Connected Retail @ EuroShop 2023

Omnichannel trends on the Connected Retail Stage

EuroShop, The World’s No. 1 Retail Trade Fair, offers a unique international business platform for exchange within the retail industry. In 2023, industry insiders again shared their knowledge about future developments and use cases at the seven stages of EuroShop. Solution providers and users from retail and industry were able to network and learn from each other here.

And the connectivity of retail was also the focus of the Connected Retail Stage. In almost 60 talks and discussions, the enormous potential that omnichannel technologies have to offer in the various areas of retail was presented using best-practice examples.

© Messe Düsseldorf/ctillmann

Omnichannel transformation in retail

Probably no other development has changed the retail industry – whether online or offline – as much as digitization. The linking of physical and digital, data-driven business models and work processes, automation and robotics, and the impact of all these technological advances on everyday business and customer-focused services: All this and many more cutting-edge topics were presented and debated at the Connected Retail Stage. Digitization is not a mega trend for nothing. This is also reflected at EuroShop.

Connected selling, working and shopping

Stephan Schambach of NewStore then rightly posed the very overarching question in his presentation: “How are retail brands driving the omnichannel transformation?” Using the example of an iOS app that combines store and inventory management, sales activities, and customer management, Schambach showed how omnichannel services are paying off for both employees and consumers.

Omnichannel fulfillment was the topic of Björn Dröschel from fulfillmenttools: Ordering, customer communication, shipping or even services such as Click&Collect – in all these tasks, good integration of the offline and online worlds is a prerequisite for the optimal customer journey. Sabrina Terwort-Duczek from the arko | Hussel | Eilles Group reported on their experiences and learning curves on stage.

Ikea, Abba, Coop Sweden – Jakob Tverabak from Strong Point brought another international example to the Connected Retail Stage: Online grocery is one more Scandinavian success and export product, he explained. And together with Niklas Zeitlin from Coop Sweden, he showed how the e-food sector is booming thanks to omnichannel strategies.

The drugstore chain ROSSMANN and the exhibitor SES-imagotag brought two further examples that shed light on internal company processes and workflows and how they can be made more efficient with the help of connectivity.
Leah Filz and Patrick Ramsay from ROSSMANN presented how an app can have a positive effect on employee communication and corporate culture.

Till Zehnle from SES-imagotag focused on the digital twin as a tool with which store management at the E center Warnow Park (Edeka) achieved new quality standards.

There is sure to be a topic or two for you, too, where you and your business can benefit from new insights, be it automation, RFID, the metaverse, self-service offerings, modern checkout options or many other buzzwords.