THALIA CHAIR OF MARKETING AND RETAIL
Overview
Team
- Prof. Dr. Florian Ellsaesser (Chairholder)
- Sebastian Stam (Team Assistant)
- Niklas Grube (Research Associate)
Network
- Thalia Bücher GmbH
- Konsum Leipzig (food chain in Central Germany)
- Handelsverband Sachsen (association of trading companys in Saxony)
- „Ab-in-die-Mitte!“ – Die City Offensive Sachsen (competition for the promotion of Saxon city centers)
- City of Leipzig
Research Focus
- Application of deep learning and advanced AI methods to solve business problems
- AI in marketing and customer experience (e.g., customer value prediction, personalization, purchase behavior)
- Prediction of product success and demand using neural models
- Development and application of large language models and agentic AI systems
- Use of synthetic data for scalable and privacy-preserving business applications
- Combining methodological rigor with practical relevance through close industry collaboration
- Conducting field experiments and data-driven analysis in real company settings
We are at a point where AI is redefining the foundations of business.
Prof. Dr. Florian Ellsaesser
Thalia Chair of Marketing and Retail
What we do
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping how companies compete, operate, and create value for their customers. At the Thalia Chair of Marketing and Retailing at HHL, we combine methodological excellence in artificial intelligence and machine learning with deep expertise in marketing, retailing, and customer experience, always with a strong focus on practical relevance.
In our research, we apply advanced AI methods to real business challenges. This includes the use of deep learning and large language models to predict customer behavior, personalize customer experiences, and forecast product success and demand. These topics are equally relevant in digital and brick and mortar retail. By working with synthetic data, we enable scalable and privacy compliant analyses. In close collaboration with practice partners, ranging from global ecommerce platforms to regional retailers, we develop solutions that are both scientifically rigorous and directly applicable.
In teaching, we equip students and executives to use AI confidently, critically, and strategically. We teach both the technical foundations and the strategic implications of AI, including how companies can build competitive advantage, automate processes intelligently, and advance marketing and retailing through AI. Practical relevance is central to our approach: in our courses, students work on real projects with companies and turn ideas into implementation quickly.
The chair builds on many years of research on the transformation of retailing and digital consumer behavior and carries this perspective forward into the age of AI. Our ambition is to enable organizations to use AI responsibly and effectively, whether to redesign the customer journey, improve demand forecasting, or develop the next generation of intelligent retail experiences.
Supporter
Since July 2025, the chair has been funded by Thalia Bücher GmbH. The focus is on research projects of the HHL Chair on digital consumer behavior, innovative retail concepts and omnichannel strategies in retail in order to identify sustainable growth areas. Joint studies and practical student projects are also planned.
In addition, impulses from practice are to flow into teaching and give students a realistic insight into contemporary retail models using the example of Thalia.
Prof. Dr. Florian Ellsaesser
After graduating with top honors from the University of Manchester, Prof. Dr. Florian Ellsaesser earned his doctorate in Strategic Management from the University of Cambridge. He then spent nearly five years at McKinsey & Company in Berlin, where he worked as a consultant advising companies in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries, particularly on strategy and supply chain optimization. At the same time, he founded and advised several technology-driven startups.
Returning to academia, he led the Master’s program in Data Analytics and Management at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management before moving to the University of Bristol as a Senior Lecturer. His research focuses on the application of AI and machine learning in management decision-making, particularly in marketing and strategy.
If you are interested in an interview or a press photo, please contact Elisa Vetter (Media Relations Manager).
Publications
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