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On 11th April 2025, the 13th e-Commerce Day took place at our exclusive hometown venue – the RheinEnergieSTADION. Some 2,000 participants from the e-commerce industry experienced an inspiring day full of networking and knowledge exchange. Featuring exciting talks from renowned speakers such as Philipp Lahm, Jonas Deichmann, Martin Groß-Albenhausen from the BEVH, Claudia Studtmann from Meta and Michael Menzel from Google as well as valuable insights on topics such as artificial intelligence and international expansion, the event was once again a highlight for many participants.
The e-Commerce Day also offered the opportunity to engage in dialogue with representatives from top brands such as Bosch and Fissler as well as learn valuable strategies for successful sales in the ever-changing world of e-commerce.
Annual pre-event beach BBQ
As always, the traditional pre-event, a firm favourite for many participants for years, took place the evening before the e-Commerce Day: The beach BBQ at the Playa Beachclub in Cologne. Over 450 guests came together on a beautiful sunny Thursday to meet old acquaintances and make new contacts.
A lavish barbecue buffet, refreshing drinks and an exciting beach volleyball tournament created a relaxed atmosphere and ensured everyone was fired up for the next day.
Congratulations to BAROS Solutions aka Team “Revenue Rockets” for winning the beach volleyball tournament – a perfect start to an inspiring e-Commerce Day!
Source: Kaufland
e-Commerce Day 2025
On Friday, 11th April 2025, the wait was finally over: Dr Gerald Schönbucher, CEO of Kaufland e-commerce, opened the 13th e-Commerce Day on the main stage and had some exciting surprises in store for the audience. The anticipation for the welcome keynote was so great that the room was filled to capacity.
Source: Kaufland
To start things off, participants were given a comprehensive overview of the programme as well as the most important developments at Kaufland Global Marketplace from the past year.
Kaufland Global Marketplace outperforms overall e-commerce growth
Review: In 2024, the company’s development strategy focused on increasing customer reach through international expansion, particularly the launch of new marketplaces in Poland and Austria. The launches, combined with developments in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, led to an impressive year-on-year GMV growth of 106%. Sellers using Kaufland Global Marketplace to sell internationally are recording sales growth of over 50%.
Thanks to innovative tools like Smart Pricing and vouchers, we were able to improve price attractiveness and increase customer awareness. In addition, product visibility was increased using the in-house Sponsored Ads tool, resulting in 52% more sales with the same budget.
Kaufland Marketplace expands to France and Italy
But that’s not all! Dr Gerald Schönbucher still had an ace up his sleeve. He surprised attendees by announcing that Kaufland Global Marketplace would be expanding to France and Italy in late summer. This news was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the audience. Many sellers immediately began their onboarding process for Kaufland.fr and Kaufland.it: Within the first 30 minutes of the Seller Portal going live, numerous sellers had already successfully activated the new marketplaces.
The unveiling of Kaufland’s international strategy for 2025 kicked off an exciting and varied programme for the participants.
Source: Kaufland
From the welcoming keynote to the main programme
The event’s main programme featured high-profile speakers and current trending topics. The presentations on stage covered a wide range of topics, from artificial intelligence and internationalisation in e-commerce to multi-channel strategies and user experience. Attendees were able to take away all kinds of practical approaches for their own businesses from the various talks.
Michael Menzel from Google gave the audience an introduction to Google’s newest AI developments for e-commerce, while Anne Lisa Nguyen from IHF Köln highlighted the recent retail trends for 2025.
VIP speakers Philipp Lahm and Jonas Deichmann
The presentations by VIP speakers Philipp Lahm and Jonas Deichmann were particularly entertaining and thrilled the audience with rare insights.
Jonas Deichmann captivated the audience with his presentation about his round-the-world bike trip. His impressive pictures, like him in the icy cold of Russia in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees centigrade, sent shivers down the spines of the listeners. It wasn’t just his extraordinary achievements as an athlete that had people riveted, his unwavering determination and passion for adventure were truly inspiring.
Source: Kaufland
The talk with Philipp Lahm and Dr Gerald Schönbucher also attracted a lot of interest from the audience. Personal questions led to a lively conversation, creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere between Philipp Lahm and those present. Thanks to his openness and approachability, the former captain of the national football team once again proved that he is one of Germany’s most accessible footballers, who always knows how to excite the crowd. At the end of the talk, he took plenty of time to take photos with everyone, leaving a lasting impression – even on Borussia Dortmund fans.
Source: Kaufland
In this year’s political panel, European values faced the challenges, opportunities and current developments in artificial intelligence: Axel Voss (EPP Group in the European Parliament), Andreas Müller (Bundesverband Onlinehandel) and Stephan Tromp (Handelsverband Deutschland) joined moderator Ingrid Lommer (Marketplace Universe) to discuss the role of AI in European politics and society. In a lively discussion, the experts explored the tension between regulation and innovation and highlighted which measures are necessary and feasible in view of the rapid development of AI technologies.
Source: Kaufland
New to the e-Commerce Day – and especially popular
Speed networking with Marketplace Universe founders Ingrid Lommer and Valerie Dichtl was a breath of fresh air at the e-Commerce Day and a resounding success. The event was very well attended and buzzed with an exciting energy. Established e-commerce players, curious minds and even participants from outside the industry came together to discuss the latest developments in e-commerce, individual challenges and promising prospects in one-on-one conversations and dynamic roundtables. These valuable encounters and the open conversations not only helped establish new contacts but also provided inspiration and motivation for existing and new projects.
The Fokuslive group also made its e-Commerce Day debut, offering another event highlight. At Pinops Stageday, a real live focus group sprang into action, giving real customers a chance to have their say. This selected group of customers provided valuable insights and shared their opinions on current e-commerce topics, online shopping processes and what customers really value when they shop online. The open exchange was both informative and inspiring, offering participants the opportunity to learn directly from a customer’s perspective. This helped them gain valuable insights for their own businesses and better understand their customers’ needs and wishes.
There from day one and always a highlight
Source: Kaufland
E-Commerce meets stadium vibes:
As soon as the doors had opened, the first sports fans poured into the arena and headed straight for the popular stadium tour of the RheinEnergieSTADION, home to 1. FC Köln and host stadium for 5 matches at last year’s UEFA EURO 2024. The tours are hugely popular every year and are a secret highlight among attendees. They offer exclusive insights behind the scenes and create unforgettable experiences and thrills for all of the visitors, not just the football fans.
In addition to the normal e-commerce topics, the event also placed a special focus on the Masterclasses by Kaufland which always draw a crowd. Participants receive exclusive guidance from Kaufland experts on how to sell successfully on the Kaufland marketplaces, practical application tips and valuable advice on features that sellers can use to increase their visibility, reach and sales.
Source: Kaufland
A perfect ending
Visitors, exhibitors and the Kaufland Global Marketplace team got together again at the legendary after-show party to round off their day, both on and off the dance floor.
Source: Kaufland
A big thank you to everyone who attended and made e-Commerce Day 2025 an unforgettable experience.
Thanks a lot!
Your e-Commerce Day team
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