Pricing Heroes

Get in touch! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2049169/open_sms] In this episode of Pricing Heroes, we speak with Seth Nieman, former Vice President of Pricing Strategy & Transformation at Rite Aid, and former pricing and merchandising leader at Wakefern Food Corp and Lidl US. Seth shares his journey from helping launch Lidl’s U.S. pricing strategy to leading Rite Aid’s pricing transformation during its emergence from bankruptcy. He explains how pricing can serve as the conscience of the organization, and what it takes to build scalable architecture, align cross-functional teams, and drive pricing decisions under pressure. Key Topics: * Developing Lidl’s U.S. assortment and pricing from the ground up * Launching Bowl & Basket and Paperbird at Wakefern, and using pricing to scale private-label growth * Designing a KVI- and promotional role–based pricing architecture to improve CPI and RPI scores * Implementing localized pricing zones across 60+ ShopRite stores, accounting for customer, competitor, and ownership differences * Leading Rite Aid’s pricing reset post-bankruptcy: reassessing optimization logic, category roles, and competitive intelligence * Why pricing must balance art and science—and how to communicate pricing decisions across functions * Trends in ESLs, dynamic pricing, and why personalization should come with transparency and trust Recommended Resources: * Trade journals: Drug Store News, Progressive Grocer, Supermarket News * NRF Big Show * Business journals: The Wall Street Journal Connect with Seth Nieman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-nieman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-nieman/] ---------- Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide [https://competera.net/resources/pricing-guides/ai-pricing]. For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai [https://competera.ai/].

Get in touch! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2049169/open_sms] 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 functions * Building pricing maturity — from spreadsheets to scalable systems * Balancing pricing agility with brand integrity in beauty retail * Experimentation, cross-functional collaboration, and internal advocacy * How WeCommerce culture fuels pricing and team growth Recommended Resources: * Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely [https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expanded-Decisions/dp/0061353248] Connect with Corina Manea: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corina-manea-831b9493/ [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 [https://competera.net/resources/pricing-guides/ai-pricing]. For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai [https://competera.ai/].

Get in touch! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2049169/open_sms] In 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 instead * Identifying psychological “price walls” to avoid costly volume loss * Communicating price increases with transparency and value framing * The risks of gut-feel pricing and the ethical dilemma of margin padding * Using behavioral economics to guide modern, data-informed pricing decisions Recommended Resources: * The Price Whisperer: A Holistic Approach to Pricing Power by Per Sjöfors [https://www.amazon.com/Price-Whisperer-Holistic-Approach-Pricing/dp/1637352093] * Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman [https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555] * Misbehaving by Richard Thaler [https://www.amazon.com/Misbehaving-Behavioral-Economics-Nobel-Laureate/dp/039335279X] * Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein [https://www.amazon.com/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-Health-Happiness/dp/014311526X] * Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely [https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expanded-Decisions/dp/0061353248] Connect with Per Sjöfors: *  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/persjofors/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/persjofors/] *  Website: https://sjofors.com/ [https://sjofors.com/] ---------- Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide [https://competera.net/resources/pricing-guides/ai-pricing]. For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai [https://competera.ai/].

Get in touch! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2049169/open_sms] In 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 success * The intersection of pricing, forecasting, and inventory management * Why tightly integrated merchandising and pricing functions matter * Navigating price changes in volatile markets without alienating customers * Using AI responsibly to optimize prices and maintain brand integrity Recommended Resources: * The Indicator by Planet Money [https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money] * Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans by Melanie Mitchell [https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Intelligence-Guide-Thinking-Humans/dp/0374257833] Connect 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 [https://competera.net/resources/pricing-guides/ai-pricing]. For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai [https://competera.ai/].

Get in touch! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2049169/open_sms] How 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: 🎙️ Stephan Liozu [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanliozu/] – Chief Value Officer, Zilliant 🎙️ Per Sjöfors [https://www.linkedin.com/in/persjofors/] – Author of The Price Whisperer 🎙️ Oliver Banks [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverbanks1/] – Retail Transformation Expert, Author of Driving Retail Transformation 🎙️ Ayon Bhattacharyya [https://www.linkedin.com/in/valueconquer/] – Founder & CEO, Biz Growth Spurt 🎙️ Markus Husemann-Kopetzky [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-markus-husemann-kopetzky/] – Founder, Price Management Institute 🎙️ Danilo Zatta [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilo-zatta/] – Pricing Advisor, Author of The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing 🎙️ Maciej Kraus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maciejkraus/] – Managing Partner, Movens Capital, Author of The Future of Pricing 🎙️ Tim J. Smith [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwiglaf/] – CEO, Wiglaf Pricing & Adjunct Professor, DePaul University 🎙️ Alex Halkin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhalkin/] – Founder & CEO, Competera What We Cover: ✅ The game-changing role of AI in pricing strategies ✅ Why data-driven decision-making will be the new competitive advantage ✅ How trade policies and inflation will force pricing shifts ✅ The growing impact of hyper-personalization & marketplace pricing ✅ The real risks of price wars & unethical AI Whether you’re a pricing professional, retail leader, or industry strategist, this episode is packed with insights to help you navigate pricing in 2025. 🔊 Listen now and stay ahead of the curve! ---------- Get your free copy of Get Ready for the Future Of Pricing with our A-Z Guide [https://competera.net/resources/pricing-guides/ai-pricing]. For more information about AI pricing solutions, visit Competera.ai [https://competera.ai/].