Far-reaching technology innovations and AI advances are reshaping the future of retailers and stores in a critical new phase of transformation for the industry, Bain & Company and VusionGroup report in a study released today.

The report, The Store is Striking Back as a Tech-Enabled Space Driving Efficiency, Experience and Monetization, unveiled in Paris at NRF Europe 2025, sheds new light on how technological advances and new in-store technologies are revolutionising retail.

Drawing on a global survey of leading retailers worldwide, the Bain/VusionGroup analysis highlights how harnessing fast-changing technology is no longer experimental for the industry but is now seen by retail leaders as essential and foundational.

Against this backdrop, the study reports that a majority of retail executives plan to increase capital spending on store technology by an average 5% to 20% over the next five years, with nearly half expecting bottom-line improvements of more than 1.5 percentage points, according to the findings from Bain, the leading management consulting firm, and VusionGroup, the global leader in digitization solutions for commerce.

Retailers are moving quickly to implement integrated platforms that combine digital shelf systems, AI-powered insights, and retail media capabilities, the report finds. Stores are becoming intelligent, connected environments where commerce, media, and data converge. The analysis shows they're evolving into hybrid spaces that fuse shopping with media, entertainment, and personalization.

"Retailers are accelerating their tech adoption not just to keep up but to lead. The winners will be those who build scalable, integrated platforms delivering measurable ROI and who future-proof store operations," said Mauro Anastasi, partner in the Retail practice at Bain & Company. "Better systems cut costs. Lower costs give customers better prices. Better prices bring in more customers. And more customers generate more data to make operations even smarter. Retailers who master these technologies first will outprice and out-serve others – and the window to catch up will get smaller every quarter as the pace of change continues to evolve."

"This report reflects what we see every day at VusionGroup: the store is no longer just a place of transaction. By combining AI, computer vision, and data with digital shelf systems, retailers are not only improving operations, but they are also achieving faster inventory turns, greater price accuracy, and unlocking new monetization opportunities through retail media," said Jérôme Hamrit, SEVP of Data & Retail Media at VusionGroup. "Connected stores deliver better shopper experiences while driving both operational efficiency and top-line growth, delivering measurable ROI at a much faster pace."