Aleksandra Mikołajczyk
Marketing
Notes&Insights: E-commerce Berlin Expo 2025
In February, I attended E-commerce Berlin Expo 2025 – an event that brings together e-commerce experts and practitioners from across Europe. The main focus was on the latest trends in e-commerce, technology, and innovation.
Events like this are always a mix of different layers — networking, social moments, parties, expo stands, but also genuinely valuable content. You can approach them in many ways.
I chose to do it my way: glasses on, laptop open, taking notes. I carefully selected the talks I wanted to attend, with a clear goal – to understand different perspectives on implementing AI in organisations and project management. Below, I’ve pulled together the insights that stood out the most.
Michael Turk from Spryker opened his talk “Innovation is no longer optional – it’s a necessity” by highlighting that today, the ability to adapt quickly matters more than the size of the company. Technologies like AI are essential for automating processes, personalising recommendations, and making faster decisions. They also support scalability and flexibility – but, as he pointed out, AI is not a magic solution. The real key lies in how well you use your data.
“The future belongs to those who create, not follow” – I couldn’t agree more. This mindset should be a foundation for any business.
Florian Schwenkert, CEO of KoRo, in his talk “Omnichannel – the key to building a strong brand”, emphasised how important it is to connect online and offline presence into one consistent brand experience. Omnichannel is not just a buzzword – it requires operational excellence and attention to detail across everything from inventory to marketing processes. In the long run, maintaining a clear brand identity while adapting to changing customer needs is what drives success. He also highlighted how data has become a true superpower, enabling more precise and effective marketing strategies.
Hartmut Koenig from Adobe presented AI as a real driver of revenue growth. He gave a quick but practical overview of how AI can support sales by personalising the customer experience. He pointed out three core metrics that should guide optimisation: traffic, conversion rate (CVR), and average order value (AOV). AI enables better content creation, more accurate targeting, and smarter recommendations – and he backed this up with strong, practical examples.
One of the talks I enjoyed the most was by Raluca Bujoreanu (ex-Zalando), who spoke about something we don’t often associate with AI – courage. She compared innovation to New Year’s resolutions: exciting in theory, but requiring real commitment to follow through. Her point was clear – we can’t be afraid of new technologies. We need to be willing to experiment and adapt. Examples like virtual stores, such as the one created by H&M, show how bold decisions can attract new audiences.
A particularly interesting session on AI in project management was delivered by Farzin Saber, VP Digital Office at IKEA. He shared how their project management office – handling not hundreds, but thousands of projects simultaneously – implemented AI into daily workflows. One key shift he highlighted was how AI helped project managers move away from administrative tasks and focus more on strategic work.
Looking at the event as a whole, one thing is clear: companies need to be ready for constant evolution. AI, data, and technology are no longer optional – they are the foundation of where our industry is heading. Flexibility, speed of adaptation, and a willingness to experiment are becoming essential.
At the same time, it’s impossible not to mention the human side of all this. Technology doesn’t implement itself. People do.
There’s a well-known saying that “alone you can go fast, but together you go further.” Today, it only holds true if everyone involved actually wants to move forward – together
