72nd International Retail Summit
Flow Commerce: How Shifting Boundaries Reshape Retail, 8 – 9 September 2022
Secure your early bird discount until 30 June!
Flow Commerce: How Shifting Boundaries Reshape Retail
The transformation continues. Over the past decades, digitalisation has continuously redrawn boundaries and turned retail upside down. The worldwide pandemic has destabilised global supply chains. The ongoing war in Ukraine is further intensifying the situation. After this humanitarian catastrophe, an economic crisis looms.
At the same time, customers are more demanding than ever before. They have learned that there is often less than ten minutes between desire and fulfilment. For them, consumption has gone from being an activity to a state. Because the dividing lines between physical and virtual worlds of experience are dissolving, ‘metaverse’ is the buzzword of the hour.
Smooth process flows have never been as important as they are now. Yet they have also never been as challenging. How does commerce stay in flux? A new poker for procurement has begun; new bets are being made on customer preferences.
At the 72nd International Retail Summit, we will discuss questions like:
- How can we build reliability and trust when supply chains and raw materials can no longer be guaranteed?
- Who bears the additional costs in a low-margin industry?
- How important does sustainability become when the availability of goods declines?
- How can business models establish themselves permanently in a hybrid world?
- What role does retail play when it becomes more than just the straightforward procurement of goods?
Hashtag: #iht22
Speakers
The list of speakers will be updated continuously.

Ian Goldin
Great Britain
Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford. Formerly, Goldin was Vice President of the World Bank and economic advisor to the South African President Mandela. He has been knighted by the French Government. In his 2014 book "The Butterfly Defect", Goldin predicted that a pandemic was the most likely cause of the next financial crisis.

Walter Robb
USA
Principal, Stonewall Robb Advisors and former co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, which was acquired by Amazon for $13.7 billion. Robb has transitioned his leadership focus to mentoring and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs through the creation of Stonewall Robb Advisors.

Johann Hari
Great Britain
New York Times best-selling author of "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention". Hari has written for many of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Le Monde and The Guardian. He was named ‘National Newspaper Journalist of the Year’ by Amnesty International twice and has won the Martha Gellhorn Prize for political writing.

Deborah Weinswig
USA
Founder and CEO, Coresight Research, a think tank for retail, tech and supply chains. Between 2014 and early 2018, Weinswig served as Managing Director of think tank Fung Global Retail and Technology. Previously, she was Managing Director and Head of the Global Staples & Consumer Discretionary team at Citi Research.

Giny Boer
Germany
CEO, C&A. Boer launched C&A’s Factory for Innovation in Textiles (FIT) in Mönchengladbach, where denim is produced locally and the opportunities of digitization and a green energy infrastructure are researched. Prior to that, Boer worked at Ikea for over 23 years, her last position being General Manager Retail, responsible for the operations in Southern and Eastern Europe.

Joris Beckers
Netherlands
Co-founder, Picnic. At the Dutch online supermarket, which also operates in Germany and France, groceries can be ordered via app. The goods from local suppliers are collected in logistics centres and delivered to customers by electric delivery vehicle.

Fabris Peruško
Croatia
CEO of the Fortenova Group, which emerged from the Croatian Agrokor corporation. Peruško was instrumental in the restructuring of the group, which was rewarded with the "Turnaround and Transaction Award". The group includes several other retail chains in South Eastern Europe, including Konzum and Mercator.

Tamim Khalfa
Lebanon
Co-founder & CEO of Toters, a quick-commerce Lebanese tech startup operating in Lebanon and Iraq, with a combined consumer spending of over US$ 100 BN annually. Toters leads its markets with a 3-sided marketplace and a series of its own dark grocery stores branded as Toters Fresh.

Richard Hobbs
Hongkong
Founder and CEO, Brand New Vision, the first marketplace for NFTs in the apparel, footwear and accessory industry.

Michel Gruber
Switzerland
Head of the Retail Department and member of the General Management of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. Before joining Migros, Michel Gruber held various positions at Valora for nine years, most recently as Managing Director of Valora Food Service Switzerland.

Nina Müller
Switzerland
CEO, Jelmoli. Between 2016 and 2020, Müller was CEO of Christ watches and jewellery and responsible for the repositioning of the brand. Previously, she was Retail Marketing Director and General Manager for Swarovski, among others.

Bernhard Schweitzer
Switzerland
Owner and CEO, Schweitzer Project. The company develops and builds retail and shop-in-shop concepts for retailers and brands worldwide. With over 1,000 employees, the company, which was founded in 1927, is one of the global leaders in shopfitting.

Jeff Carvalho
USA
Co-founder, Highsnobiety, a streetwear blog, media brand and production agency that covers trends and news in fashion, art, music, and culture. The company is located in Berlin with additional offices in London and New York.

Anne Scherer
Switzerland
Assistant Professor of Quantitative Marketing at the University of Zurich. Scherer’s research focuses on the intersection of consumer psychology and technology. Her TEDxTalk on how our conversations with machines differ from those with humans has received over 1.7 million views.

Ben Schott
USA
Branding and advertising columnist, Bloomberg Opinion. Schott has written for “The New York Times”, “The Times”, “The Guardian”, and others. – His books have sold some 2.6 million copies in 21 languages. As a strategic consultant, Schott has supplied brand strategy, narrative, and design to a large variety of companies.

Jan Bieser
Switzerland
Dr Jan Bieser is a senior researcher and speaker at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. In his research, he examines the opportunities and risks of digitalisation for society and the environment. He is also a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at University of Zurich, and a fellow of the World Economic Forum‘s Global Future Council on Cities of Tomorrow.

Lukas Jezler
Switzerland
Lukas Jezler, CEO of the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute for consumption, economic and social studies, Rüschlikon/Zurich.
Moderation

Carolin Roth
Switzerland
Freelance presenter, journalist and reporter for CNBC (London).
Programme
The programme will be updated continuously.
Thursday, 8 September
09.30
Welcome coffee
10.00
Welcome
Lukas Jezler, CEO, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Carolin Roth, Moderator
Opening Keynote
Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development, University of Oxford
New Order, New Rules, New Challenges: A Geopolitical and Economic Outlook
For decades, the world has not seen as many shifts as in the last three years. What are the consequences, what do we have to prepare for next?
Speaker to be announced shortly
Keynote
Walter Robb, former Co-CEO, Whole Foods Market
Next Generation Retail: Grocery Shopping in a Flow Commerce World
Both the supply and the demand side in commerce are experiencing their biggest shifts ever. This is what retailers need to do now.
12.00
Networking Lunch
13.30
Giny Boer, CEO, C&A
The Masterplan: How to Modernise a Traditional Brand
With a legacy of 180 years, a reputation of being secretive and an image of lacking hipness, taking action becomes a daring task.
Michel Gruber, Head of the Retail Department, Federation of Migros Cooperatives
Joris Beckers, Co-founder, Picnic
Learnings from the Milkman: A Goodbye to Customer Barriers
How a new concept challenges traditional grocery shopping, using more data for more convenience, and less waste.
Tamim Khalfa, Co-founder and CEO, Toters
15.30
Break
Fabris Peruško, CEO, Fortenova Group
Total Transformation: 74 Companies, 30 Million Customers, 6 Countries – and 1 Turnaround
How one company in trouble became the Southeast European retail giant.
Jan Bieser, Senior Researcher, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Digital Times: In Search of the Time Gained
New technologies promise to save us time. Yet we are constantly under pressure. Why is that?
Deborah Weinswig, Founder and CEO, Coresight Research
17:45
Indian Summer Dinner
Friday, 9 September
09.00
Keynote
Johann Hari, writer and journalist, author of "Stolen Focus"
The Attention Crisis: 12 Causes and How to Overcome Them
We think our inability to focus is a personal failure of willpower. The truth is even more disturbing: our focus has been stolen.
Richard Hobbs, Founder and CEO, Brand New Vision
More Than a Pretty Picture: Creating Value In The Metaverse
Which real life rules also apply to NFTs, and where does tokenization open up new possibilities ?
Jeff Carvalho, Co-founder, High Snobiety
It’s the Community, Stupid: Rethinking Marketing For A Tokenized World
How to connect with a generation which lives in a digital world far different to what you may be used to.
10.30
Break
Anne Scherer, Assistant Professor of Quantitative Marketing, University of Zurich
Nina Müller, CEO, Jelmoli
Old roles, new roles: The department store as a future lab
How will the traditional place of encounter, inspiration and shopping develop in times of always-on consumption?
Bernhard Schweitzer, Owner and CEO, Schweitzer Project
The future of the grocery store: Five trends, 15 concepts
New orchestrations on the stages of consumption.
Ben Schott, Branding and advertising columnist, Bloomberg Opinion
12.45 – 14.00
Networking Lunch
Information
Date
8 and 9 September 2022
Language
German / English (simultaneous interpretation)
Changes to the programme
The programme is subject to change. If an event does not take place, fees will be refunded. Further claims are ruled out.
Cancellation
If you are unable to attend, please let us have your cancellation in writing. The fee will be reimbursed on cancellation thirty or more days before the event. After this term and until five full working days prior to the event we will charge 75% of the fee. In the event of later cancellations we will charge the full participation fee. Substitute participants welcome.
Hotel reservations
To benefit from special rates, please use the following email adresses and refer to the code: IHT2022
Hotel Sedartis , Thalwil: info@sedartis.ch
Hotel Belvoir , Rüschlikon: info@hotel-belvoir.ch
Hotel Alex Lake Zürich , Thalwil: reservations@alexlakezurich.com
Hotel Ibis , Adliswil: welcome@ibiszurich.ch
Transport
from Zurich Airport
You can reach the GDI and partner hotels by taxi in around 45 minutes. The cost is approximately CHF 100, depending on traffic. Alternatively, the train is a fast and easy way of reaching Zurich and Thalwil train station.
From Thalwil Station
There will be a free shuttle bus service between the GDI and the Hotel Sedartis Thalwil / Thalwil train station. The bus will be waiting on the side of the station facing the lake. Our staff will welcome you on the spot.
Hotel Belvoir is within walking distance of the GDI.
Luggage
You are welcome to leave your luggage in the GDI cloakroom.
Parking
You will find directions on our website. Directions The car park is a five minute walk from the GDI and located on Zürcherstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon. You will receive a ticket from the GDI to exit the car park free of charge.
Venue
Fees
2 days, 1 person:
full price: CHF 2500
20 % early-bird discount until 30 June 2022: CHF 2000
2 days, 2 or more persons::
Please enter the code IHTMENGENRABATTF on sign-up.
can be cunulated with:
early-bird discount until 30 june 2022: CHF 1625
1 day, per person:
Full price: CHF 1500
20 % early-bird discount until 30 june 2022: CHF 1200
Price for startups::
CHF 800 (2 days), CHF 600 (1 day)
(please request the discount code via iht@gdi.ch )
Payment in advance. Reduced fees apply when more than one participant from the same company registers at the same time. Any subsequent participant registered later will be invoiced separately. The conference fee includes all food and beverages (and VAT). Participants registering less than two weeks before the event can pay by credit card only.
Participants' list
The participants' list will be published one week prior to the event.
Documentation
Interviews and pictures will be published shortly after the event.
About the International Retail Summit
The International Retail Summit is one of the international community’s leading strategy platforms for decision-makers and thought leaders in the retail and consumer goods industries. Participants are decision-makers from retail and related industries, entrepreneurs, academia and journalists from Swiss and European quality media.
Participants
Executives
Speakers
Testimonials
Inspiration is crucial for transformation. The broad mix of topics at the GDI Retail Summit makes it possible to think outside the box and guarantees stimulating conversations during the networking breaks.
Every year I look forward to the interdisciplinary exchange with great participants and the fantastic selection of international speakers. The mix of very experienced companies and start-ups always provides impulses that enrich our business.
Previous conferences
Advisory Board

Simonetta Carbonaro
Consumer psychologist, professor in Humanistic Marketing and Design Management and an internationally recognized thought leader of the consumer goods industry. She is the cofounder of REALISE, a strategic consulting company specialized in brand direction, and strategic design management.

Caroline Drucker
Director of Instagram’s EMEA Strategic Partnerships. At Etsy, she was Global Brand Manager and reshaped the company’s creative operations. She was the first Product Manager at the community-driven music platform SoundCloud. Her career began in publishing playing a key role in establishing VICE magazine in the German market and spearheading the digital strategy behind the re-launch of der Freitag, a left-leaning weekly national newspaper.

Stephan Fetsch
Partner, Deal Advisory-Valuation, EMA Head of Retail at KPMG. Fetsch is responsible for the retail sector at KPMG Germany and KPMG Europe. In this function, his main focus lies on business planning, corporate valuation, intangible assets, joint venture as well as value-based decision making and transaction consulting.

Michel Gruber
Head of the Retail Department and member of the General Management of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. Before joining Migros, Michel Gruber held various positions at Valora for nine years, most recently as Managing Director of Valora Food Service Switzerland.

Dominique Locher
As an entrepreneur, angel investor, creative promoter and innovator, Dominque Locher accompanies companies such as Edeka, Utkonos, Farmy.ch, Bring! or LuckaBox into the digital world. As a board member of the Swiss Retail Federation, he drives digitalization in Swiss retail. He helped build LeShop.ch, one of the first online supermarkets in the world, and led the company as CEO until 2017.

André Maeder
Group Managing Director at The KaDeWe Group. Maeder looks back on a long and international retail career. His focus has been on premium and luxury brands. At Harrods, he was Chief Operational and Merchandise Officer, at Hugo Boss MOB and Head Global Retail. As Chief Retail Officer, Maeder als worked for Karstadt.

Mariann Wenckheim
Partner and board member of 20.20, a strategic design consultancy for the retail and leisure industries.
Date & Time
Thursday
September 8, 2022
Friday
September 9, 2022
Location
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
8803 Rüschlikon
Switzerland