bonprix Bets on AI Across the Journey — but Demands a Fast Payback
Otto Group fashion retailer bonprix is embedding AI through the whole customer journey, with new CMO Nicolai Johannsen insisting each use case must show ROI quickly.
The strategy
bonprix, the Otto Group fashion retailer, is deploying AI to optimise the entire customer journey rather than as a gimmick, according to CMO Nicolai Johannsen. His benchmark is blunt: "We want to see a return on investment in the foreseeable future," with individual tools given limited time to prove value. AI was already used in parts of bonprix's spring/summer 2026 campaign, targeting its core audience of women over 40.
Johannsen, a martech and data specialist, became CMO as part of a four-person equal management team, against a backdrop of revenues that have fallen since 2021. The W&V interview ran on 8 September 2026.
The end of the 'interesting pilot'
This story marks a maturing phase of retail AI. The first wave was experimentation — interesting pilots, splashy generative campaigns, proofs of concept. bonprix's framing signals the second wave: AI investment held to a hard payback test, with sunset dates for tools that do not deliver. "Interesting" is no longer enough.
Our read: this is the right discipline, and overdue. A lot of retail AI spend has been justified by novelty rather than numbers. Demanding ROI "in the foreseeable future" forces the useful question — does this tool move a metric that matters? — and kills the open-ended experiments that quietly drain budgets.
What marketers should copy
First, attach measurable KPIs and a sunset date to every AI tool, exactly as bonprix implies. If a use case cannot show payback in an agreed window, retire it; the opportunity cost of zombie pilots is real. Fund winners, cut the rest.
Second, point AI at a clearly defined audience. bonprix anchors its AI on women over 40 — a specific, well-understood customer — which is why the tools have something concrete to optimise. AI works best aimed at a sharp audience and a clear job, not sprayed across a vague "customer experience" ambition.
Quick FAQ
What is bonprix's approach to AI?
Embedding AI across the whole customer journey, but with CMO Nicolai Johannsen demanding a return on investment in the foreseeable future and limited time for tools to prove value.
Why does it matter?
It signals a maturing phase of retail AI where hard payback, not novelty, is the test — with sunset dates for tools that don't deliver.
What should marketers copy?
Attach measurable KPIs and sunset dates to every AI tool, and point AI at a clearly defined audience rather than a vague 'customer experience' goal.
The 'interesting AI pilot' era is ending, and bonprix is calling it. Demanding ROI in the foreseeable future forces the only question that matters — does this tool move a metric we care about? — and kills the open-ended experiments that quietly drain budgets. Point AI at a sharp audience, give it a payback deadline, and cut what doesn't earn its place. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Retail AI's novelty phase is over — attach a KPI and a sunset date to every tool, aim it at a defined audience, and fund only what shows payback.
Which of your AI pilots could actually prove a return in the next two quarters — and which are just interesting?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: W&V, Meedia.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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