Why People, Not Just Technology, Are Driving Naivas’ Growth Across East Africa | WRC 2026

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from day two of World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin, Chris Walton talks with Andreas von Paleske, CEO of Naivas, about scaling one of East Africa’s fastest-growing grocery retailers while balancing operational discipline, employee development, and technology transformation. Drawing from his background in private equity, Andreas shares how Naivas grew from roughly 30 stores to more than 100 locations by focusing on affordable groceries, strong store execution, and long-term investment in frontline employees. The conversation explores why career development and internal promotion have become critical differentiators for the company, especially in a market where modern grocery retail is still rapidly evolving. The discussion also dives into how Naivas is approaching AI, customer data, and operational efficiency. Andreas explains how the retailer is using loyalty insights, demand planning, and planogram optimization to improve store performance while freeing employees from repetitive tasks so they can spend more time serving customers directly. Throughout the interview, one message stands out clearly: technology works best when it strengthens people, not replaces them. Key Topics Covered: • How Naivas grew from 30 stores to more than 100 across Kenya • Why affordable groceries and operational discipline drive growth • The importance of investing in frontline employees and career development • How Naivas promotes more than 99% of leaders internally • Why modern grocery retail is still underpenetrated across East Africa • How loyalty data is shaping merchandising and customer insights • The role AI can play in demand planning and planogram optimization • Why retail employees should spend more time serving customers • How fresh produce and store experience drive customer loyalty • Why Andreas believes AI is an opportunity, not a threat, for retail workers Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail’s live coverage from World Retail Congress 2026. #WRC2026 #WorldRetailCongress #OmniTalkRetail #GroceryRetail #RetailInnovation #AIinRetail #CustomerExperience #RetailLeadership #RetailStrategy #FutureOfRetail