ERP

Retail Forum 2026: Key Technologies for the Retail Industry

Retail Forum 2026 reveals how AI, data and security are transforming retail. Discover how to optimize your technology ecosystem.

Business Management Solutions

Mar 27, 2026

Retail Forum 2026 has closed its doors, leaving a clear feeling: the retail sector is living an exciting moment, driven by technology, artificial intelligence, and the need to offer truly connected experiences in all channels. One more year, IFEMA, Madrid, has become the meeting point where brands, partners, and professionals have shared vision and challenges to face a more demanding and digital consumer than ever.

For Unikal Tech Partners, this edition has been special: we have been able to talk with dozens of retailers and, above all, hear first-hand what brands need to take the next step towards a more intelligent, agile, and efficient commerce.

A retail more connected, more flexible, and more prepared.

In one of the most outstanding tables of the event, Unikal participated in a conversation on Innovation and technology in store & ecommerce: Yourself Revolution and Smart Store, where the real challenges of unified commerce were analyzed.

The intervention highlighted three key ideas that are defining the future of retail:

1. The importance of a strong technological foundation

The business platform must enable critical data

Customers
Orders
Sales
Stock

To flow seamlessly between physical stores, e-commerce, and operations. Without a stable core system, omnichannel operations become extremely complex.

2. Flexible architectures that allow for growth without disrupting what already exists

Retailers need to adopt new solutions without overhauling their existing ecosystem:

Artificial intelligence
Replenishment systems
Personalisation tools
E-commerce platforms

The key is to grow without disrupting what already works. Technology must support growth, not hinder it.

3. Operational experience as the factor that validates everything else

Innovation only makes sense if it has an impact on day-to-day operations:

It simplifies in-store processes
It reduces operational errors
It improves team efficiency

Technology should support, not disrupt.

Find out more about Retail Forum

These reflections are directly connected to what we showcased in our space at the show.

Our approach: an ecosystem prepared for the needs of each retailer.

One of the key messages of Retail Forum 2026 is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. At Unikal, we work with an agnostic approach, adapting to each client.

We do not work with a single technology. We adapt to each company and select the solution that best fits their processes.

To achieve an omnichannel environment:

ERP (core): SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
POS and physical store: SGI Retail, LS Retail, and Shopify POS
E-commerce: Shopify, Magento, Prestashop, and connection to virtually any website
Marketplaces: more than 100 integrations at the ready
Cross-functional layers: data, AI, cybersecurity, systems, and automation.

Our goal is to listen to the needs of each retailer -because each brand is different- and help them connect headquarters, stores, ecommerce, and marketplaces, adding the cross-cutting layers of data, AI, security, and systems that make everything operate coherently.

Key trends behind Retail Forum 2026

Beyond technology solutions, Retail Forum 2026 has made clear the real priorities of the sector.

ERP as an enabler of the ecosystem

ERP remains key, but in a new role:

It acts as a connected core
It orchestrates processes
It integrates all channels

It is no longer just a management system; it is the heart of the business.

Data as the basis for decision-making

Without data, there is no smart retail:

Data unification (single source of truth)
Real-time analytics
Data governance

The challenge is not simply having data, but making it useful and accessible.

Artificial intelligence as a driving force in the retail sector

AI is no longer just a promise; it is a reality in practice:

Personalisation of the customer experience
Inventory optimisation
Process automation
Demand forecasting

Retailers who are already implementing AI are gaining a real competitive advantage.

Safety as a key pillar

Key challenges identified:

Customer data protection
Payment security
Secure system integrations
Regulatory compliance

Visual summary of today's retail priorities

Priority	Business impact	Level of adoption

IA	Very high	Growing
Security	Important	High
Data	Strategic	Medium
ERP	Fundamental	Consolidated

Conclusion

Retail Forum confirms the path. This edition left us with valuable conversations, projects that are beginning to take shape, and the certainty that retail is moving towards a more connected and intelligent model, ready to respond to an increasingly demanding consumer.

We remain committed to accompanying retailers in the evolution of their technological ecosystems.

ERP AI SGI Retail