The Smartest Store in the World 2026 is…
Beyond identifying a winner and two runners-up, the competition has provided a fascinating snapshot of how retail is evolving globally, highlighting the technologies, operating models and customer experiences shaping the next generation of convenience stores.
On the high street, in convenience, in roadside retail, in QSRs, supermarkets and in drug-stores, retailers the world over are reimagining what’s possible. Harnessing data, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and emerging technologies has seen our industry build stores that are faster, smarter, and brilliantly planned with intelligence.
Wumart Xueqing Road showcases a highly digitized, cashierless shopping experience powered by technologies such as computer vision, RFID, and mobile payment integration. The store emphasizes real-time data capture and seamless checkout, with solutions supported by a combination of in-house systems and Chinese retail technology partners.
Congratulations to all 21 entries from 12 countries in this year’s ‘Smartest Store in the World’ competition. These stores represent the very best in innovation and showcase how technology is driving a better customer experience and improving productivity across our industry.
Thank you to the teams that accepted the invitation to be part of this global programme. We’re proud to showcase the incredible work they’ve put into delivering outstanding innovation. These competitions support our ongoing initiative to elevate industry learning by sharing and celebrating success.
The process saw our global panel of expert judges evaluate each entry, with their aggregated scores determining the Top Twelve finalists. These finalists were then opened to an online vote, with the public voting results combined with the judges’ rankings to determine the overall winner.
Spirit of the competition
As always, the purpose of this initiative is to elevate industry learning by sharing and celebrating success. The competition is built around three core principles:
- Excellence & Innovation – Acknowledging the technologies driving retail re-invention.
- Global Perspective – Providing a global showcase of innovation with impact.
- Recognition – Recognizing the teams shaping the future of retail.
A powerful team
The ‘Smartest Store in the World’ competition is hosted by Insight Research and NACS along with Accenture serving as the official Knowledge Partner. It’s sponsored by:
Invenco
A key player in the evolving mobility & payment ecosystem. Invenco’s support underscores the competition’s focus on future-ready retail and the technologies shaping tomorrow’s customer experience.
VenHub
A fully autonomous, robotic Smart Store operator, offering trailblazing vending solutions. The company installs its hubs in around 7 days, allowing retailers to operate without employees, eliminating checkout lines, and delivering a safe, secure, lightning-fast shopping experiences. View them in action in our exclusive video feature here.
Plexor
Visual AI for retail, making better use of existing cameras and POS within hours and helping to better detect theft, keep track of performance, and uncover hidden profit opportunities.
We’re proud to say the ‘Smartest Store in the World’ is the third in our unique series of global competitions. Along with the ‘Best EV Hub in the World’ and the Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ these competitions form an excellent platform for sharing success and showcasing the future of retail.