UK grocer Morrisons described rolling out more than 10.8 million electronic shelf labels across 497 stores as part of a broader connected-store platform, extending beyond price automation into pick-to-light systems that help staff locate products faster and a customer-facing "Shop-to-Light" feature guiding shoppers to exact shelf locations via a companion app. Żabka Group said centralised AI tools now support replenishment, compliance and store operations across its franchise network, helping manage labour costs while serving high daily customer volumes, while Debenhams Group's chief executive described an "AI-first" approach to promotional and margin decisions as central to the retailer's turnaround.

Several retailers pushed back against treating physical stores and AI investment as separate tracks. ARKET and homeware retailer Westwing both framed their store networks as places offering expertise, sensory discovery and design consultation that digital channels cannot replicate, while explicitly warning against experiential retail that prioritises spectacle over relevance. Loyalty emerged as a parallel shift, with sneaker retailer SNIPES USA reporting that combining cash-back rewards with early access, reservations and community engagement, reinforced by staff-led referral codes, turned loyalty from a transactional points system into an ongoing relationship, a pattern echoed across several sessions as retailers looked to sustain customer engagement between purchases rather than only at checkout.

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