NEXT STOP: RETAIL #6: Between the desire for discounts and margin pressure: Nikola Ziehe on the new art of pricing policy
“Nikola Ziehe, what happens when price tags think faster than we do?”
With NEXT STOP: RETAIL Our new Podcast for the retail sector Live. The idea: We bring our stage to where it wouldn't normally be – right into the heart of businesses. Our mobile podcast studio tours all over Germany. A new episode is released every week, in which we meet with decision-makers from the retail sector. We listen, ask questions, and talk about what really drives the market.
In episode 6 of NEXT STOP: RETAIL Our host, Julia Greven, takes us to meet Prof. Dr. Nikola Ziehe, Professor of Communication Management & Retail Marketing at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. Together they discuss price pressure, customer expectations, and digital tools that are redefining pricing, and why understanding is often more important than the price itself when it comes to pricing.
This time, our mobile podcast studio has set its sights on the world of pricing policy, and the episode shows how multifaceted the balancing act between margin protection and customer loyalty is:
Episode #6: Podcast with Prof. Dr. Nikola Ziehe, Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences
From digital price tags that can do far more than just display numbers, to predictive pricing and clever discount strategies: Nikola Ziehe knows the levers retailers can pull to secure margins and strengthen customer trust. As a professor of communication management and retail marketing at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, she combines academic expertise with practical insights into price psychology and consumer behavior.
In conversation with our host Julia Greven, we discuss precisely this interplay: data-driven control meets human understanding. Nikola demonstrates why pricing is not just a matter of technology, but always also a question of communication, timing, and transparency.
Highlights from the episode with Prof. Dr. Nikola Ziehe :
-
Prices as a recurring theme in retail
From the Germans' "bargain-hunting" to price transparency: Nikola describes why pricing always balances between temptation and trust. -
Predictive pricing & digital price tags
How can discounts be strategically controlled? Nikola explains why prices shouldn't be distributed indiscriminately and how digital price tags can be a game changer. -
Gut feeling meets data
Category managers often face a choice: data analysis or experience? Nikola shows why both belong together and where gut feeling makes the difference. -
More than just numbers
Whether it's values communication at the POS or sustainability in pricing: it's about far more than margins, it's about acceptance, trust and customer loyalty.
Why is this important?
Because pricing strategies determine not only margins but also trust in a brand. Those who understand how prices are determined are more likely to accept them and become fans rather than just customers.
What's behind NEXT STOP: RETAIL?
NEXT STOP RETAIL is the new one RETAIL NXT Podcast.
We're on a journey to meet the key figures shaping the retail landscape, from large corporations to medium-sized businesses and startups. It's not about polished pitches, but about honest, open dialogue. If you want to know what works and what just sounds like a pipe dream, you've come to the right place.
Want to experience it live? RETAIL NXT 2025!
Do you want to meet the thought leaders of the retail industry live?
Then come to the RETAIL NXT Conference on September 30th and October 1st, 2026 in Bad Vilbel near Frankfurt.
There, retailers, brands and creators meet to exchange ideas, for new inspiration and genuine conversations: The RETAIL NXT 2025 program.