Tech for Retail Barometer – Retail Technology Priorities
Generative AI, investments, and automation: where retailers really stand and their 2026 outlook
On the occasion of the latest edition of Tech for Retail, we conducted a study among a sample of professionals from major retail groups* to better understand their usage, priorities, and perspectives regarding generative AI, data, and technological innovation for 2026.
The Tech for Retail Barometer provides a concrete snapshot of the market: it highlights a sector already engaged, with targeted and recurring investments, and a pragmatic approach to automation.
Innovation & tech budgets: overall stability
Contrary to some assumptions, technology investments are not slowing down for 2026.
53%* of respondents plan to increase their tech budgets for 2026
33%* intend to maintain their tech budgets for 2026
These figures confirm that, despite occasional economic constraints, technology remains a strategic lever for improving efficiency, competitiveness, and differentiation.
Investment intentions: the AI, data, and customer experience Trio
When looking at investment priorities, a clear trio emerges: AI, data, and customer experience.
A tightly connected trio where:
Data enables better management and forecasting,
AI optimizes and automates operations,
Customer experience becomes the main driver of differentiation and loyalty.
Retailers are no longer aiming to multiply projects but to focus investments on initiatives with direct impact.
AI: creating value in retail
Respondents highlight the areas where AI delivers the most value.
At the top:
The value creation associated with AI is primarily perceived in customer relationship efficiency, commercial performance, and personalized customer experiences.
Secondary domains include marketing (50%*), CRM (46.8%*), and logistics (40.3%*), demonstrating AI’s role in supporting operational efficiency and process structuring.
Generative AI already well underway in retail
Generative AI has already entered organizations.
Among respondents:
40%* are in a partial deployment phase, implementing AI-based projects in certain teams or specific processes.
34%* are currently testing, exploring new applications of generative AI before a broader rollout.
11.5%* report a full deployment, with AI integrated at scale across their operations.
Overall, by 2026, nearly 3 out of 4 retailers* have already taken concrete steps toward integrating generative AI into their companies. This distribution reflects a market in transition: AI is no longer an exploratory topic, but its industrialization remains gradual.
Automation: A 3-Year outlook
When asked, “What percentage of your operational tasks could be automated within 3 years using AI?”, responses indicate a realistic and measured perspective.
Nearly 2 out of 3 respondents estimate that 20–50%* of their tasks could be automated within this timeframe.
This projection shows strong yet pragmatic expectations: retailers anticipate significant productivity gains without overestimating the current capabilities of AI.
Trends revealed by the Tech for Retail barometer
Taken together, the barometer results outline a retail landscape in motion for 2026:
AI already engaged in real operations,
Targeted and deliberate investments,
Automation viewed as a gradual lever,
A growing need for concrete, integrable, and operational solutions.
The question is no longer “Should we adopt AI?” but rather “How can we deploy AI effectively within existing organizations?”
Tech for Retail: At the heart of retail transformation
These topics will be at the center of discussions at Tech for Retail 2026, the leading event for European retail leaders to discover technological innovations in the sector.
Decision-makers, experts, and service and software providers gather to share experiences, analyze trends, and accelerate the adoption of practical solutions that enhance performance and customer experience.
Join us for the 6th edition of Tech for Retail on November 30 and December 1, 2026, at Paris Expo – Porte de Versailles, Hall 7.2.
*Source: sample of 120 highly qualified profiles (Directors & C-level) from major retail groups
The european retail exhibition
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