In-store Inefficiencies Cost Retail $196 Billion Annually Driven By Misordered Tech Deployments Strategies

New Simbe and Coresight Research report finds technology sequencing, not investment level, is the key driver of retail performance.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Retailers are accelerating investments in store intelligence technology at record levels, yet operational inefficiencies continue to rise—costing 6.4% of gross sales annually, up from 5.5% in 2025 and 4.5% in 2024, which total $196.4 billion across key retail sectors. According to Coresight Research's annual The State of In-Store Retailing 2026 study, retailers are deploying pricing software and supplier platforms before establishing the shelf-level data these systems require. This unoptimized technology sequencing creates the gap between technology investment and ROI.

Store technology adoption is nearly universal: 97% have deployed or plan to deploy store intelligence technology within the next year. Yet inefficiencies now cost retailers a growing share of gross sales. The research shows that technology sequencing—not investment alone—is what separates value creation from value erosion.

"Store technology decisions this year will shape competitive positions for decades," said Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research. "Our data shows that prioritization determines return. Retailers that deploy shelf digitization technology first build a compounding competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate."

Key report findings include:

• Investment has increased, but losses are accelerating: 60% of retailers have already scaled or are actively scaling store intelligence technologies, up 18% year over year. Yet in-store inefficiencies cost retailers 6.4% of gross sales annually—up from 5.5% in 2025 and 4.5% in 2024, totaling $196.4 billion across key U.S. retail sectors.
   
• Technology sequencing determines competitive advantage: Only 33% of retailers are investing in shelf digitization. Many prioritize pricing and supplier systems over shelf digitization, despite those systems' reliance on shelf-level data to perform. Not having established the shelf digitization foundation limits return.
   
• Retailers with digitized shelves are seeing enterprise-wide gains: BJ's Wholesale Club accelerated online order fulfillment by approximately 40%. Schnucks Markets detects 14x more addressable out-of-stocks and has reduced out-of-stock items by 30%.
   
• Store intelligence elevates retail labor: 86% of retailers report reduced time on manual tasks since introducing store intelligence technology, with an average 14% decrease reallocated toward higher-value work, such as merchandising and product expertise, translating to enhanced customer experience.

"A digitized shelf is the foundation that every retail system depends on," said Caitlin Allen, Senior Vice President of Market at Simbe. "Leading retailers have modernized operating models with data that flows seamlessly across store operations, supply chain, and digital channels. This shift improves execution across the store while enabling teams to focus on higher-value work for the customer."

"What this research shows is that isolated technology decisions create isolated results," said Doug Iverson, Senior Vice President at RELEX Solutions. "Retailers see the biggest gains when store data flows seamlessly into supply chain, merchandising, and pricing decisions. That's how you reduce inefficiencies at scale and ensure every system is working from the same version of reality."

Download the Full Report: Read The State of In-Store Retailing 2026 at: https://coresight.com/research/the-state-of-in-store-retailing-2026-blueprint-to-scaling-store-intelligence-technologies-for-retail-excellence

Survey Methodology
Sponsored by Simbe and RELEX Solutions, Coresight Research conducted the survey across 200 U.S.-based retail decision-makers surveyed from February 26 to March 6, 2026. Respondents were vice president-level or above with direct familiarity with in-store retail media initiatives and technologies. All respondents represent retail companies, spanning DIY, apparel and footwear, beauty, consumer electronics, luxury, and grocery, with annual revenues of at least $100 million.

About Simbe
Simbe is the global leader in retail shelf digitization. Its Store Intelligence™ platform combines advanced computer vision, AI, and automation to give retailers real-time visibility into every shelf, product, and store. Deployed across 10 countries and trusted by retailers across nearly a dozen sectors, Simbe empowers organizations to scale intelligent automation, improve operational precision, and elevate both associate and shopper experiences.

About Coresight Research 
Coresight Research is a research and advisory firm specializing in retail and technology. Established in 2018 by leading global retail analyst Deborah Weinswig, the firm is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Lagos, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Mangalore (India). The firm provides data-driven analysis and strategic advisory to clients including retailers, brands, real estate owners, enterprise technology companies, accelerators and more. For more information, visit www.coresight.com.

About RELEX Solutions 
RELEX Solutions provides a unified, AI-native platform for retail and supply chain planning and is trusted globally for its consistently high customer satisfaction. RELEX helps retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers optimize demand, inventory, merchandising, pricing, and supply and production planning to improve availability and efficiency at scale. Brands like ADUSA, Camco, Carhartt, COSMOS Pharmaceutical Corporation, Circle K, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, M&S Food, PetSmart, Rituals, The Body Shop, The Home Depot, Sun Tire & Auto Service, and Vita Coco trust RELEX to increase product availability, boost sales, deliver actionable insights, improve sustainability, and drive profitable growth. Learn more at: relexsolutions.com/customers

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Simbe Robotics