What happens to retail when customers stop visiting websites? 😧

Generative AI is already impacting how people shop. 
Traffic to retail websites is declining as zero-click searches rise.

Now, agentic AI is threatening to fundamentally change where people shop.

ChatGPT and Google AI now summarize, suggest, and even buy, without sending any traffic to brand sites.

So is the collapse of the retail purchase funnel imminent? 
And what should retailers do to prepare?

Find out more here!

For decades, sustainability was framed as sacrifice.
Less consumption, less pleasure, less fun.

Meanwhile, consumers preach green values, yet they still click ‘buy now’ on ultra-fast fashion.

Call it the YOLO effect: cheap, fun products win, even though we know better.

This mindset won’t future-proof retail.

Theresa Schleicher, retail futurist researcher, explains in our latest episode:

The next big shift is regeneration.
Not just doing less harm, but creating more good.

Whether you work in German grocery retail, European fashion, or global e-commerce, this conversation will help you prepare for what’s next.

97% of Germans still skip e-grocery. 
Why does the corner store win every time?
The answer starts with proximity.

📍 Live at Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute’s 75th Retail Summit, we welcomed retail insider Simone Krah, President of the MMM-Club, to discuss this and more:

- Why restaurant inflation (€38 Schnitzel!) drives shoppers toward in-store cafés and sushi bars

- How a bio chain pivoted fast with budget-friendly organics to protect stretched wallets

- What the single-household boom means for the surge in protein snacks and grab-&-go meals

🎧 Listen to the full German episode of The Retail Reality Show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

In our latest episode of The Retail Reality Show, recorded live at LIGANOVA's 'NEXT is NOW' 30 Years Anniversary Celebrations in Stuttgart, we unpack the evolving role of physical retail spaces, together with:

• Julia Bischof, EMEA Retail Director Le Creuset

• Meike Hartelust, Managing Director LIGANOVA 
  

With our hosts Nino Bergfeld and Nicolas Kröger, our guests explore how brands are reshaping the in-store experience from the inside out:

• How to build a community inside your store

• Which soft KPIs actually matter beyond transactions

• Why Gen Z is falling for enameled cast-iron cookware

• And how sensory experiences convert casual shoppers into fans

And yes, we talk about tech, too.
But the kind that supports staff, not replaces them.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

In our new episode of The Retail Reality Show, we sit down with Dominick Miserandino, the media guy who’s been in retail long enough to see every reinvention firsthand, who is now building Retail Tech Media Nexus to connect retail, tech, and media in one place.
Together with Yael and Nino, Dominic unpacks the contradictions shaping the industry today.

💡 In this episode, you’ll hear about:

– Experiential retail as a post-COVID therapy

– Why the biggest retail risks today are invisible

– The real problem with AI (spoiler: it’s not the tech)

– Why leadership starts in the lobby, not the boardroom

A fast, funny, and surprisingly hopeful conversation about where retail’s headed, and what it still means to be human in a tech-driven world.

LLMs aren’t just assisting shoppers anymore. They’re becoming the new point of sale.

In this quick episode, Nino Bergfeld and Nicolas Kröger unpack:

• How image-based queries and intent-first shopping change the game

• Why AI platforms are building their own shopping ecosystems

• What it takes to stay visible when there are no more SERPs

If your visibility depends on Google today, this one’s for you.

Listen to the full episode now, on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Cheap is no longer just cheap – it’s damn well done.

Temu. Action. Shein.

If you’re laughing at them, you haven’t understood the shift in retail.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Rudolph, Professor at the University of St. Gallen, explains in our new German episode why platforms like Temu are no longer a low-income phenomenon – but perform across age and income groups.

On top of that: consumer sentiment remains tense.

Tune in now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts!

AI used to be a competitive advantage.

While some are still struggling with integration, others are shifting their focus back to what technology can’t do:

Closeness. Trust. Relationships.

In our new German episode, Nino visited Lea at the new Nespresso flagship store in downtown Munich and quickly realised:

The Nespresso House in Munich is more than just a store.
It’s a place for exchange, for community, for connection.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to find out why humanity in retail isn’t a “nice-to-have” – it’s brand strategy.

What makes retail tech actually work? And why do so many innovations miss the mark?

In this episode of The Retail Reality Show, we talk to someone who’s built two of the most influential retail tech companies of the last decade – and still believes most of the industry is getting it wrong.

Joel Bar-El – Chairman at Trax and now CEO of Xpand – joins us to share what he’s learned from 30 years in retail tech and building two unicorns along the way.

This episode is a candid, practical reality check for anyone building in or for retail.

Feeling like your retail strategy is outdated overnight?
You're not alone.

In the latest episode of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔, Yael Kochman, Nicolas Kroeger and Nino Bergfeld explore how retail leaders are navigating uncertainty, from rising tariffs to AI fatigue.

Here’s what we’re unpacking in this episode:

- The uncertainty behind global trade shifts
- How suppliers are rerouting goods in real time
- What smart AI use really looks like – and how to measure it
- How leadership is less about knowing and more about adapting

Forget funnels.

The next touchpoint for your customers is an AI agent.

In this special German live episode of The Retail Reality Show, recorded at the Salesforce World Tour in Frankfurt, AI expert and thought leader Prof. Dr. Peter Gentsch joins host Nino Bergfeld to discuss one of the most profound shifts in retail:

How generative and agentic AI is rewriting the customer journey.

Tune in now to find out how Agentic AI will transform the customer journey.

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.

The real problem of the fashion industry?

Nina Shariati is an insider, and she knows:

It’s the system itself, a global system built to prioritize endless growth on a planet with finite resources, while externalizing the true costs of pollution, waste, and labor.

We don’t just need better products.

We need a new playbook – one that aligns profit with planetary survival and makes sustainability inevitable, not optional.

Tune in now on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

What happens when one of the largest corporations in Portugal starts investing like a Silicon Valley VC?

This episode’s guest doesn’t just talk about transformation, he’s on the frontlines of funding it, globally and strategically. 

In this episode, we’re diving into:

• The gap between pilot projects and real implementation,

• what tech has quietly become the MVP of store operations,

• and why building everything in-house might be killing your momentum.

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.

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!

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.

Curious about where retail is really heading?

🎧 Tune in now to get insider insights from one of Walmart’s top leaders!

Retailers as media houses?

Retail media is growing rapidly, but not every retailer can benefit. While Amazon, Otto, and Douglas make millions from advertising, many are asking: Is retail media really worth it, or is it too big a risk?

In this German episode, our guest, retail media expert Olaf Reichel, explains which retailers win and why so many fail.

Tune in now!

Retail innovation isn’t about launching more tech—it’s about launching the right tech.

In our latest episode of The Retail Reality Show, we talk to Michael Mitrani, VP Digital & Innovation at Super-Pharm, about what drives real innovation in retail. From AI-powered product discovery to AR-enhanced shopping experiences, we explore what works, what flops, and what the future holds.

Our NRF 2025 recap: It’s all about the side events, big conversations, and this year, retail media was stealing the show.

In Martin’s last (German!) episode as co-host, he and Nino look back at the most exciting topics and most inspiring guests from the past two years