Episode 3: The Power of Category Management

Category Management is the single most powerful force in German retail. It determines what ends up on the shelf, where it sits, and when it disappears. In this episode, Jan Wapelhorst takes you inside the real mechanics — from the gap between the official win-win narrative and the reality of data power, to the four category roles every brand needs to understand, to how REWE, EDEKA, ALDI, and Lidl each interpret Category Management completely differently.

Topics covered: Category Management, category roles, planogram logic, REWE vs. EDEKA vs. ALDI vs. Lidl, co-creation, data as currency, category captain dynamics.

Connect with Jan Wapelhorst on LinkedIn for weekly insights on German retail.

Website: wfr-advisory.com

Email: [e-mail]"