This was the Data & Analytics Xchange 2023

More channels. Tougher competition. Faster market changes. Higher customer expectations. Higher cost pressures. The dynamics and complexity of e-commerce are enormous. There is no alternative to a data-driven strategy for analyzing the market, the competition, and your own performance, as well as for optimizing processes and positioning on the digital shelf, in order to be successful and competitive in the long term.

The Data & Analytics Xchange brings together companies and experts to discuss the future of e-commerce and learn from their peers. The focus is on an open and intimate exchange, exclusively on-site, to provide valuable real-world insights and strategies on how brands and retailers can position themselves in terms of data, people and processes to meet today's challenges.

We had four exciting keynotes this year:

• Victorinox: D2C Strategy of a Premium Brand in Hybrid Retail
• Fressnapf: From Data Silos to an Ecosystem
• Akeneo: The Future of E-Commerce is Composable
• Parsionate: Composable Commerce: Focus on Governance, People and Processes

Victorinox: The D2C Strategy of a Premium Brand

After XPLN CEO Sebastian Klumpp kicked off the event, Ben Abbenseth, Head of Global 3rd Party Online Sales at Victorinox, took the audience into the world of the traditional Swiss brand with the iconic army knives. Today, the Victorinox portfolio also includes kitchen knives, luggage, watches and fragrances. Online channels play a central role in sales.

Ben Abbenseth gave attendees valuable insights into the premium brand's D2C and marketplace business and its efforts to strengthen its eCommerce performance and brand control in a highly dynamic market. He focused on the issues and challenges of maintaining premium status through the highest levels of brand compliance and consistent customer experience across global channels, channel management and the evolution of the distribution strategy, as well as price integrity.

Fressnapf: From Data Silos to an Ecosystem

In the second slot, Philipp Wierz, Product Owner PIM at Fressnapf, reported on the transformation from supplier to reseller at Europe's largest specialty chain for pet food and accessories. Philipp Wierz illustrated the vision of the Fressnapf ecosystem and showed the role that product data plays at all touchpoints to create a consistent customer experience.

He specifically addressed the challenge of setting up a central product data platform and showed which success factors help Fressnapf to transport the added value of clean product data to all departments. The importance of change management processes in addition to technological milestones was clearly emphasized.

Composable Commerce: Focus on Governance, People and Processes

Tom Grasser, VP Sales Central & Eastern Europe at Akeneo, as well as Tobias Wrobel, Director Ecosystem Sales and Alex Nagl, Director Presales Consulting at Parsionate focused on Composable Commerce and the compatibility of technology, processes and people. Tom Grasser showed how Akeneo supports its customers with product experience management to enable a high-quality product presentation in omnichannel sales and thus to position companies in e-commerce in a future-proof and efficient way.

Tobias Wrobel and Alex Nagl questioned the fully composable concept and presented their “Pareto-of-Breed” approach to optimally unite technology, processes and people and enable companies to create the necessary flexibility in their data architecture without overburdening the organization.

Wine, Ambiance and an Open Exchange of Ideas

In between the presentations, Dirk Pohl, Chief Marketing Officer at Vioneers, handed out fine wines from high-quality family wineries for tasting. After lively discussions, the buffet was opened. The rest of the evening was dedicated to networking and exchange in a casual atmosphere. Overall, the Data & Analytics Xchange was a great success and we are happy to announce that there will be another event in 2024.