How Germany's future will succeed

How can Germany's future succeed? The answer lies in joint action: Strengthening trust, sharing responsibility and living co-operation. This book shows how we can meet the challenges of our time - not as lone warriors, but as a community.

The question at the centre of this is: How can we create a society that not only regains ground economically, but also grows as a human being?

  • 23 October 2025

    Chart of the week, 2025-KW43

    What used to start in the shop window is now happening in the background: advertising, consumption and purchasing behaviour are being changed by AI - often without us even noticing. More and more people expect bricks-and-mortar retail to disappear. At the same time, they are experiencing how personalised recommendations and automated processes are shaping everyday life. How much control do we want to retain and how consciously will we shop tomorrow?

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    Result

    More than one in two Germans (56 %) believe that there will be hardly any bricks-and-mortar shops left in the next 20 years. This expectation is particularly pronounced among younger adults (18-34 years: 63 %), but almost half (49 %) of over 55-year-olds also share this view. Instead of shop windows and pedestrian zones, digital platforms dominate today, where recommendations, advertising and even purchasing decisions are increasingly controlled by algorithms. Many people hardly notice the changeover - shopping happens casually, embedded in everyday digital life. This blurs the boundaries between need and supply, desire and order.

    Reasons

    Digitalisation has fundamentally changed consumption. Artificial intelligence analyses behavioural data in real time, optimises advertising content and provides tailored product recommendations. Online shops are permanently available, learning with every click and making the shopping process ever more convenient. Predictive shopping, dynamic creative optimisation and neuro-targeting create new needs even before they are consciously perceived. The decision-making power is shifting - from consumers to systems that co-determine the selection and timing of the purchase. Brick-and-mortar retail will come under pressure if digital convenience becomes the standard.

    Forecast

    Shopping behaviour will continue to develop in the direction of digital self-evidence. Brick-and-mortar shops will not disappear completely, but their function will change: Away from the point of sale, towards an experience and consulting space. At the same time, it will be important to promote digital expertise and critical consumer awareness. In a future in which many decisions are automated, the ability to reflect will remain an important anchor. Artificial intelligence can simplify consumption, but the responsibility for making conscious decisions remains with people.

Current
Research contributions

Uli as a guest on the podcast 'Almost Daily'

The changing world -
people take centre stage.

With our research, we pursue the goal of contributing to the positive development of society with optimism.

The changing world -
people take centre stage.

With our research, we pursue the goal of contributing to the positive development of society with optimism.