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Revolutionizing Retail with Smart Carts

In a significant showcase at the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026, Hanshow, a global leader in digital retail solutions, presented its innovative Smart Cart ecosystem. This roundtable discussion titled "Smart Cart Revolution in Physical Retail" featured prominent leaders from the retail sector, focusing on how Smart Carts are reshaping the future of physical retail.

Philippe Brochard, the Chair of Hanshow’s Advisory Committee, opened the session by emphasizing the Smart Cart not merely as a technological advancement, but as a strategic response to the growing imbalances faced by retailers, consumers, and brands. He articulated three major paradoxes defining the future of physical commerce: 1) consumers increasingly connected within physical spaces, 2) the necessity for personalized and trustworthy support without intrusive sales tactics, and 3) brands’ rising demand for measurable retail media solutions.

Addressing Retail Challenges with Smart Carts

Retailers today confront mounting challenges: loss prevention, recruitment difficulties, and increasing operational complexities. Smart Carts present tangible solutions to these issues while paving the way for a broader transformation that reconnects in-store experiences with digital intelligence. The integration of contextual assistance and measurable Retail Media capabilities throughout the shopping journey enables a reinvention of how consumers interact with retail environments.

During the panel, experts from store operations, software platforms, and retail media considered how Smart Carts could transition from an innovative concept to widespread deployment. Michel Itié, Transformation Director at E.Leclerc, shared insights from implementing Scan & Go technology. He stressed the importance of reliability in solutions, store preparedness, and execution rigor, asserting that Smart Carts must deliver value to both customers and in-store teams.

“Scan & Go has become ingrained in shopping habits, showing a high adoption rate and significant in-store basket sizes. However, there’s still a considerable gap between its use and monetization,” Itié remarked. He noted that evolving toward a retail media platform could create new value for retailers and brands, precisely where purchasing decisions occur.

Florian Burgstaller, CEO of shopreme, highlighted the operating system's role in Smart Carts, serving as a connective layer between digital consumer expectations and store operational realities. This approach enhances loss prevention, streamlines checkout processes, and provides contextual interactions without disrupting the shopping experience. “The future of physical retail can no longer rely on isolated solutions; instead, connected ecosystems are essential for deploying innovation at scale while allowing retailers the flexibility to adapt to an ever-evolving environment,” he stated.

Romain Charles, CEO of Lucky Cart, discussed the paradox of proof from the brand's perspective. He explained that Smart Carts now enable brick-and-mortar stores to achieve the same precision as online retail media, boasting measurable performance and ready-to-deploy technologies. “The future of retail hinges on Smart Commerce, where digital accuracy allows us to tailor in-store experiences. A consumer-centric approach means technology aids rather than intrudes,” he noted, emphasizing that intelligent and relevant experiences could bridge the gap between online convenience and physical store engagement.

From Vision to Action

The discussions concluded with a mutual understanding: the Smart Cart revolution transcends the carts themselves. The ensuing step calls for a collective rethinking of the store’s value chain through enhanced collaboration among ecosystem participants, revealing new horizons for physical commerce.

In line with these conversations, Hanshow showcased its Store Digital Twin during the exhibition, demonstrating how real-time intelligence connects consumers, products, operations, and retail media within a cohesive ecosystem. “The Smart Cart, embedded with an immediately activatable retail media platform, represents the ultimate bridge between online commerce and the physical store, offering the same consumer targeting level and customer experience,” Brochard remarked. He added that with the Store Digital Twin, connections shift from isolated touchpoints to a vibrant, real-time representation of the store ecosystem. “In this way, we are reinventing the physical commerce experience, ensuring that stores remain relevant and resilient in an increasingly digital-first landscape driven by AI agents.”

In this evolving landscape, Hanshow is committed to advancing its partner ecosystem to assist retailers in transforming their stores into smarter, more efficient environments that prioritize customer experiences.