EuroShop 2026: moving to hyper-connected

EuroShop is a showcase for the best innovations and design concepts coming to grocery retail. It is apparent that a lot of ideas that were once pilots and concepts are now moving to becoming scalable solutions that can revolutionise the in-store environment.

To make the most out of investments, finding the right partners is key for developing and implementing solutions. Across the exhibition there were great examples of collaborations between hardware and software providers.

We explore the key themes from the event, that will ultimately lead to the ongoing digitisation of the in-store environment and the first truly hyper-connected stores.

Electronic shelf-edge labels (ESL’s)

Although not a new concept, the progression in what ESL’s can be utilised for is growing at a rapid pace. The colour range has expanded, allowing retailers and brands to have bolder images at the shelf-edge and provide retail media space at a cheaper cost than LED strips. ESL’s are being made interactive, allowing shoppers to view product information and additional messaging at the shelf-edge. Power sources and materials used in design are also being evolved to be more sustainable.

Smart carts

Retailers have several solutions available for implementing smart carts into the shopper journey; including fixed units, retrofit to existing carts and clip-on. Smart carts will enable retailers to blend the online and in-store experience, with the ability to direct, advise and reward shoppers throughout their journey. There are also added benefits, such as reducing shrinkage and retail media revenue generation.

Computer vision

At checkout, vision systems are helping to streamline scanning, reduce shrink and can enable frictionless or “just‑walk‑out” experiences. Combined, these capabilities can help retailers cut operational costs, boost accuracy, enhance the shopper experience and make stores more responsive to demand.

Inventory monitoring and replenishment

Availability is a key measure of shopper satisfaction, and many shopfloor solutions have been developed to ensure accurate stock inventory records are maintained to inform accurate ordering and deliveries. These range from shelf-edge cameras to shelf monitoring robots, which can check out of stocks, price errors and planogram non-compliance. Robotics have also been developed for shelf-stacking and the moving of stock in warehouses.

RFID

For so long RFID has been considered the ‘holy grail’ of grocery retail, and thanks to cheaper cost prices and improved reliability we are closer to seeing the technology being integrated into products and stores. The technology allows for quicker inventory checking, identification of out of code or short coded products, monitoring stock movement and can be used in reducing shrinkage through theft.