2026 Connected Retail Experience Study
The New Omnichannel Reality
Bridging the Gap Between AI Ambition and Retail Execution
We surveyed 124 retail executives across grocery and specialty segments to understand how retailers are navigating AI adoption, personalization, mobile associate tools, and network infrastructure. The findings reveal a critical — and widening — gap between ambition and execution.
With 83% of retailers agreeing that AI will be necessary to compete, yet only 6% rating their AI capabilities as mature, this benchmark gives you the data to know where you stand — and where to invest next.
83%
Say AI is necessary to compete
16%
Satisfied with in-store personalization
67%
Network upgrades driven by AI/ML
What You'll Gain from the Report
- Retail Challenges & Priorities: Staffing, loss prevention, and inventory accuracy — see how the industry is responding with technology under margin pressure.
- Technology Deployment Strategies: Which tools are winning, which are stalling — mobile POS, IoT, intelligent video, and more with a 2-year adoption view.
- From AI Ambition to Execution: Discover the real blockers — data silos, talent gaps, integration challenges — and which AI use cases are generating real ROI.
- Network Infrastructure Readiness: 67% of network upgrades are now AI-driven. Find out where infrastructure gaps are creating measurable revenue risk.
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Why Trust Incisiv?
Incisiv empowers retailers with adaptive intelligence and data-driven insights. Our annual benchmarks help brands like yours understand where the industry is headed — and make smarter technology investment decisions. This study, conducted in partnership with Verizon Business and Cisco, surveys 124 retail executives across grocery and specialty segments.