#Pricing_Heroes

Get in touch!In this episode of Pricing Heroes, we speak with Corina Manea, Vice President of Commercial at flaconi, Germany's leading online beauty retailer. Corina shares her journey from Team Lead of Pricing to VP, and how she helped flaconi evolve from manual pricing processes to AI-powered optimization. She explains what makes pricing in luxury beauty so complex, how flaconi balances speed with strategic control, and why pricing teams are uniquely positioned to drive commercial transformation.Key Topics:Career development across pricing and commercial functionsBuilding pricing maturity — from spreadsheets to scalable systemsBalancing pricing agility with brand integrity in beauty retailExperimentation, cross-functional collaboration, and internal advocacyHow WeCommerce culture fuels pricing and team growthRecommended Resources:Predictably Irrational by Dan ArielyConnect with Corina Manea:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-manea-831b9493/----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Send us a textIn this episode of Pricing Heroes, we speak with Per Sjöfors — also known as The Price Whisperer — and the founder and CEO of Sjöfors & Partners. With over 35 years of executive experience and more than 750 companies advised, Per shares his unique approach to pricing, grounded in behavioral economics, AI-driven insights, and deep market research.We discuss the true impact of tariffs on pricing strategies, the psychological thresholds that influence customer behavior, and why most companies dramatically underestimate how their market perceives value. Per also explains how to avoid the common mistake of adding “tariff surcharges,” how to communicate price increases transparently, and how pricing teams can build resilience in times of uncertainty.Key Topics:Why tariffs don't affect willingness to pay — and what companies must do insteadIdentifying psychological “price walls” to avoid costly volume lossCommunicating price increases with transparency and value framingThe risks of gut-feel pricing and the ethical dilemma of margin paddingUsing behavioral economics to guide modern, data-informed pricing decisionsRecommended Resources:The Price Whisperer: A Holistic Approach to Pricing Power by Per SjöforsThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanMisbehaving by Richard ThalerNudge by Richard Thaler and Cass SunsteinPredictably Irrational by Dan ArielyConnect with Per Sjöfors: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/persjofors/ Website: https://sjofors.com/----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Send us a textIn this episode of Pricing Heroes, we speak with Josh Pollack, President and Principal Consultant at Pollack Retail Solutions. Josh shares insights from his 25+ years of experience in retail strategy, including stints at Sam's Club, Circuit City, ALDI, PetSmart, FullBeauty Brands, and Cabela's. He delves into why merchandising and pricing teams must work in tandem, how to balance short-term margin gains with long-term brand health, and where AI-driven dynamic pricing can either strengthen or undermine customer trust.Key Topics:Blending creativity and data to drive merchandising successThe intersection of pricing, forecasting, and inventory managementWhy tightly integrated merchandising and pricing functions matterNavigating price changes in volatile markets without alienating customersUsing AI responsibly to optimize prices and maintain brand integrityRecommended Resources:The Indicator by Planet MoneyArtificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans by Melanie MitchellConnect with Josh Pollack:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-pollack-81980a1/----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Send us a textHow will AI, inflation, and shifting market dynamics impact pricing in 2025?In this special episode of Pricing Heroes, we asked nine top pricing experts to share their boldest predictions for the year ahead. From the rise of AI-driven pricing to the risks of dynamic pricing missteps, this episode explores the biggest trends shaping the future of pricing—and what retailers must do to stay ahead.Featured Experts:

Send us a textIn this episode of Pricing Heroes, we sit down with Dr. Markus Husemann-Kopetzky, founder and managing director of the Price Management Institute, a boutique consultancy specializing in price management and price communication. As a senior research fellow, university lecturer, and advisor with more than a decade of experience in management and consulting roles, including over five years at Amazon as a senior manager of pricing and business analytics, Markus brings unique insights from both academic and practical perspectives. Some of you may know him as the author of the Handbook on Psychology of Pricing.We invited him to discuss his latest report: “Data-based decision-making in retail & e-commerce,” which compiles actionable insights from a survey of more than 200 retail executives.Recommended ResourcesFor pricing professionals looking to deepen their knowledge, Markus recommends:Getting Price Right by Gerald SmithThe Expert Guide to Retail Pricing by Kiran Gange----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Send us a textIn this episode of Pricing Heroes, we sit down with Sheetal Chavan, the Commercial Pricing Lead at Zalando, one of Germany's largest online retailers selling shoes, fashion, and beauty products. With six years of experience in pricing and a diverse background across various business functions, Sheetal shares her journey into the pricing profession and offers valuable insights for both newcomers and seasoned professionals in the field.Sheetal recommends several resources for those interested in pricing:The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing by Danilo ZattaPrice Model Revolution by Danilo Zatta----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Send us a textIn this special episode of Pricing Heroes, we welcome back our very own Alex Galkin, who joins us for our conversation with today's guest, Maciej Kraus. Maciej is a Managing Partner at Movens Capital, a growth equity firm, where he helps companies generate more profit for their development and growth. He is also a guest lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the author of three books, including "The Future of Pricing: A Guide to the Next 10 Years of AI" and his forthcoming book, "Pricing Decoded: How Leading Pricing Practitioners Manage Practice to Boost Profits." Maciej is also one of the longest-serving members of Competera's advisory board.Recommended ResourcesMaciej recommends several resources for those looking to deepen their pricing knowledge:Value-Based Pricing by Stefan LiozuThe Strategy and Tactics of Pricing by Thomas NagleMark Stiving's Impact Pricing Podcast----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

In this episode of Pricing Heroes, we dive deep into the fascinating world of behavioral economics with Melina Palmer, the founder and CEO of Brainy Business, a consultancy dedicated to applying behavioral economics principles to business growth. Melina is also the author of three insightful books, including The Truth About Pricing, which is the focus of our discussion for this episode. With a background in marketing and brand strategy and a master's degree in behavioral economics, Melina brings a unique perspective on how businesses can leverage behavioral science to enhance their pricing strategies.Recommended ResourcesThe Brainy Business podcastUsing Behavioral Science by Nancy HarhutMixed Signals by Uwe GneezyConnect with MelinaTo learn more about Melina Palmer and her work, visit her website at TheBrainyBusiness.com, where you can find her books, podcast episodes, and information about consulting services. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn or on other social media platforms as @TheBrainyBiz on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Our guest on this episode of Pricing Heroes is Ayon Bhattacharyya, the Founder & CEO of Biz Growth Spurt, a consultancy helping B2B SaaS and tech companies drive profitable growth through product marketing and price optimization by taking a value-based, data-driven approach. Ayon has more than 15 years of experience leading pricing and commercial strategy across various industries with dozens of global brands, including British Airways, News Corporation, Equifax and Telefonica O2.In this episode, Ayon shares his experience working with brands to boost their pricing power and communicate value more effectively. He offers actionable strategies for navigating B2B pricing complexities, from understanding customer segments to utilizing data-driven methods for optimal pricing.Resource Mentioned in Episode:Ayon's LinkedIn article mentioned during the episode: “Taking a structured, value-based approach to monetisation is the key to profitable growth”----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Our guest this week is our very own Alex Galkin, Founder & CEO of Competera. We invited Alex on the podcast to discuss a recent report on the “Future of Pricing: How AI is Transforming Retail Pricing” published by Coresight Research.In this episode, Alex discusses the shift he's seeing towards AI-powered price optimization in retail, highlights the differences in AI capabilities currently being deployed in real-world scenarios, explains why retailers should trust AI to empower their pricing teams, and provides helpful tips for retailers trying to determine if AI pricing is right for them and what they can do to prepare for the adoption of AI tools. Report: Future of Pricing: How AI is Transforming Retail Pricing----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Our guest on our recent episode of Pricing Heroes is Dr. Tim J. Smith, a foremost thought leader in the pricing community. Tim wears a variety of hats in the pricing profession. He is the Founder and CEO of Wiglaf Pricing, an Adjunct Professor of Marketing and Economics at DePaul University, an academic advisor at the Professional Pricing Society, and the author of four books on pricing, including Pricing Done Right and Pricing Strategy. Those of you who are active on LinkedIn may know him as the brains behind the Pricing Spine-o-meter.Tim dives into evaluating pricing teams, explains why technology alone can't tackle today's most pressing pricing challenges, and explores the positive role pricing can have on public perception and social equity. Tune in to learn how you can take your pricing strategies to the next level.Check out these resources:Pricing Strategy (book)Pricing Done Right (book)Wiglaf Pricing Missives (Pricing Spine-o-meter on LinkedIn)Certified Pricing Professional (CPP)----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Today's guest is Karan Sood, the Director of Sales Operations at Rakuten Kobo, a Canadian seller of ebooks, audiobooks, e-readers and tablet computers. Karan is a “Top Pricing Strategy Voice” on LinkedIn, recognized for his active contributions of insights and engaging content to the online pricing community. He has 16 years of experience in pricing, working for prominent global brands, including YellowPages, Mitsubishi and General Motors.In this episode, Karan discusses his professional journey as a pricing professional who's worked across several industries and facing some of the toughest challenges one might face in the field, including a global financial crisis and digital transformation in print advertising.  In sharing his story, Karan provides practical insights for pricing professionals and businesses interesting in using their pricing capabilities to drive outcome-oriented innovation within their organizations.Links to resources mentioned in the show:The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing 6th Edition by Thomas T. Nagle and Georg MüllerInfluence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini Financial Intelligence, Revised Edition: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean by Karen Berman and Joe Knight ----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Today's guest is Dr. Stephan Liozu, the Founder of Value Innoruption Advisors, which is a consulting boutique specializing in industrial, digital, and value-based pricing. He is the author of 14 books on pricing, including his most recent book, Monetizing and Pricing Sustainability, which he co-authored with Fabien Cros. Stephan has also written many articles on strategic pricing for the Journal of Professional Pricing. Stephan currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Professional Pricing Society and LeveragePoint Innovation.In this episode, Stephan discusses how pricing experts can lead sustainable innovation within their organizations by helping them understand the value of sustainable pricing and helping executives transform go-to-market strategies to have a sustainable impact.Links to Resources Mentioned in Episode:PricingForThePlanet, Sustainability Monetization and PricingMPS Certification: Monetizing & Pricing Sustainability by PricingForThePlanetNYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business - NYU SternTrue Price Foundation – We create standards for the adoption of True Prices----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.You can access all of our Pricing Heroes episodes featuring our interviews with retail pricing experts at https://competera.ai/resources/pricing-heroes.Interested in joining a dynamic community of pricing experts? Check out the Retail Pricing Community on LinkedIn, where you will find a community of professionals sharing their expertise and discussing the latest trends.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai.

Today's guest is Dr. Danilo Zatta, one of the “world's leading pricing minds” according to The Financial Times.  For more than 20 years, Dan has been advising corporations and private equity investors across industries and geographies about commercial excellence, monetization and profitable growth.Dan is also the author of more than 20 books, including, an international best seller that's been translated into 10+ languages, The Pricing Model Revolution: How Pricing Will Change the Way We Sell and Buy on and Offline and, his most recent work, The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing: How to Transform Your Price Management to Boost Profits. Watch the Pay per laugh video on YouTube.Follow Danilo Zatta on LinkedIn and checkout his website: danilozatta.com.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Our guest today is Oliver Banks, global retail influencer, host of “The Retail Transformation Show,” and author of Driving Retail Transformation: How to Navigate Disruption and Change, available March 2024. In this episode, we explore the intricacies of change management and pricing strategies crucial for retail success in an ever-evolving market landscape. Banks shares his insights on overcoming  human resistance to change, adapting to competitive pricing pressures, and the complexity of using pricing as a "controllable lever" in retail. Follow Oliver Banks on LinkedIn.Pre-Order Driving Retail Transformation: How to Navigate Disruption and Change today at Amazon.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Out today's guest is Johan Karlsson, a pricing analyst at Clas Ohlson. Embark on a thrilling journey with Johan Karlsson as he reveals the secrets of the retail pricing world. Discover how his childhood fascination with pricing at his parents' gas station ignited a passion that led him straight into this exciting field. From legacy approaches to cutting-edge AI solutions, Johan's insights will captivate and inspire you to unravel the mysteries behind setting the perfect price tags, making this episode a must-listen for anyone intrigued by the art and science of pricing in retail.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Today's guest is Zen Ore, Executive Manager of Commercial Pricing Strategy at one of the world's biggest grocery retailers.Tap 'Play' to discover how the approach of retail (and not only) pricing evolved over the last decade and what is 'the new generation of pricing consultancy'.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Our today's guest is James Tenser, Retail Tech Marketing Strategist, the President of VSN Media, and a Top 100 Retail Influencer for 2023 by Rethink Retail. Listen to find out the Three Key FMCG Trends That Impact Pricing explained by James Tenser.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Our today's guest is Stephan M. Liozu.Stephan M. Liozu is the Founder of Value Innoruption Advisors, a consulting boutique specializing in industrial, digital, and value-based pricing. He is the author of 12 books on pricing. He has also written many articles on strategic pricing issues for the Journal of Professional Pricing. Stephan sits on the Advisory Board of the Professional Pricing Society and LeveragePoint Innovation.Dive deeper into the details of Change Management and Pricing Tactics explained by Stephan M. Liozu.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Our today's guest is Juan Díez Barrientos - Pricing manager at one of the biggest Nordic home and furniture retailers based in Stockholm (one of the biggest home retailers in Sweden, Finland, and Norway). Ex Implementation Manager Lead at IBM. Check out the main patterns and strategies home retail is introducing amid rising inflation to keep customers sentiment high and secure margins.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Our today's guest is Dr. Yola Engler - Lead Group Pricing at Signa Sports United based in Berlin. SIGNA Sports United is an NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) listed specialist online sports retail company based in Berlin, Germany. They own companies and brands in various sports, including bike, tennis, outdoor, and team sports. Dive deeper into the best pricing strategies to go through the surging inflation, wise promo management, and the future of pricing explained by Dr. Engler.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net

Our first guest is Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky - pricing advisor, researcher and educator, ex. Amazon Senior Manager for Pricing and Business Analytics, Founder of the Price Management Institute and author of the Handbook on the Psychology of Pricing and the (lovely) Pricing Nuggets. Dr Husemann-Kopetzky has shared how some retailers win during uncertainty in the market and why an elasticity-based approach to pricing is the key to success. ----------Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-markus-husemann-kopetzky/Subscribe to the weekly newsletter "Pricing Nuggets" by Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky: https://pricingnuggets.com/Book by Dr Markus Husemann-Kopetzky:Handbook on the Psychology of Pricing: 100+ effects on persuasion and influence every entrepreneur, marketer and pricing manager needs to knowCheck out our website https://competera.net/ and pricing solutions to supercharge your retail business.More interviews with retail pricing experts are here.----------Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide.Explore our other interviews with retail pricing experts are here.For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.net