Hitachi Group Showcases Innovative Retail Solutions at RetailTech Japan 2026

Hitachi Group will participate in the 42nd Integrated Exhibition of Retail Information Systems, known as RetailTech Japan 2026. Under the theme "AI Liberates People, and Stores Go Know Their Customers," Hitachi aims to showcase solutions that transform retail spaces into environments that enhance customer experience and optimize supply chain management through data utilization.

Main Solutions on Display

Concept Showcase: The Future Store Realized by Physical AI

To enable visitors to experience Hitachi's retail vision, the company will set up a fictional showroom called "IKUKO Mart." This space is designed for customers to enjoy a personalized shopping experience that offers "fun discoveries" and an environment where one can feel satisfied without making a purchase.

In collaboration with Hitachi's official podcast, "Innovation Night at Snack Ikuko," this showcase will feature the company's unmanned communication store solution "CO-URIBA" and the research project "AI Persona 2.0," allowing attendees to engage in demonstrations that illustrate a new approach to customer understanding through AI.

An avatar named "Ikuko Mama" will interact with attendees via digital signage, assessing their values, mood, and preferences through dialogue. By capturing real-time contexts of decision-making and selection, this system provides insights into customer behavior that traditional purchase histories cannot reveal, offering a unique store experience that blends cutting-edge AI with human sensitivity.

AI Persona 2.0

Developed to enhance persona capabilities, AI Persona 2.0 goes beyond historical data engagement. It dynamically understands the context of a customer’s behavior based on their gestures, hesitations, and choices during their store visit. By predicting an individual's current state and future needs, it aims to create deeper understanding and resonance in physical retail scenarios, translating into new experiential values for customers.

LogiRiSM: AI Optimization for Logistics

LogiRiSM is a sophisticated AI-driven engine designed to optimize picking operations in retail logistics centers by maintaining real-time awareness of warehouse conditions and handling devices. This solution specifically targets logistics centers in retail and distribution, supporting the digital transformation of logistics operations.

Hitachi Digital Solution for Retail: Predictive Automated Ordering

This service streamlines ordering processes by forecasting demand based on factors like store layout, product placement, supplier-specific ordering criteria, and external events. Targeting the retail and wholesale industries, this solution addresses labor shortages and reduces excess inventory and waste.

Station Finder for Area Marketing

Hitachi will also present tools developed in collaboration with East Japan Railway Company to monitor trends in station usage across approximately 600 stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This includes the recently released report “Station Card Event Report,” which provides insights into demographic usage and growth.

Happiness Planet FIRA

In collaboration with Happiness Planet, Hitachi has developed an AI service with 600 specialties that promotes self-growth through autonomous discussions among AI agents. This innovative platform aims to foster collaborative new management forms that can be applied across various business scenarios from strategic planning to public relations.

SAKULaLa: A Common Platform for Digital Identity

This biometric authentication platform aims to bridge digital divides and prevent fraud by allowing the secure cross-industry use of digital identities without the need for cards or smartphones, enhancing customer convenience.

Special Stage: Innovation Night at RetailTech

"Snack Ikuko's Innovation Night" will have a special stage within Hitachi’s booth at RetailTech, presenting programs over four days. Hosted by Ikuko Mama, along with Hitachi employees operating as the "Snack Ikuko" theater troupe, the stage will feature theatrical interpretations of future store concepts, introductions to Hitachi’s latest solutions for retail support, and engaging talk sessions with various guests, totaling around 30 scheduled events.

For more details on the stage programs, visit Hitachi's Digital Highlights.