Physical stores are undergoing a digital transformation, leveraging AI, data, and computer vision to create a more human-centred retail model.
That’s according to a panel comprising Miguel Angel Gonzalez, global & France chief digital officer at Carrefour; Mauro Anastasi, partner at Bain & Co and Jerome Hamrit, SEVP Data & Retail Media at VusionGroup, presenting at NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Europe.
Anastasi presented the findings of Bain & Co’s latest research, which found the store is back at the centre of retail strategy with 75% of executives planning a large-scale store transformation in the next two years.
The number of in-store technologies being deployed is also increasing significantly, Anastasi said. The average retailer nows tests five new store technologies at once and is aiming to increase their toolkit from 3.7 tools today to 9.1 in the next three years.
The impact of these investments is immense. Almost half – 44%- expect their store technology investments to have a +1.5 percentage points impact on the bottom line.
The top priorities for tech implementation are product availability, best pricing, better customer engagement and staff productivity.
“They are focusing on experience, not only efficiency,” Anastasi said. However, he warned against launching new tech for the sake of it. New tech needs to tackle more processes such as using ESLs for replenishment, pricing and online picking, for example.
Store transformation is critical to Carrefour since stores generate 90% of revenue, said Gonzalez. Carrefour has partnered with VusionGroup to launch a new generation of connected stores, based on EdgeSense and Captana technologies to digitalise shelves. Gonzalez said there was a rising expectation from customers and associates for the in-store experience and personalisation is key. At the checkout this means delivering the same personal service or coupon that a customer would expect from an app, for example.
There is also a drive to automate processes and increase efficiency using cameras, blue tooth and scales in shelves not just ESLs; while an AI project has helped the business to recover 1% of turnover through the self checkout.
Hamrit agreed the shift in mindset – 60% of retail executives plan to increase their Capex for store refurbishment by 5% to 20% and targeting of 1.5 points of EBITDA – was huge.
He also suggested projects could deliver more value than was initially imagined and cited VusionGroup’s work with Walmart – stores now serve as shopping destinations and e-commerce fulfilment centres – where the ROI has gone far above what was initially planned by introducing computer vision to improve availability.
In terms of the the next big tech trends, Hamrit said computer vision and AI and geolocation would be centre stage. Geolocation could create new data and connections with shoppers and store associates.
Geolocation could guide an associate to the right location in a planogram for a new product launch and alert shoppers to the new product, while brands could advertise around the launch, for instance.
For Gonzalez the three key tech trends for Carrefour in 2030 will be connected, AI and human. He suggested there will be fewer servers in store, more fluid checkouts and efficient stores but there will still be a human element.
“We don’t see employees replaced by robots,” he said.
