With just under 2 weeks to go until the Retail Technology Show (RTS) returns to London’s ExCeL on 22 & 23 April 2026, we spotlight the in-store innovations driving bricks-and-mortar evolution, from smart systems powering frontline retail teams to AI-powered inventory, next-gen POS and new hybrid Loss Prevention solutions.
Empowering frontline staff with agentic AI workflows
As rising labour costs place new pressures on physical retail to do more with less, operational efficiencies and the effectiveness of frontline retail teams remain key battlegrounds where competitive advantage is won or lost. Exhibiting on Stand K20, x-hoppers will offer live demos of its latest agentic AI capabilities that connect store teams to supercharge operations and enhance customer experience (CX).
Giving frontline retail teams the power to act in real-time, x-hoppers uses wireless headsets and a mobile app to connect colleagues to built-in agentic AI. This integrates with retailers’ existing systems, allowing staff to work efficiently from the shop floor while still being available to support shoppers. Whether it’s troubleshooting a broken till, checking real-time inventory or supporting customers with in-depth product information, staff can provide personalised and efficient service, enabled by AI and activated by voice.
Taking stock: multi-agentic inventory optimisation
Stockouts remain an ongoing bugbear for shoppers, with Pricer’s research showing 58% of consumers lose loyalty and actively avoid retailers that are regularly out of stock. The trend towards agentic AI will also be showcased at RTS across new inventory and stock automation software across the show floor. Invent.ai (Stand J48) will unveil a new multi-agentic AI platform which helps planning teams make faster, more accurate merchandising and forecasting decisions, optimising inventory to meet demand and protect margin.
As retailers face a growing number of complex decisions that traditional tools and static forecasts cannot manage, this new breed of solutions transform granular retail data into intelligent, coordinated actions. This creates autonomous AI-decisioning to improve product availability, reduce overstocks, optimise pricing and respond dynamically to market shifts.
Next-gen POS: A hybrid approach to self-checkouts
How customer service and automation sit collaboratively together within physical retail environments is prompting many retailers to rethink how they leverage in-store technologies, such as self-checkout, striking a delicate balance between speed, convenience and customer service.
Fast growing shelf-checkout brand, 4POS, will be showcasing its modular approach to in-store tech on Stand Q18, following its recently completed rollout of an assisted checkout solution with Scotmid Co-op, which allows customers to self-serve while still allowing colleagues to support the sale. 4POS will also be highlighting strategies to help retailers move away from costly ‘rip and replace’ POS approaches at RTS, with AI adoption, rising infrastructure costs and sustainability pressures prompting retailers to rethink traditional architectures so stores remain future-fit.
Diversifying Loss Prevention systems
Loss Prevention (LP) remains a boardroom challenge as rising rates of retail crime, theft and abuse put pressure on bricks-and-mortar operations; the BRC estimates that in the last five years retailers have spent £5billion fighting retail crime, including CCTV, more security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras.
Now, tech providers are thinking about how to diversify traditional LP systems, bringing wider benefits to retailers outside of crime prevention alone, and using the same solutions to build in new customer engagement or create additional revenue streams.
For example, Sensormatic (Stand G20) will demo a new storefront engagement platform, FLEX, which combines visual merchandising, retail media networks and LP technologies. This enables a store-as-a-media-business model, meeting growing demand for solutions that support retail media network (RMN) success, combining digital advertising and dynamic storefront displays that integrate with LP capabilities, such as RFID.
From passive surveillance to active store intelligence
Innovators are also considering how to evolve standard store systems, which were once set up to reduce theft or crime to deliver more value and ROI across retail businesses. Exhibiting on Stand T60, SAI Group will showcase a new approach to LP and in-store intelligence. Its Visual Language Model (VLM) blends computer vision with GenAI to turn traditionally ‘passive’ store surveillance systems into a platform for real-time intelligence.
Analysis live data from video feeds can be used to build a contextual picture of how a store operates, surfacing meaningful signals, insight cues and timely staff alerts that drive estate-wide performance. This builds precise, accurate and actionable intelligence, from shopper flow and retail media optimisation to heat mapping, for improved store performance.
A hotbed of disruptive tech at RTS 2026
RTS returns on 22 & 23 April to London’s ExCeL with its biggest ever innovation showcase. Featuring a hotbed of disruptive tech from over 450+ providers, retail’s flagship event will highlight solutions powering every part of retail.
“Retailers want to uncover the strategically sound tech investments that outperform hype cycles and deliver long-term business value,” said Matt Bradley, Founder & Event Director of RTS. “This year, we’re bringing even more of that unmissable innovation, the tech that’s pushing boundaries and new ways for retailers to discover impactful solutions,” Bradley added.