeping up with these trends – it’s relying too much on platforms retailers don’t control.
Key insights from this episode:
Yana shares practical strategies for owning the entire customer journey from first click to checkout, and why mastering personalization might be the key to staying ahead.
Curious about where retail is really heading?
🎧 Tune in now to get insider insights from one of Walmart’s top leaders!
Retailer sind nicht mehr nur Verkaufsplattformen – sie werden zu Medienhäusern. Doch wer setzt sich in diesem neuen Geschäftsfeld wirklich durch?
In dieser Episode sprechen wir mit Olaf Reichel, einem der führenden Experten für Retail Media, über die entscheidenden Fragen:
Welche Händler verdienen bereits Millionen – und warum?
Wann lohnt sich Retail Media wirklich?
Wo stößt das Modell an seine Grenzen?
Retail Media boomt, doch nicht jeder Händler profitiert davon. Während einige große Player wie Amazon, Otto und Douglas massiv investieren, scheitern andere an den richtigen Strategien, Prozessen und Technologien.
💡 Olaf Reichel gibt exklusive Einblicke in den Markt, zeigt die häufigsten Fehler auf und erklärt, was Retailer JETZT tun müssen, um in diesem Werbemarkt zu bestehen.
Jetzt reinhören!
#RetailReality #RetailMedia #RetailTech #Ecommerce @Nicolas @Nino
💡 What happens when a seemingly brilliant retail innovation completely flops?
Super-Pharm is Israel’s leading pharmacy and beauty retailer – and at the same time, one of the country’s most advanced retail ecosystems. With 8 million monthly website visitors, an award-winning AR shopping experience, and a strong focus on AI and digital transformation, success seems inevitable.
But even here, not every idea works.
In this episode of the Retail Reality Show, our hosts Yael and Nicolas talk to Michael Mitrani, VP Digital & Innovation at Super-Pharm, about the key lessons from both successful and failed retail innovations.
🎧 Tune in now to learn why failure is often the best teacher in retail innovation!
In this first episode of our new three-host setup, Yael Kochman, Nino Bergfeld, and Nicolas Kroeger dive into their key takeaways from NRF 2025, the world’s largest retail conference.
From the rise of retail media as a profit powerhouse to the transformative potential of AI in marketing and customer service, this episode highlights the trends shaping the future of retail.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
🎧 Tune in now to get exclusive insights from the heart of the retail industry.