Handelskolloquium 2025: Leading Figures Converge to Navigate Retail's Future

On April 10, 2025, Vienna hosted the prestigious Handelskolloquium, drawing over 350 key representatives from the retail sector, alongside notable political figures. The event was centered around discussions of pressing geopolitical challenges, the economic tensions stemming from the Trump administration, the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, and the future of retail media in Europe.

Under the guidance of Rainer Will, Managing Director of the Retail Association, the event featured a prominent economic panel discussion. This highlighted the insights of Korinna Schumann, Austria's Minister for Labor, Social Affairs, Health, and Consumer Protection, alongside experts such as Holger Bonin from IHS and Johannes Holzleitner from Interspar. They addressed pivotal topics including the current state of the European job market, the implications of U.S. tariff policies on the EU, and the need for equitable regulations across all market players within Europe.

During the panel, Schumann underscored the importance of collaboration with the Retail Association and emphasized the sector's role as a significant employment engine in Austria, supporting over 700,000 jobs. The discussions also touched on the necessity for fair competition in online trading and the proposed elimination of the rental contract fee.

Another highlight of the Handelskolloquium was a keynote speech by Boris Nikolai Konrad, a leading neuroscientist and memory expert from Germany. He demonstrated his remarkable memory capabilities and shared practical techniques that attendees could use to enhance their cognitive performance.

In addition to these discussions, Alexander Korosec, Regional Director at Bestseller, spoke on success factors in the global fashion industry, emphasizing sustainability as a core value within the company's operations. The event also saw the launch of the Austrian ESG-Award in collaboration with CRIF, celebrating sustainable business practices within the retail sector.

The theme of retail media, a growing trend in Austria, was extensively covered by industry experts including Evangelia Mitoli from Douglas and Florian Widi from Rewe. Their insights revealed that retail media is set to become a permanent fixture, with projections suggesting its revenue in Europe could surpass six billion euros next year.

Self-checkout solutions and innovations in artificial intelligence were also explored, with presentations by Shopreme's Florian Burgstaller and Spar ICS's Andreas Kranabitl, showcasing advancements like the Spar GenAI-Lab and the chatbot 'Market Whisperer'.

In a vibrant startup session, emerging companies such as WeJobbr and Chatarmin presented their innovative ideas, while a panel titled 'Make Europe Great Again' delved into the unpredictable nature of global trade policies, particularly those initiated by Donald Trump, and their far-reaching effects on the economy.

As the evening progressed, Sepp Schellhorn, Secretary of State for Deregulation, addressed the attendees, promising his commitment to reducing bureaucratic hurdles and advancing necessary reforms within the sector.

The event concluded with the inaugural Austrian FMCG Award presentation, honoring leading brands such as Iglo Austria, Coca-Cola HBC, and Recheis for their outstanding contributions to the industry.

The Handelskolloquium once again showcased its significance as a premier networking platform for industry leaders, fostering dialogues aimed at overcoming current challenges while paving the way for future innovations in retail.