Your session explores how Stockmann is evolving its loyalty programme beyond traditional tier-based models. What do you think retailers need to do differently today to build lasting customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive and AI-driven market?

Retailers need to move from rewarding transactions to recognising customer behaviour and building relevance over time. Traditional tiers can still play a role, but they are a fairly blunt instrument: customers within the same tier may have very different needs, motivations and risks of disengaging.

Today, lasting loyalty comes from understanding those differences and responding at the right moment - whether that means inspiring a customer, recognising their value or preventing churn. AI can help identify patterns and enable this at scale, but technology alone does not create loyalty. Customers stay when the overall experience is consistently relevant, convenient and trustworthy. The goal should not be to maximise the number of messages or discounts, but to create more meaningful interactions that give customers a genuine reason to return.

Personalisation is becoming central to successful loyalty strategies. How are you using customer insight and technology to create more relevant experiences while still protecting profitability?

We are looking beyond broad demographic groups and loyalty tiers towards behavioural insight: how customers engage with us, what they value, how their behaviour is changing and when there may be a risk of churn.

Technology and automation allow us to translate those insights into more timely and relevant experiences. However, personalisation should not automatically mean offering a discount. That can quickly erode margin and train customers to wait for promotions. The focus is on identifying the right next action for each customer - whether that is relevant content, a service benefit, recognition, a recommendation or, where it has a clear incremental impact, a targeted commercial incentive.

eTail Nordic brings together senior retail and eCommerce leaders from across the Nordic region. What conversations are you most looking forward to having with your peers, and what insights are you hoping to take away from the event?

I am particularly interested in how other retailers are moving from personalisation experiments to practical capabilities that work at scale. Many organisations have strong data and ambitious AI plans, but the real challenge is connecting insight, technology, content and commercial decision-making in everyday operations.

I am also looking forward to honest conversations about measurement: how retailers distinguish genuine incremental impact from activity that would have happened anyway, and how they balance short-term conversion with margin and long-term customer value.

Finally, I would like to hear how others are responding to changing customer expectations. Nordic retailers often serve both digitally native younger shoppers and long-standing customers who value familiarity, service and trust. Learning how peers are evolving without losing what already makes their brands meaningful will be especially valuable.