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.

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

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!

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.

Get ready to transform your retail strategy with Yael Kochman, a retail disruptor and top expert in AI and video commerce. In this episode, we dive into how cutting-edge tech can boost your business and explore the latest innovations shaping the future of retail.

In this special live episode of the Retail Reality Show, we're thrilled to sit down with Carlos Zenner, Vice President of Customer Engagement at HUGO BOSS, for an exclusive conversation about the future of loyalty programs in luxury fashion.

Get ready for a mind-expanding journey into the future of retail! In this thrilling episode, we're joined by Neha Singh, CEO from Obsess.

Retail Expansion Special with Kevin Breese (Waterdrop)

Quick Commerce Special with Milena Lazarevska (Delivery Hero)

Retail Analytics with Omar Tello

How will the future of fashion look? With with Adriana Hoppenbrouwer-Pereira (The Fabricant)

The new episode with Antony Slumbers from the UK about the topic Space as a service.