Special: Smartest Store winner reveals the next phase of AI in retail
Insight Research’s inaugural ‘Smartest Store in the World’ competition showcased some of the most advanced retail innovation currently being deployed across the global retail industry. But according to our judges, the biggest takeaway wasn’t a single technology, rather it was the emergence of connected AI ecosystems that are beginning to reshape how stores operate and to redesign workflows entirely.
Following the announcement of Wumart China as the winner of Smartest Store in the World 2026, an initiative launched on our Global Convenience domain, co-hosted by NACS and knowledge partner Accenture, this latest episode of the Future of Convenience podcast brought together competition judge Brian Gray, managing director at Accenture, alongside Troy Du, global branding and marketing lead at DMALL, and DMALL CEO Marcus Spurrell to discuss what set the winning entry apart and what it signals for the future of retail.
What Judges realised is that, from day one, Wumart was built with a ‘digital‑first DNA’. Their very first flowchart was designed around the logic and essence of retail, so the entire OS and data architecture were retail‑native from the ground up. And we think that’s why DMall’s AI‑powered retail system has been able to deliver such remarkable results at scale.
Walking into the Wumart Xueqing Road store, what strikes you most is how friction has been removed:
· Self‑checkout is seamless and intuitive.
· Electronic shelf labels are linked to dynamic pricing that adjusts in real time.
· Short‑shelf‑life products benefit from AI‑driven dynamic pricing and day‑end clearance, effectively protecting gross margins while reducing waste. In fact, AI‑driven dynamic clearance has helped reduce product waste by 30%–40% at the store.
· AI‑powered computer vision integrated with self‑checkout has reduced shrinkage by 85% and cut labour costs by 30%.
· The online‑offline integration is another core strength. DMall’s system syncs promotions, including short‑shelf‑life discounts, across both channels with a single click, dramatically improving efficiency.
Step into the back office, and you’ll see real‑time data dashboards displaying daily sales and foot traffic. In the past, management relied on experience; today, it relies on data. This is the confidence behind Wu-Mart’s well‑deserved win. We think it announces a very clear statement about the future of retail and we see this as one of the big ‘moments’ in retail history.
And this is just the beginning. After validating the system, DMALL has begun rolling out this intelligent retail OS to DFI Retail Group‘s 7‑Eleven, Metro Inc. China, SM Retail Philippines, and Cold Storage Singapore and Malaysia – continuously refining and improving with each implementation.
As Accenture’s Brian Gray notes, experimenting with AI in small pilots is one thing, but achieving these scalable, measurable business impacts as Wu-Mart has, is truly worth celebrating.
What comes next?
While Wumart claimed the overall title, the runners-up demonstrated that innovation is happening across the industry.
Our first runner up, Singapore’s FairPrice Group impressed judges with its combination of AI assistants, smart carts and computer vision, while independent retailer Kavanagh’s at Belsize Park in London, in collaboration with Vusion, came in #1 in Europe and showed how technologies such as electronic shelf labels and AI-powered vision systems can deliver meaningful results at a much smaller scale.
As preparations begin for next year’s competition, the panel agreed the pace of innovation is only accelerating. If this year’s entries demonstrated AI becoming operational, the expectation is that next year’s finalists will showcase even deeper integration across every aspect of retail.
Our 2026 competition attracted 21 companies from 12 countries, with retailers of all sizes demonstrating how artificial intelligence, automation and digital technologies are being applied to deliver measurable business results. And we could not have done it without our sponsors: Invenco, VenHub Global and Plexor AI who we would like to sincerely thank for all their support. Please contact us if you’d like to find out more about our plans for 2027.
Be sure to subscribe to The Future of Convenience on your favorite podcast platform. New episodes are released every other Tuesday and can be found wherever you find your favorite shows.
