Screenshot 2025-03-28 at 15.48.27

- 41:46

Interview

or listen on

Where Retail Innovation Gets Real: Inside Schwarz Group with Mirko Saul

📍Cologne, Germany

At the heart of Schwarz Group’s technology strategy is a clear mission: innovate with purpose, scale with precision, and maintain full control over data and operations. As one of the largest retailers globally — operating brands like Lidl and Kaufland with over 14,000 stores — the group’s approach to innovation is anything but experimental. It’s rigorous, measured, and deeply integrated into the business strategy.

Innovation begins with a problem-first mindset. Rather than chasing the latest trends, the team at Schwarz Digital identifies pain points across the organization and actively scouts technologies that can solve them. Every potential solution is pressure-tested in a lab store — a fully operational replica of a retail environment, minus the customers. This allows teams to safely validate everything from AI-powered self-checkout to robotics, loss prevention, and computer vision tools before even considering real-world deployment.

What sets Schwarz Group apart is its long-term vision and commitment to sovereignty. Unlike most retailers who rely on third-party hyperscalers, the group has built its own cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, and even partnered with AI providers like Aleph Alpha to ensure full compliance with European regulations. This vertical integration extends beyond tech — the company also owns its food production, ocean freight, and recycling operations, all in pursuit of operational independence.

True innovation at this scale isn’t just about technology — it’s about organizational buy-in. New tools must not only work but be adopted by employees across thousands of locations. Patience, change management, and strategic timing are just as critical as the tech itself. And while many ideas may never scale, the group treats every test as a learning opportunity — because knowing what not to scale can be just as valuable.

Listen more

Retail Intelligence in Action

The Future CMO: Where Data, Design, and Intelligence Converge

As retail organizations become more data-driven, questions of structure, governance, and integration take center stage. The winners will be those who can connect data architecture with creative execution.

As retail organizations become more data-driven, questions of structure, governance, and integration take center stage. The winners will be those who can connect data architecture with creative execution.

Retail Intelligence in Action

As retail organizations become more data-driven, questions of structure, governance, and integration take center stage. The winners will be those who can connect data architecture with creative execution.

The Future CMO: Where Data, Design, and Intelligence Converge

As retail organizations become more data-driven, questions of structure, governance, and integration take center stage. The winners will be those who can connect data architecture with creative execution.

Trends

“Flat Is the New Up”: Richard Kestenbaum on Retail’s Uncertain Holiday Season

Richard Kestenbaum explains how rising prices and tariff uncertainty are forcing companies to pull back on inventory commitments, limiting discounts and changing the rhythm of holiday promotions.

Richard Kestenbaum explains how rising prices and tariff uncertainty are forcing companies to pull back on inventory commitments, limiting discounts and changing the rhythm of holiday promotions.

Trends

Richard Kestenbaum explains how rising prices and tariff uncertainty are forcing companies to pull back on inventory commitments, limiting discounts and changing the rhythm of holiday promotions.

“Flat Is the New Up”: Richard Kestenbaum on Retail’s Uncertain Holiday Season

Richard Kestenbaum explains how rising prices and tariff uncertainty are forcing companies to pull back on inventory commitments, limiting discounts and changing the rhythm of holiday promotions.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Beyond the hype: How AI fuels speed, insight, and story-doing

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

Retail Intelligence in Action

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

Beyond the hype: How AI fuels speed, insight, and story-doing

AI is becoming a catalyst for speed, sharper insight, and what they call story doing. The focus is not on more dashboards or bigger decks, it is on momentum, creative confidence, and choices that move the numbers.

Trends

Build-A-Bear’s 1,900% Run: Experience and Digital That Convert

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

Trends

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

Build-A-Bear’s 1,900% Run: Experience and Digital That Convert

The secret is not a single product or promotion. It is an experience-first model where guests co-create a plush friend, name it, dress it, and leave with a memory that feels personal and worth sharing.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Trust, ethics, and identity: How to stay authentic in the age of AI

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Retail Intelligence in Action

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Trust, ethics, and identity: How to stay authentic in the age of AI

Campaigns win when the story is ownable by the brand and relevant to culture. The loop is simple but difficult to execute: authenticity builds trust, and trust builds loyalty.

Receive new exclusive episodes


Sign up for our newsletter now!

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.