Theresa Schleicher

Theresa Schleicher is one of the outstanding experts and thought leaders in the field of business and retail in the DACH region.

With her extensive experience as a former manager of the Hirschen Group and her background as a Data Scientist, she offers exclusive consulting services as a Retail Advisor for DAX corporations in Asia and Europe, including the VW Group and leading retail companies. She also plays a crucial role as a pioneer and advisor for the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in the development of forward-looking retail strategies.

In her position as a leading expert on the future of trade, including at the renowned Zukunftsinstitut, Theresa Schleicher publishes annual forecasts for upcoming developments in the trade sector and presents them to the public.

As a keynote speaker and data scientist on stage, Theresa Schleicher provides fascinating insights into a sustainable, data-driven global economy. She also acts as an investor for innovative retail start-ups, focusing on economic resilience in fast-moving markets and the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence to promote more environmentally and economically sustainable trade.

Theresa Schleicher lecture topics

• Retail Trends 2025/2026

Which future trends and customer preferences will shape the retail industry in the coming years? This analysis is tailored to specific industries and updated annually.

• Retail AI Tech Trends: New Insights from Research

Which AI-driven solutions will consumers actually use in retail? This lecture presents insights from collaborations with leading AI researchers in Europe.

• Future Insights from China: What Can Retailers Really Learn?

What innovative concepts from China can retailers adopt to excite their customers? The findings are based on a twelve-month study conducted with renowned Chinese scientists and retailers in Shanghai and Beijing.

• Next Growth Retail 2040

What will the future of retail look like in times of climate crises and increasing price competition? This lecture provides a forward-looking perspective on sustainable growth strategies up to 2040.

• Is Sustainability “Out”?

How are sustainable innovations evolving? From better materials to a new sustainable middle class and purpose-driven markets of the future – this lecture explores the latest trends in regeneration.

• Industry Check: Generation Z Customers

What products will the next generation of consumers expect to see on store shelves in five years? This industry-specific analysis offers a concise insight into the purchasing preferences of Generation Z.

Theresa Schleicher is one of the most renowned experts on the future of retail.

Since 2015, Theresa Schleicher has published the most defining retail trends annually in the Zukunftsinstitut’s Retail Report, whose findings are regularly published in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, WELT, Spiegel, ZEIT and Handelsblatt.

She has been a jury member of many retail innovation awards since 2015 and is a driver of new inner city concepts with retailers, politicians, associations and urban developers.

Theresa Schleicher works as a retail advisor with the leading groups in Germany to shape the retail landscape. In addition to retail companies, this includes retail-driven corporations such as brands of the VW Group. She is a former strategy director and manager in the Hirschen Group, the 3rd largest creative and consulting network in Germany.

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