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KLU talks business ... with Dr. Philipp Wahl “Dr. Phil”, Retail Capital Partners

Lobby of RCP

In our KLU talks business interview this time, Dr. Philipp Wahl, partner at the consultancy Retail Capital Partners (RCP), tells us what sets RCP apart from others, what issues concern clients when it comes to supply chain management, and explains why investing in young talent and science is so important.

Please give us a brief introduction to RCP. What questions about supply chains do companies come to you with?

Dr. Phil: Retail Capital Partners is one of the leading management consultancies in DACH and the UK with an exclusive focus on retail and consumer goods. We specialize in implementing retail projects from the shareholder's perspective. So the questions we always ask ourselves are: What would we do if we owned the customer's business? What is the best way to develop the company strategically? This entrepreneurial approach sets us apart from other consulting firms.

Looking at the supply chain issue, resilience and agility are very important points. Clients come to us with questions like: How can we make our supply chain more resilient and agile? Agility is key because the retail industry is facing huge changes in terms of moving from offline to online. The pandemic has accelerated the whole process, and a major issue is omnichannel fulfillment. We are experts in this area and help these companies become full-fledged omnichannel players.

Logo of RCP
Dr. Philipp Wahl

You were co-founder and CEO of Logsters, a consulting firm that was acquired by Retail Capital Partners (RCP) in 2022. What are you responsible for at RCP, and how has your life changed since you started in June?

Dr. Phil: I am a partner at RCP and, together with two colleagues, responsible for the Commercial Operations competence center. Before joining RCP, I was the managing director of my own company with a focus on logistics. At RCP we are more broadly positioned and offer our clients customized solutions along the entire corporate life cycle in our Competence Centers. Starting with mergers and acquisitions, through the due diligence, the acquisition of the company, the valuation of the business – and logistics can be a part of this – to post-acquisition integration.

My first project at RCP was a due diligence. Our customer acquired a business in the retail field and I was responsible for the logistics review up front. Three years later, I am still working very closely and successfully with that company.

You are collaborating with a KLU PhD student on her research project in collaboration with Logsters and RCP. What questions are involved and why do you support this kind of collaboration between science and business?

Dr. Phil: We are very pleased to be working with Katja. Her expertise are artificial intelligence and logistics, and RCP continues to invest heavily in expanding its knowledge base in this area. This is important as we help companies digitize and optimize their supply chains. That's where we always want to be able to deliver exactly the cutting-edge products and services that our customers can also expect from us. For us, it is therefore a matter of course that we invest in internships, traineeships, and later PhD projects. This scientific approach is an important additional asset for us and we also see it as one of our core tasks to promote young talents from science and industry and ideally to encourage them to stay with us.

In three words - how would you describe KLU?

Dr. Phil: Innovative, specialized, open community.

About Retail Capital Partners
Understanding Retail. Create growth. Retail Capital Partners AG was founded in 2011 and is today one of the leading management consulting companies in Europe with an exclusive focus on retail and consumer goods companies. The 100 employees combine unique industry expertise, from several years of operational management expertise and consulting excellence, creating sustainable added value for clients along the entire corporate life cycle. Clients include renowned financial investors, family offices and leading retail and consumer goods companies. The company is headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland.