Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften: Loyalty Apps in Retail – Who Benefits Most?

The Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften (Long Night of the Sciences) will take place in Leipzig on June 20, 2025. At over 50 locations in the city, there will be a night of wonder, experimentation and discussion. HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management will also be present as part of the Leipzig science family.

Discounts, coupons, loyalty points – retailer apps like Rewe Bonus or Lidl Plus promise benefits for shoppers. But what’s really behind these digital loyalty programs?
Retail expert Erik Maier and the Konsum Leipzig cooperative shed light on how loyalty apps work, why they are attractive for both companies and customers – and where their interests may diverge.

Take a look behind the scenes of modern customer loyalty in retail – in a panel discussion with retail expert Erik Maier at the brand-new R42 venue in the heart of Leipzig.

Prof. Dr. Erik Maier (Chair of Marketing and Retail, HHL)
Erik Maier is Professor of Marketing and Retail at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. His research focuses on consumer behavior in (digital) retail, alternative retail concepts, and the future of retail and city centers. He has collaborated with Konsum Leipzig eG for several years on research and student projects.

Tom Potutschek (Founder & COO, R42)
Tom Potutschek is a visionary entrepreneur who has co-founded several companies, including GECKO.2, bringing his ideas to life. A trained business economist with extensive experience in startup and innovation consulting, he is also one of the key initiators behind the R42 project – an ecosystem for the gaming and media industry in the heart of Leipzig, covering the entire value chain of the gaming sector across 1,700 m².

Georg Wehrstedt (Corporate Communications Officer, Konsum Leipzig eG)
Georg Wehrstedt is the Corporate Communications Officer at Konsum Leipzig eG. Prior to this, he held executive roles in the cinema industry for over 20 years, most recently as Managing Director at CINEPLEX. At Konsum Leipzig, he is responsible for the strategic direction of both internal and external communications, as well as digital customer engagement. A core focus of his work is the ongoing development and strategic consulting of the Konsum app, aimed at targeted communication with customers and cooperative members.

Event Language:
The event language is German.

About the Venue – R42
R42 is a one-of-a-kind hub for the gaming and media industry in Germany, located in the heart of Leipzig. Spanning seven floors, it brings together gastronomy, events, gaming, content production, co-working spaces, and apartments under one roof. With its in-house R42 Games Accelerator, the Games Hub supports emerging start-ups in the gaming and media sectors through a nine-month program of workshops, coaching, and mentoring. Initiated by GECKO.2 GmbH and supported by, among others, the Saxon Accelerator Program, R42 positions itself as a hotspot for the gaming industry in Central Germany—where innovation meets entrepreneurship.

Following event: “KI verändert das Spiel”

Photo credits:
Prof. Dr. Erik Maier: Daniel Reiche / Tom Potutschek: Gecko.1 GmbH / Georg Wehrstedt: Studioline