Hot topics in retail technology

Think about tomorrow today – under the motto “Go beyond today”, the European retail technology industry will once again meet at this year's Eurocis from February 18 to 20 in the halls of Messe Düsseldorf to exchange ideas about future-oriented solutions and products for the retail industry. After the early bird phase ended at the end of September 2020, the retail technology trade fair had already registered around 300 exhibitors with over 13,000 m² of space booked – Last year, a total of 13,500 visitors from 95 countries and 475 exhibitors from 41 countries came to the 15th edition of Eurocis, which took place on 14,400 m² of exhibition space.

For trade visitors from the retail and wholesale, hospitality, food service & catering, leisure industries, as well as financial services and banking, the fair will offer a wide range of detailed solutions, including merchandise & supply chain management, POS software and hardware, HR, robotics, security & loss prevention, cash management and pricing, the organizers emphasize.

In addition, the current hot topics of the retail technology industry will be in focus: artificial intelligence (AI), customer centricity, smart energy management, cyber security and smart stores.

AI is rapidly revolutionizing retail, for example through improved data analysis and process automation – an important point in view of the shortage of skilled workers, the trade fair organizers know. Customer centricity is becoming more important due to greater personalization and the creation of a seamless shopping experience through technology. Smart energy management is an important undertaking in the context of high energy prices and sustainability efforts, while cybersecurity is crucial for the protection of data and systems in the face of increasing attacks on IT structures, according to the organizers. Smart store concepts integrate modern technologies such as sensors and smart shelves to make shopping faster and smoother. The hot topic of retail media will also be addressed at Eurocis. A new feature is a special area for digital solutions for food service in retail.

As part of the supporting program, experts will share their insights on three stages. The Start-Up Hub, now in its fourth year, will once again present newcomers. In addition, the “retail technology awards europe” (reta) and the “EHI Wissenschaftspreis” will be presented to particularly innovative approaches. Guided tours of the innovations and so-called high potentials will also be offered.

For the first time, Xponential Europe, which focuses on autonomous systems and robotics, will be held at the exhibition center at the same time as Eurocis – the organizers expect synergies from this.