Analyzes & Data

Originally focused on producing sampling machines and sensors for the beauty sector, start-up Gaudier, incubated at LVMH’s innovation lab, is now making a strategic shift toward in-store customer data collection through IoT. Aiming to compete with RetailNext, Footfallcam and Kepler, it has just signed a deal with L’Oréal in Mexico to equip 1,000 stores, mind Retail learned. C.E.O. and co-Founder Arthur Hagiage shares the roadmap of a start-up already working with Coty, Dior Parfums, Sephora, Burberry, Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent and Tiffany and Co.

How are retailers and e-merchants preparing for peak season 2025? With the rise of generative AI engines in customer searches and LLM tools, what are the priorities for Digital and Omnichannel Directors to optimise conversion? Elisa Ouvrard (La Grande Récré), Régis Pennel (Galeries Lafayette), Romain Roulleau (Kingfisher), Maria Moreau (Boozt) and Amandine Pérot (Blissim) share with mind Retail their priorities for a transformative Q4.

Buoyed by strong sales momentum, Cegid revealed to mind Retail the identities of three new retail clients and the features of Cegid Pulse, a “super app” for sales assistants expected in 2026. By integrating a voice AI assistant and third-party specific modules, Retail Director Nathalie Echinard aims to consolidate the group’s position in omnichannel retail technology.

As computer vision technologies have become more accessible and offer a faster ROI in a context of rising shrinkage, a growing number of grocers are turning to embedded cameras to control automatic checkouts. This is the case at French retailer Coopérative U, where other POCs are underway around payment, as mind Retail learned at NRF Europe.

What strategies do retailers use to select their offerings on TikTok Shop? What are the most effective commercial levers? 5 months after the launch of the social commerce platform in France, Germany and Italy, mind Retail interviewed Amandine Perot (Blissim), Alexandre Giraudeau (TikTok Shop), Jean-Baptiste Barat (Effinity) and Mathéo Polatian (Utopia). They detail the commercial levers brands need to know to succeed on TikTok Shop.

Retail tech put to the test. Frédéric and Guillaume Halley, respectively Venture Capital Investor and Carrefour Franchisee, launched Sonorcap, an investment fund specialising in retail technology, with a unique approach: start-up solutions are tested in real-life conditions in stores, in parallel with investment. From AI applied to after-sales service to in-store computer vision, via a future project in CRM and digital loyalty, the two brothers are building a strategy around concrete use cases and international ambitions.

Which omnichannel fashion retailers boosted online sales during the last financial year? How has their store network evolved? What is the impact on profitability? In the 3rd edition of our barometer, which compares the performance of the world's Top 13 retailers, mind Retail reveals the e-commerce plateau that most retailers have reached. While Shein and Zalando have gained market share and posted a 2.5% net margin, it is still traditional retailers who dictate the rules of profitability and capitalisation.

In an e-commerce market that is growing in volume but disrupted by the pull of out-of-home consumption, Colissimo is adopting innovative AI digital twin and package tracking technologies. The goal is to optimise delivery efficiency, reduce parcel fraud and smooth out peak loads. In an interview with mind Retail, C.E.O. Jean-Yves Gras details his tech, data and customer journey roadmap for the coming months.

On July 31, Amazon published quarterly results in line with Wall Street expectations, with revenue up 13.3% and net profitability up 35%. Looking for early signs of a return on spending, and despite 31.4 billion dollars in investments during the quarter, investors punished the stock with a 6% drop at the close.