Beyond Checkout: Claudia Frese from momox on AI in Recommerce
Claudia Frese, CEO of momox SE, argues that AI tools aren’t the source of real competitive advantage. She explains why data is more important than technology, why the value of customer relationships is growing, and which metric is key in recommerce.
AI in recommerce: Why trust cannot be automated
With its theme of “Scaling Intelligence,” DMEXCO 2026 asks how companies can integrate artificial intelligence effectively into their value creation. But while much of the focus is on new tools and applications, other factors are increasingly drawing attention: data quality, customer access, and long-term customer relationships.
In our interview series “Beyond Checkout: Leading Minds in Commerce,” we talk to the people who are actively shaping digital commerce. In this edition, Claudia Frese joins us to discuss the role data plays in successful AI initiatives, why direct customer relationships continue to be strategically important, and why brand loyalty could become a pivotal competitive advantage in the future.
Claudia Frese is the CEO of momox SE, Europe’s leading recommerce company. Among other previous roles, she was the CEO of STRATO AG, a member of the Executive Board at IONOS SE, and the CEO of MyHammer AG, and held various leadership positions at eBay. For many years, Claudia has explored the interactions between technology, sustainable growth, and digital business models, and the long-term significance of customer trust in this context.
If you were to redesign your digital business model today, what would be conceived as AI-native from the outset?
The data architecture. Today, many companies are trying to integrate AI into existing systems. If I were to start over, I would design processes from the outset in such a way that data is available, connected, and usable in real time.
The biggest bottleneck in AI is rarely the technology itself, but rather the underlying data. A clean data structure lays the foundation for better decision-making, faster innovation, and greater automation. That’s why adopting an AI-native mindset is first and foremost about taking a data-native approach.
What decisions do you still deliberately choose to make without AI?
Actually, none anymore. AI is a tool I can’t imagine being without now. It helps me ask better questions, prepare more effectively, and have better discussions as a result.
Of course, what AI can’t do is assume responsibility. Decisions about difficult issues – like ones relating to corporate strategy or culture – aren’t based solely on data and analysis; they’re also guided by experience, values, and convictions. That’s why I use AI as a sounding board – but not as a decision-maker.
In 2026, what strategic challenge related to AI in commerce keeps you awake at night?
The most pressing question for me is how AI-powered commerce will transform the way customers shop. Today, we talk a lot about how companies are using AI. The more exciting question is what will happen when consumers shop using their own AI agents.
When machines compare, choose, and order products, the rules of the game for marketing, brand management, and commerce will be turned upside down. The focus will shift from attracting attention to being relevant and trustworthy from the perspective of AI systems. It could be the biggest change in digital retail since the rise of social commerce.
What role do online stores play in commerce strategy today – particularly in the context of marketplaces, platforms, and social commerce?
I still see a company’s own store as its strategic center. Marketplaces, social commerce, and platforms are important channels for reaching a wider audience. However, the most valuable relationships are built where you have direct contact with customers.
Companies that control the customer relationship have access to valuable first-party data, giving them a better understanding of customer needs, enabling them to personalize experiences and build long-term brand loyalty. The history of digital commerce teaches us that value is created in the spaces where trust and customer relationships develop. That’s why a brand’s own channel will continue to play a key role in the future.
Which is currently more dangerous in ecommerce: being too slow to adopt AI – or too quick?
Too slow. Today, taking a wait-and-see approach puts your competitiveness at risk. AI is evolving at a pace we haven’t seen in many previous waves of technological change.
But that doesn’t mean you should chase every trend. Successful companies distinguish between experimentation and jumping on every bandwagon. You need to learn quickly, test quickly, and decide quickly. But always with a clear idea of the specific added value a given technology should create for customers or your business model.
Which KPI will be more important in the years ahead than anything we’re optimizing for today?
Customer lifetime value. In a world where customer acquisition is increasingly automated and it’s easier and easier to compare products, the quality of customer relationships will become the most important competitive advantage.
That’s why I don’t just look at revenue or conversion rates, but at how many customers return, how satisfied they are, and whether we remain relevant to them as the years go by. Customer loyalty is becoming the scarcest resource in digital commerce, which makes it the most important metric.
The takeaway: Success in recommerce depends on more than just new tech
Our conversation with Claudia Frese reveals that loyal customers and the quality of data are the two most important drivers of success in commerce. Companies that structure and use data intelligently lay the foundation for better decision-making, greater automation, and long-term competitiveness.
As product comparability increases and processes become more efficient, trust, loyalty, and relevance are set to be the pivotal factors determining sustainable growth in recommerce.
The factors shaping the future of commerce and recommerce are also explained in the episode of the DMEXCO podcast featuring Saskia Meier-Andrae from eBay.
Would you like to discuss the key developments in commerce, customer experience, and digital business models with the industry’s leading experts? Then secure your ticket for DMEXCO 2026 today!
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