Re-watch our webinar 'Shopping Today & Tomorrow'

How to leverage changing consumer behavior in an unpredictable world?

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Summary: what can you expect?

Join our experts to discuss the far-reaching consequences of the new reality on retail business. Additionally, our guests will elaborate on whether this crisis can be used as an opportunity to build a new relationship with the customer and become future-proof.

  • How has the customer change and will this change last?
  • What did retailers have to do to adapt to the new customer and the new reality?
  • Did the pandemic accelerate innovation or stall it?
  • What advances have been made in bridging online and instore shopping experience?
  • Has the development of ecommerce take any new turns?
  • Payment in the omnichannel world – where are we today?

Meet our speakers & industry experts

Michael Gerling

CEO EHI

Michael Gerling is CEO of the EHI Retail Institute based in Cologne. With his many years of experience in the retail sector and his activities in various associations (e.g. Bundesverband des Deutschen Lebensmittelhandels e.V.), he is known as a top expert in retail. Michael Gerling is board member for EuroCIS, EuroShop and Anuga, which are the most important fairs in retail sector. He is a very active and requested speaker in several retail events and congresses.

Ralf Gladis

CEO Computop

Ralf Gladis is co-founder and managing director of the international payment service provider Computop - the payment people. He is also CEO of Computop Inc, New York.​
Before founding Computop, Ralf Gladis developed database solutions and wrote books and articles for well-known IT publishers. In 1993 he founded his first company with his fellow student Frank Arnoldt and in 1997 he entered e-commerce with the founding of Computop. Today the company offers worldwide payment processing and fraud prevention to over 16,000 merchants and processes transactions worth 34 billion USD a year.​
In the first few years Ralf Gladis built up the architecture of the Computop Paygate payment platform, making use of his technical knowledge. Later he concentrated on sales and marketing. Today Ralf Gladis is responsible for Computop's international expansion and strategic orientation.

Rainer Birkner

Sales Lead Retail

Rainer Birkner graduated in Applied European Business studies after his apprenticeship as a banker. He is a top expert in sales and especially in payment, as he is now working for more than 20 years in this sector. At CCV Rainer is at home for 8 years now and took over the retail team lead in June 2020. In this function he is in close cooperation with partners to shape the best state of the art POS solutions with a special focus on making omnichannel happen for midsize and large chain stores. Rainer also represents CCV in several EHI Retail Institute Working Groups, e.g. for Self-Checkout Solutions.

Zhenya Starkova (moderator)

Head of Corporate Communications at CCV

Evgenia Starkova is Head of Corporate Communication & Branding at CCV. She has an extensive background in journalism and international business communication and enjoys building narratives that connect people with organizations. Evgenia specializes on leadership communication, change communication, reputation-building and brand management, with over 15 years of experience of working with large international organizations and fast-developing start-ups. At CCV she is in charge of developing the corporate communication function, covering both external and internal communication, as well as brand management.

Shopping Today & Tomorrow

Shopping Today & Tomorrow