Podcast: The Frankenstack - Retail's silent growth killer

Retailers keep chasing best‑of‑breed solutions, but every integration chips away at value, creating the dreaded Frankenstack. In this episode, Leni Hakvoort, Head of Product at New Black and Victor Padee, CRO at Aevi, break down why retail tech becomes so fragmented, why change rarely happens, and what risks retailers face if they don’t modernize.

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Why retailers end up with Frankenstacks 

Retailers select “best of breed” technology thinking it will transform operations. But every connection reduces functionality, every workaround adds weight, and the end result is a brittle, tangled stack that fails to deliver the value promised.

Where decision-making goes wrong

Retailers often evaluate vendors based solely on the feature list, not how the system performs once it’s wired into a complex store environment. Internal teams rarely ask about future-proofing, and RFPs focus more on today’s reality than the next decade.

Organizational silos make everything harder

Finance evaluates ROI. IT sees risk and workload. Retail and e‑commerce compete for ownership. No one looks at the full customer journey. Without someone unifying priorities, modernization stalls and “just enough to keep it running” becomes the default mode.

Unified commerce isn’t optional anymore

Consumers expect accurate stock, click and collect, ship from store, cross‑channel returns, and seamless loyalty experiences. These used to be differentiators, now they’re table stakes. Retailers who can’t deliver lose customers instantly.

Why loyalty programs don’t work, and how they could

Most loyalty systems are generic, slow, and disconnected. They don’t recognize shoppers, don’t reflect generational differences, and don’t motivate behavior. The opportunity is huge: unified data, real-time rewards, non-monetary value, and programs that actually build communities.

The real risk of not modernizing

Beyond compliance fines or hardware sunsets, the true risk is revenue loss. Consumers switch brands instantly. Without unified systems, retailers can’t differentiate, can’t personalize, and can’t keep up with expectations. Trust becomes fragile, and one broken promise can cost a customer for good.

Key takeaways

• The Frankenstack is as much an organizational problem as it is a technical one
• Best‑of‑breed tools lose value with every integration
• Silos and risk aversion block strategic transformation
• Unified commerce is now a consumer expectation, not a nice‑to‑have
• Loyalty must evolve from points to recognition, personalization, and community
• The biggest competitive threat isn't another brand... it's consumer indifference

This episode reveals why retail tech keeps breaking under its own weight, why transformation rarely sticks, and why modernizing your architecture is no longer optional. Over the next episodes, the team dives deeper into unified commerce, loyalty, compliance, and the practical steps retailers can take to fix fragmentation without ripping out everything at once.

press@aevi.com