Staff shortages, inflation and soaring energy prices - rarely have the challenges been so great and so numerous at the same time. The Covid crisis has also driven digitalisation and the networking of all retail channels.

At Euroshop, trade visitors were able to gain an impression of what is technically feasible. The possibilities opened up by artificial intelligence, automation and connectivity are fascinating - from intelligent shelves to bread-baking bots. Electronic shelf price labels are an almost classic example. Electronic shelf labels (ESL) enable centralised, comprehensive price labelling at the click of a mouse, saving working time and paper. In the future, they will even recognise which products are on the shelf and in what quantity, and raise the alarm in the event of incorrect items.

The innovations were united by the aim of making shopping more convenient for customers and at the same time making work easier for employees. It doesn't always have to be high-tech. They can also be very tangible solutions, such as a shelf that can be converted from a food display area to a non-food display area in just a few simple steps. Or a self-service island from which a tasting counter can be extended as required.

Retail companies in Germany spent over nine billion euros on the construction, technology and visual appearance of their bricks-and-mortar shops last year. According to a recent study by the European Retail Institute (EHI), food retailers invested 852 euros per square metre for a new store with a sales area of up to 2,500 square metres in 2022. For larger stores with a sales area of 2,500 square metres or more, expenditure for a new store amounts to EUR 676 per square metre of sales area. In addition to concept-related expenses for a high-quality shop design, refrigeration technology remains the biggest cost driver, driven by a forced conversion to energy-efficient technology and natural refrigerants.

In view of further price increases that are difficult to predict, longer-term investment plans are becoming less important. Instead, more investment is being made across the board in the form of light refurbishments and smaller refresh solutions. The reconditioning and reuse of shop fittings also plays a role here, as do cost-effective refurbishment solutions. Shopfitting is becoming even more sustainable.

"Involvement in climate and environmental protection initiatives is becoming increasingly important," explains Cathrin Klitzsch, project manager in the Climate + Energy research department, the results of the EHI white paper "Climate Protection Management in Retail 2023". Increasing energy efficiency is at the top of the agenda in order to keep exploding energy costs in check. Investments in modern refrigeration technology are paying off, with energy consumption in relation to retail space falling continuously. According to the EHI, food retailers consumed 308 kWh of electricity per square metre of retail space in 2021. The figure for heat was 84 kWh per square metre of sales area.

However, the high-consumption formats in the food retail sector with refrigeration units in the fresh food sector and with bakery shops were able to reduce their electricity consumption by an average of 1.9 per cent compared to the previous year. Compared to the 2020 survey, food retailers are now using significantly more waste heat and heat pumps. In comparison, covering thermal energy requirements with gas has decreased significantly.