In the context of unprecedented geopolitical, economic, and supply chain disruptions in Eastern Europe over the past decade, the role of financial controlling in retail has undergone a fundamental transformation. This article offers a comprehensive, practitioner-driven analysis of adaptive financial controlling in the high-volatility environment of the Ukrainian and broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) retail sector. Drawing from my experience as a Key Account Manager in leading multinational and local retail companies- including managing through the collapse of major clients, currency devaluations, and war- I present a novel adaptive controlling cycle specifically tailored for markets exposed to extreme uncertainty. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating operational data from the Ukrainian home appliance market (2018–2025), benchmarking against Poland and Lithuania, and qualitative insights from industry peers and published reports (GfK, Euromonitor, PwC).