Retail & AI Stars 2026: When Augmented Retail Becomes Reality

Created by the Dekuple Group and Stratégies, the "Étoiles du Retail et de l'IA" returned for a second edition, recognizing the most innovative initiatives devised by retail brands in areas such as customer experience, data utilization, commercial activation, and the use of AI.

Once again, the Dekuple Group and *Stratégies* brought together key industry players at the prestigious La Samaritaine for the 2026 edition of the "Etoiles du Retail et de l'IA" (Retail & AI Stars) awards, an event focused on the future of commerce. The morning featured engaging discussions and an awards ceremony honoring the most outstanding innovations-pre-selected by the editorial team and chosen by a jury of experts.

The event kicked off with a joint interview featuring Edouardo Barrantes, CMO of Grupo Vichy Catalán, and Marc Ross, founder of the Spanish creative agency After (Dekuple Group); their inspiring conversation set the tone for a morning dedicated to innovation.

Roundtable: The AI-augmented salesperson-the new profile everyone is fighting to hire
The salesperson of tomorrow is already here, but will you be able to retain and support them? During this first roundtable, speakers highlighted how AI frees salespeople from low-value-added tasks, transforming them into expert advisors, true coaches, and brand ambassadors. Yet, this shift demands a genuine HR revolution: competency frameworks must be rethought, recruitment refocused on soft skills, and enhanced continuous training provided. Undeniably, the major challenge for retailers today is to embrace this technological transformation without leaving their teams behind.

Roundtable: When retailers turn their data into gold
Your AI is only as good as your data-and that is often where the trouble lies! Before dreaming of complex algorithms or rolling out multiple Proofs of Concept (POCs), you need to get back to basics: the data itself. Does it need to be structured, qualified, and governed? Cutting through the jargon, this roundtable explored how retailers are currently organizing their data assets to unlock concrete AI projects-using proven methods and delivering measurable results.

The Winners:

For this second edition of the Retail & AI Stars awards, a panel of experts recognized the most outstanding innovations across seven different categories.
Here are the 2026 winners:

Best Customer Experience: LEROY MERLIN
Leroy Merlin empowers its sales staff with Agentic AI.
In August 2025, the brand equipped its sales advisors with an AI tool capable of analyzing thousands of product sheets in a matter of seconds. The goal? To answer the most complex technical questions directly face-to-face with the customer.

Commercial Activation or Best In-Store Traffic Generation: JARDILAND
Jardiland and live tracking of omni-channel multi-touch efficiency.
The brand, alongside its agency CoSpirit, deployed a national multi-local media campaign across eight channels, powered by the oKube attribution solution, to measure and optimize every euro invested during high-seasonality periods.

Data Valorization / Personalization: VEEPEE|AD
Veepee|ad rethinks its first-party persona targeting with the "Pink Target Card".
In October 2025, Veepee|ad launched an on-site retail media solution based on the first-party data of its 30 million European members. This allows brands to activate affinity personas, entirely without relying on third-party cookies.

Use of AI in E-commerce: CDISCOUNT
Cdiscount deploys generative AI at a massive scale.
In 2025, the e-retailer published the impressive results of its transformation through generative AI across the entire customer chain: a high-performing conversational chatbot, a semantic search engine, and massive catalog enrichment.

Most Innovative In-Store Customer Experience: LEROY MERLIN
Leroy Merlin and its geolocated flashing in-store tags.
In 2025, the retailer surpassed the one million user mark for its Hanshow connected electronic shelf label system, making its network one of the first of this scale in Europe.

Best Customer Loyalty Program: SEPHORA
My Sephora: the loyalty program that rewards customer engagement.
On September 30, 2025, Sephora launched "My Sephora" in France, a complete revamp of its loyalty program. By integrating AI, the brand successfully expanded the criteria for earning points far beyond simple purchases.

The Jury's Special Prize / Editor's Pick: CLARINS
AI Skin Observer: the in-store skin diagnostic by Clarins.
The brand deployed the AI Skin Observer in 20 flagship stores worldwide. It is a smart mirror combining biophysical sensors and artificial intelligence, capable of analyzing up to 22 skin parameters to provide tailor-made advice in-store.

Following the ceremony, guests were able to extend the discussions and celebrate this exceptional list of winners during a networking lunch organized at 12:00 PM. A huge thank you to our speakers, our prestigious jury, and all the participants who contributed to the phenomenal success of this 2026 edition. AI is no longer a simple promise in retail: it is the engine of a profound and lasting transformation!

The Dekuple Group extends a huge thank you to our speakers, our prestigious jury, and all the participants who contributed to the phenomenal success of this 2026 edition. AI is no longer just a promise in retail: it is the driving force behind a profound and lasting transformation!