Preparing for agentic commerce: REWE’s AI transformation

The German retail and tourism group’s chief digital and technology officer says AI is “the most fundamental change in the way we do business in 50 years.” German retail and tourism cooperative REWE operates thousands of supermarkets and consumer stores, as well as travel agencies, tour operators, and hotel brands across Europe. In this conversation with McKinsey’s Sebastian Gatzer and Silvia Andre, REWE’s chief digital and technology officer Christoph Eltze discusses the need to act early on AI and why strengthening governance, skills, and leadership behavior is as important as managing customer-facing risks. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.