Walmart de México y Centroamérica, Mexico’s largest retail chain, is broadening its partnership with Vusion, a global provider of AI-driven solutions for in-store digital transformation. The collaboration will bring Vusion’s EdgeSense connected store platform to Walmart Express locations while laying the groundwork for upgrades across its Supercenter network.

This move builds on the companies’ expanding global relationship, following successful implementations of Vusion’s connected store technologies in Walmart’s U.S. operations. The latest rollout strengthens Vusion’s position as a key technology partner in Walmart’s journey toward smarter, more connected retail environments.

Under the agreement, all Walmart Express outlets in Mexico will be equipped with EdgeSense by the end of 2026, representing the platform’s first large-scale deployment in Latin America. After this phase, Walmart plans to extend the technology to its Supercenters, accelerating its broader store modernization efforts.

As part of the initial rollout, Walmart Express stores will feature over 1.7 million electronic shelf labels and more than 180,000 EdgeSense smart rails—making it one of the region’s largest implementations of connected retail technology.

In addition, Walmart Mexico will pilot the solution within its Bodega store format to assess how the technology can be adapted across different store types as part of its long-term strategy.

EdgeSense serves as Vusion’s advanced connected store platform, integrating smart shelving, computer vision, artificial intelligence, electronic shelf labeling, and real-time data into a unified system for brick-and-mortar retail. This enables retailers to streamline operations, enhance inventory management, and unlock data-driven insights for merchandising and customer engagement.

Through this initiative, Walmart Mexico aims to:

Paul Lewellen, Chief Operating Officer of Walmart de México y Centroamérica, noted that the rollout will enhance store operations while allowing associates to focus more on customer service. He emphasized that the initiative is a key step toward improving operational efficiency and elevating the shopping experience for millions of customers across Mexico.

Philippe Bottine, Deputy CEO and EVP for Vusion Americas, described the expansion as a significant milestone in the companies’ shared vision of building the store of the future. He highlighted how combining AI, computer vision, and real-time data can drive operational excellence while improving experiences for both employees and shoppers.

With this deployment, Walmart Mexico becomes the first retailer in Latin America to implement EdgeSense at scale, reinforcing its position as a regional leader in retail innovation. Vusion will continue to support Walmart Mexico as it advances its connected store strategy and accelerates the digital transformation of its retail operations.

Click here to know more.

Kingfisher plc, a leading global home improvement retailer, has announced a multi-year collaboration with Google Cloud aimed at transforming the online shopping experience through agentic AI.

Leveraging Google Cloud’s technology, Kingfisher plans to go beyond conventional keyword searches across its brands—including B&Q, Castorama in France and Poland, and Brico Dépôt France—by introducing AI-driven shopping assistants that anticipate customer needs.

The partnership focuses on two main initiatives:

 

Thierry Garnier, CEO of Kingfisher plc, commented: “Partnering with Google Cloud allows us to offer AI-enhanced shopping experiences, making it easier for customers to find and purchase home improvement products. These investments position Kingfisher at the forefront of AI-driven retail, driving meaningful innovation within our growing digital ecosystem and addressing the evolving expectations of our customers.”

Matt Renner, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Google Cloud, added: “Kingfisher is redefining how retailers can harness cloud technology to tackle complex customer challenges. By integrating Vertex AI and preparing its data for an agentic future, Kingfisher is creating genuinely helpful, conversational shopping experiences. We are proud to support their digital transformation across the UK and Europe.”

This agreement builds on Kingfisher’s existing use of Google Cloud to enhance digital operations and drive omnichannel growth, which has already contributed to e-commerce making up more than 20% of Group sales. It also complements the success of Kingfisher’s proprietary AI platform, Athena, launched in 2023, which powers virtual assistants such as Hello Casto and Hello B&Q.

Additionally, Kingfisher collaborates closely with Google’s Ads and Shopping teams to boost online performance. Central to these efforts is the modernization of Nucleus, Kingfisher’s data lake, which provides a secure and scalable foundation for current and future AI initiatives.

At its financial community meeting today, Target Corporation presented a multi-year growth strategy led by Chief Executive Officer Michael Fiddelke, aimed at driving the company’s return to sustained growth. The plan focuses on refreshing the in-store experience across the retailer’s locations, increasing investment in employee payroll and training to enhance customer service, and strengthening important product categories within its assortment.

“This next phase of growth for Target is guided by deliberate decisions and a deeper understanding of our distinct position in retail, the guests we serve and the areas where we can win,” said Fiddelke. “The work has already begun. By placing style, design and value at the center of our decisions, we are making meaningful changes to lead with trend-forward assortments, improve the guest experience, advance our use of technology and empower our teams to deliver an exceptional retail experience both now and in the future.”

Target’s strategic priorities
Central to the company’s strategy are four priorities that will shape Target’s decisions and investments in 2026 and the years ahead:

Investments to support growth
To support these goals, Target plans to make an additional $1 billion in operating investments in 2026 to deliver a more consistent and elevated shopping experience. Key initiatives include:

Target also intends to raise its capital investments by more than $1 billion in 2026, bringing the total to approximately $5 billion. These funds will support new store openings, ongoing remodels, supply chain enhancements and technology improvements. The company expects to open more than 30 new stores this year as part of its longer-term goal of adding 300 stores by 2035, while also completing more than 130 full-store remodels. Later this month, Target will celebrate the opening of its 2,000th store in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.

Expanding key product categories and differentiated offerings
Recognizing the needs of busy families—whom the company describes as digitally engaged, style-conscious and value-focused—Target plans targeted investments in product areas where it can stand out in style, design, value and shopping experience. In 2026, the retailer will focus on several categories:

Enhancing digital discovery, loyalty and delivery
Target also plans to accelerate its use of technology and artificial intelligence to provide more personalized shopping experiences. The company will continue evolving its Target Circle loyalty program to increase customer engagement while expanding the reach of its paid Target Circle 360 membership, retail media network Roundel, and third-party marketplace Target Plus.

Additionally, the retailer will improve the speed and efficiency of its same-day fulfillment services, which currently represent about two-thirds of its digital sales. Target also plans to significantly broaden the availability of its next-day brown box delivery service by adding 20 additional metropolitan areas this spring.

More information and visual materials are available on the company’s corporate website.

Forward-looking statements
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Target’s future financial performance, including investment plans and growth strategy, under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Key risk factors are outlined in Item 1A of Target’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2025. Forward-looking statements reflect conditions as of the date they are made, and Target does not assume any obligation to update them.
 

Constructor, an AI-driven search and product discovery platform built for enterprise ecommerce, has been named a winner in the first-ever Global AI Awards, which recognize outstanding innovation in artificial intelligence. The company secured top recognition in the “AI in Retail & Ecommerce” category for its advanced solutions that enable personalized shopping journeys, boost customer engagement, and deliver measurable commercial results.

Presented by Global Tech Media, the Global AI Awards spotlight organizations whose artificial intelligence innovations are reshaping industries and creating tangible real-world value. An international panel of AI specialists and industry executives assessed entries from around the globe, evaluating them on criteria including innovation, impact, usability, and design.

“The organizations honored this year are setting the standard for responsible and transformative AI,” said Sirisha Lanka, Managing Director of the Global AI Awards. “They exemplify exceptional creativity, technical strength, and meaningful impact across critical AI applications. Constructor’s leadership in retail and ecommerce demonstrates how thoughtfully designed AI can elevate the shopping experience while driving real business outcomes.”

What distinguished Constructor
Purpose-built for ecommerce, Constructor’s AI-powered platform helps shoppers quickly and intuitively find the products they want, while giving retailers the ability to optimize for key performance indicators such as conversions, revenue growth, and inventory efficiency.

The Global AI Awards jury highlighted three recent innovations from Constructor that stood out:

Continued momentum

The Global AI Awards recognition adds to a growing list of achievements for Constructor. In 2025, Fast Company ranked the company among the top 10 World’s Most Innovative Companies in Retail. Constructor has also been named Most Disruptive Retail Technology by the Retail Systems Awards and has earned six gold Stevie® Awards across multiple programs, including the American Business Awards®, International Business Awards®, and the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence. Additionally, the company is currently a finalist in the RTIH AI in Retail Awards.

During 2025, Constructor was also positioned as a Leader in several major industry evaluations, including:

“We’re proud to receive this recognition from the Global AI Awards,” said Eli Finkelshteyn, CEO and co-founder of Constructor. “Our focus has always been on building AI that meaningfully improves how people shop and how retailers grow. As discovery continues to evolve rapidly, retailers face increasing pressure to meet shopper expectations while protecting profitability. We’re committed to delivering AI that is not just innovative, but practical and impactful. While this award is exciting, we’re even more energized by what we have planned for 2026.”

Disclaimers

Hanshow, a global frontrunner in electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and digital retail innovations, has introduced NexShelf, its next-generation intelligent shelving solution, at NRF 2026. NexShelf is designed to turn store shelves into real-time data hubs, forming the backbone of Hanshow’s Store Digital Twin initiative and giving retailers and brands unprecedented insight, precision, and control at the critical point of purchase.

For decades, the retail shelf has been the ultimate “moment of truth” for sales, yet it remains one of the least digitized areas in stores. NexShelf addresses this challenge by combining highly accurate positioning, AI-powered analytics, and an open, hybrid connectivity framework—transforming every shelf into a measurable, interactive digital asset.

Shelves as the Foundation of the Store Digital Twin
A truly effective digital twin relies on real-time reflections of in-store conditions. NexShelf delivers the essential data to make this possible.

At its core, NexShelf offers store-wide product location intelligence at centimeter-level accuracy, powered by Hanshow’s Nebular Ultra ESLs and N5 AI cameras. Each shelf and product acts as a precise spatial reference, allowing the digital twin to replicate real-world shelf conditions with over 95% accuracy.

This real-time positioning enables retailers to instantly spot misplaced or missing products, ensure planogram compliance, and detect out-of-stock situations—without manual intervention or SKU-level AI retraining.

Scalable, Open Connectivity
NexShelf features a dual-mode communication system, combining Hanshow’s proprietary low-power HiLPC protocol with Bluetooth support and open integration options. This ensures reliability in crowded retail environments while remaining flexible for long-term integration with third-party systems, cloud platforms, and future in-store technologies.

By reducing energy use and infrastructure demands, NexShelf delivers one of the lowest total costs of ownership (TCO) for large-scale shelf digitalization, making advanced shelf intelligence economically feasible across entire store networks.

Turning Shelf Data into Actionable Insights
NexShelf goes beyond monitoring to provide AI-driven insights, converting shelf data into immediate operational actions. Retailers can shift from delayed reporting to real-time decision-making, enhancing labor efficiency, minimizing lost sales, and optimizing pricing and promotions more effectively.

Additionally, NexShelf supports 3D shelf visualization and digital twin rendering, allowing store teams, headquarters, and brand partners to monitor shelf execution in real time. This visual layer bridges physical shelves and digital operations, creating a shared understanding of performance across all stakeholders.

Laying the Groundwork for the Future of Retail
“NexShelf is more than an intelligent shelf—it is the data foundation of the Store Digital Twin,” said Shiguo Hou, CEO of Hanshow. “By making shelf conditions visible, measurable, and actionable, we help retailers and brands move from assumptions to data-driven decisions, and from reactive responses to proactive strategies.”

As the key data layer of Hanshow’s Store Digital Twin ecosystem, NexShelf links intelligent in-store devices with cloud-based SaaS solutions. Looking ahead, it will integrate with other in-store technologies such as smart carts and automation systems, creating a scalable platform for operational innovation, retail media, and data-driven growth.