April 1, 2025

- 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

Interview

Reinventing Tradition: How Selfridges Blends Heritage with Technology

Meet the CTO responsible for ensuring the best department store in the world is ahead of the game

Interview

Meet the CTO responsible for ensuring the best department store in the world is ahead of the game

Reinventing Tradition: How Selfridges Blends Heritage with Technology

Meet the CTO responsible for ensuring the best department store in the world is ahead of the game

Europes Retail Evolution

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Retail with Currys’ COO

Lindsay Haselhurst explains about initiatives to focus on operational precision, continuous improvement, and unlocking innovation from the frontline up

Europes Retail Evolution

Lindsay Haselhurst explains about initiatives to focus on operational precision, continuous improvement, and unlocking innovation from the frontline up

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Retail with Currys’ COO

Lindsay Haselhurst explains about initiatives to focus on operational precision, continuous improvement, and unlocking innovation from the frontline up

Interview

Rewiring Retail: How Kingfisher Is Building Smarter, Faster, and More Inclusive Tech

How Kingfisher’s CTO is reshaping home improvement retail through strategy, speed, and smart tech decisions.

Interview

How Kingfisher’s CTO is reshaping home improvement retail through strategy, speed, and smart tech decisions.

Rewiring Retail: How Kingfisher Is Building Smarter, Faster, and More Inclusive Tech

How Kingfisher’s CTO is reshaping home improvement retail through strategy, speed, and smart tech decisions.

Interview

Leading Digital Transformation: Insights from Endeavour Group’s Benjamin Thompson

How one of Australia’s largest drinks and hospitality companies stays ahead by blending strategic foresight with cultural transformation.

Interview

How one of Australia’s largest drinks and hospitality companies stays ahead by blending strategic foresight with cultural transformation.

Leading Digital Transformation: Insights from Endeavour Group’s Benjamin Thompson

How one of Australia’s largest drinks and hospitality companies stays ahead by blending strategic foresight with cultural transformation.

Europes Retail Evolution

How Co-op is Redefining Grocery Retail Through Quick Commerce

Chris Conway is the Managing Director of Ecommerce of Co-op and led the succession implementation of Quick Commerce in the business

Europes Retail Evolution

Chris Conway is the Managing Director of Ecommerce of Co-op and led the succession implementation of Quick Commerce in the business

How Co-op is Redefining Grocery Retail Through Quick Commerce

Chris Conway is the Managing Director of Ecommerce of Co-op and led the succession implementation of Quick Commerce in the business

All Episodes

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

📍Cologne, Germany

Listen more

Reinventing Tradition: How Selfridges Blends Heritage with Technology

Reinventing Tradition: How Selfridges Blends Heritage with Technology

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Retail with Currys’ COO

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Retail with Currys’ COO

Rewiring Retail: How Kingfisher Is Building Smarter, Faster, and More Inclusive Tech

Rewiring Retail: How Kingfisher Is Building Smarter, Faster, and More Inclusive Tech

Leading Digital Transformation: Insights from Endeavour Group’s Benjamin Thompson

Leading Digital Transformation: Insights from Endeavour Group’s Benjamin Thompson

How Co-op is Redefining Grocery Retail Through Quick Commerce

How Co-op is Redefining Grocery Retail Through Quick Commerce

Sign up for our newsletter now!

THE #1 PODCAST FOR COMMERCE LEADERS

All Episodes

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

📍Cologne, Germany

Listen more

Reinventing Tradition: How Selfridges Blends Heritage with Technology

Reinventing Tradition: How Selfridges Blends Heritage with Technology

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Retail with Currys’ COO

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Retail with Currys’ COO

Rewiring Retail: How Kingfisher Is Building Smarter, Faster, and More Inclusive Tech

Rewiring Retail: How Kingfisher Is Building Smarter, Faster, and More Inclusive Tech

Leading Digital Transformation: Insights from Endeavour Group’s Benjamin Thompson

Leading Digital Transformation: Insights from Endeavour Group’s Benjamin Thompson

How Co-op is Redefining Grocery Retail Through Quick Commerce

How Co-op is Redefining Grocery Retail Through Quick Commerce

Sign up for our newsletter now!

THE #1 PODCAST FOR COMMERCE LEADERS

Menu

All Episodes

Receive new exclusive episodes

Receive new exclusive episodes 