With its Connected Store in GS1 Germany’s Knowledge Centre, VusionGroup demonstrates how its technology optimises brick-and-mortar retail through the interaction of real-time data, AI and IoT. Prominent representatives from retailers and brand manufacturers came to Cologne last week for the grand opening of the showroom by the CEOs of GS1 Germany, Thomas Fell, and VusionGroup, Thierry Gadou.
On the new VusionLive platform, data collected by the technology provider’s sensors, cameras and customer touchpoints is converted in real time into activities for shelf optimisation and customer activation through marketing measures. This intelligent combination of real-time shelf data with the evaluation of POS data is also attracting great interest from brand manufacturers such as Ferrero and Procter&Gamble.
Representatives of the branded goods industry see enormous potential in the reduction of shelf gaps alone, which can be taken to a new level through intelligent analysis based on real-time monitoring of shelves using VusionGroup technology. In addition, manufacturers hope to gain insight into the compliance of planogram and promotion implementation at store level without sales representative visits – provided that retailers allow them to do so.
Innovations for retail media
Also of great interest to the branded goods industry and retailers are the innovations in the field of Retail Media, which VusionGroup is presenting in the Connected Store at GS1 Germany. Guests at last week’s opening event showed great interest in VusionGroup’s full-colour, large-format e-paper solutions. They were also interested in the battery-free digital labels on the shelves, which act as beacons to trigger promotions and product information when relevant to retail customers.
Poco Einrichtungsmärkte is one of the pioneers of Retail Media in the German-speaking non-food retail sector. The Retail Optimiser reported. Sebastian Schrader, Head of Processes and Digitalisation at the furniture discounter, spoke at the opening event about the success factors of Retail Media based on his use of VusionGroup’s technology.
Interplay of real-time data and AI
At the go-live event, Thierry Gadou, Chairman and CEO of VusionGroup, explained how the interaction of real-time data, artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art technologies on the new VusionLive platform helps brick-and-mortar retailers compete with their online competitors.
Market research and data analysis providers were also prominently represented in Cologne. Gerd Palmer, Managing Director of shopper insights specialist Yagora, explained practical approaches to growth and efficiency through data from connected stores in his presentation. Oliver Schmitz, Head of Retail DACH at NIQ and GfK, presented industry trends and the role of technology in the move towards data-driven decisions.
New location for VusionGroup
The VusionGroup is permanently establishing its presence in the GS1 Germany Knowledge Centre. A team of experts from the digitisation provider for brick-and-mortar retail will work from their own offices at GS1 Germany in Cologne, while the Connected Store will serve as a showroom beyond the go-live event. Together, GS1 Germany and the VusionGroup are creating a place where technology, standards and retail practice come together directly.
