#68 From DIY to Do-It-For-Me: How OBI Is Reinventing Home Renovation, with Felix Weber

What makes a well-known DIY store stop selling products and start solving projects? Felix Weber, Head of Innovation at OBI, breaks down their strategy. In this episode of The Retail Reality Show, Nino and Yael sit down with Felix Weber, who, coming from venture capital rather than retail, shares a sharp, market-driven view on how a traditional DIY retailer reinvents itself around the full customer journey. We get into why complex projects like renovations carry enormous customer lifetime value, how "do-it-for-me" becomes a firewall against pure product sellers, and the build vs buy thinking behind the 42Watt acquisition. Felix also explains why a retailer should not become a tech company, and where agentic AI actually creates value in home and garden. We also discuss: – Why real innovation is boring – Innovation inside the CEO office – The "kill team" and saying no This episode is for you, if you care about retail innovation. 🎧 Subscribe to The Retail Reality Show for more honest conversations on the future of retail. __________________________________ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Retail Reality Show 00:57 Meet Felix Weber: Head of Innovation at OBI 02:56 The Shift from Products to Projects in DIY 06:16 Understanding Customer Needs in Home Renovation 09:38 Navigating the Changing Landscape of Retail 11:44 Challenges in Scaling DIY Services 14:16 Innovation: Internal vs. External Solutions 17:12 The Role of Innovation in Business Strategy 20:54 Deciding What to Build vs. What to Buy 24:11 Acquisition of 42W: A Strategic Move 27:49 Customer Lifetime Value and Data Utilization 29:20 AI's Role in Enhancing Customer Experience 32:18 Integrating AI into Physical Stores 34:45 The Importance of Innovation Kill Teams 38:15 Final Thoughts on Innovation in Retai __________________________________ 🔗 Resources & Links: Visit our Website: rrs.show Follow us on LinkedIn:   / the-retail-reality-show   Our Guest: Felix Weber:   / felix-g-weber   Head of Innovation at OBI Group Holding:   / obi   And Managing Director at OBI SQUARED Venture Capital:   / obi-squared   Our Hosts: Nino Bergfeld:   / ninobergfeld   Nicolas Kröger:   / kroeger-nicolas   Yael Kochman:   / yaelkochman