Industry AI connects the shopper journey with end-to-end retail operations, enhancing the consumer experience
WALLDORF, Germany, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) today opened S.Fashion, a retail innovation space at the SAP headquarters in Walldorf designed to explore how AI-enabled, end-to-end processes can enhance the consumer experience while making store operations more effective.
This store puts the SAP vision for the Autonomous Enterprise into a working fashion retail environment, with selected products from the world-renowned VF Corporation brand portfolio, including The North Face, Vans and Timberland. In this environment, Industry AI draws on business data and retail process expertise to support decisions and actions across inventory, order management, pricing, fulfillment and replenishment. The store combines these capabilities with SAP applications, automation and connected hardware.
The announcement was made at the opening of S.Fashion in Walldorf, attended by Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, and Sujay Kumar, Vice President, Global ERP Technology at VF Corporation.
"The Autonomous Enterprise becomes real when AI can understand business context and act across connected processes," said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP. "Together with VF Corporation, we are bringing this vision to life in one of retail's most dynamic environments. S.Fashion shows how applications, data and Industry AI can work together across the entire operation, turning insights into action while keeping people in control. When technology absorbs complexity, store teams have more time to engage with consumers and create the experiences that build lasting relationships."
Industry AI Across Retail Operations
Fashion retail requires precise coordination across brand, style, size, color, availability, price and fulfillment. In S.Fashion, item-level RFID data, robotics and SAP applications support a connected flow across inventory, orders, pricing, promotions and replenishment. AI agents are designed to help interpret events and coordinate next steps across processes, while people retain oversight of operating rules and exceptions. By simplifying and connecting these processes, the store will explore how technology can reduce operational complexity for teams and give them greater capacity to focus on consumers.
A customer can discover products, explore personalization and virtual try-on options, and create an order. The process can then initiate item retrieval, customization, packing, payment and collection. The transaction updates inventory and can trigger a next step, such as replenishment, without relying on manual handoffs between separate systems.
The experience links the physical store with a digital journey in a mobile app. Joule, part of SAP Business AI Platform, guides consumers from store entry and product discovery to in-store navigation and checkout. At the personalization station, consumers can turn a sketch and prompt into AI-generated artwork ready for embroidery. Once ordered, the personalized garment is embroidered, packed and placed in a personal locker for pickup. A holographic virtual try-on lets consumers check fit, color and overall look without changing clothes. In the fitting room, item recognition and a smart mirror recommend sizes, matching products and styling ideas. Consumers can also request another size without leaving the room. If consumers opt in, their preferences and past interactions shape curated looks and increasingly relevant recommendations.
For SAP and VFC, the store serves as a live test environment for how AI, intelligent automation and physical retail work together. During selected hours, the store operates autonomously, with no staff on site.
"S.Fashion gives us a unique opportunity to turn retail innovation into real-world learning," said Sujay Kumar, Vice President, Global ERP Technology at VF Corporation. "By testing new experiences in a live environment, we can better understand what resonates with consumers and what helps our teams deliver an even better experience every day. For us, technology is most valuable when it enables our people to spend more time engaging with consumers and creating meaningful in-store experiences. The insights we gain will help us learn faster, focus on what works, and scale the solutions that can make the biggest difference across our brands."
An Intelligent Store Built Around Experience
S.Fashion is designed to explore how intelligent technology can support different retail experiences while using the same connected data and business processes across the store. The focus is on understanding how technology can complement the role of store teams, make operations more effective and create more engaging and interactive experiences for consumers.
During selected hours, the store operates autonomously, with no staff on site, enabling SAP and VFC to explore different retail models using the same underlying technology and processes. S.Fashion will be open to SAP employees and their friends and families, and it will also host arranged visits for customers and partners. This gives VFC and SAP a working retail environment in which to test operating processes under live conditions and demonstrate how they work together.
A Living Proof Point for the Autonomous Enterprise
The Walldorf opening puts the SAP strategy for the Autonomous Enterprise into practice in a live retail environment. This will help SAP and VFC assess how processes can recognize change, coordinate action across functions and support new commercial models.
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About SAP
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit https://www.sap.com/.
About VF Corporation
VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is a portfolio of leading outdoor and active brands, including The North Face®, Vans®, and Timberland®. VFC is committed to providing consumers with innovative products that are rooted in performance and elevated design, while delivering sustainable and long-term value for its employees, communities, and shareholders. For more information, please visit vfc.com..
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