Robbie Thain
Founder, CEO
AI-generated illustrative image. Not an official campaign image.
IGD's Q3 2026 Store of the Future roundup highlights a shift toward connected retail. Learn how field marketing teams must adapt their physical operations.
On September 8, 2026, IGD published its Store of the Future Q3 2026 global roundup. Authored by Tan Soo Eng, the report serves as inspiration drawn from the global research programme at IGD. The public version of the roundup remains access-restricted and is identified purely as subscription content. Because the full roundup is not publicly accessible, the detailed retailer case studies, specific performance figures, and recommendations are hidden. However, the publicly visible material signals a clear shift toward connected retail journeys over isolated product placements.
IGD describes a hyperconnected store model linking physical retail with digital channels and loyalty data. This model connects artificial intelligence, retail media, and analytics to create more personalised shopping experiences. Retailers are actively connecting pre-shop planning, in-store navigation, payment, and post-purchase engagement into a single journey. The physical store is increasingly part of a connected retail ecosystem rather than a standalone destination.
Emerging connected store technology includes app-linked shopping carts and conversational artificial intelligence. Retailers are also utilizing computer vision, sensors, smart baskets, and automated checkout. These technologies aim to reduce friction and improve overall operational efficiency for the host retailer. IGD says this connected retail ecosystem can generate richer shopper insights before, during, and after visits.
Store transformation also includes basic executional improvements alongside advanced digital technology. A separate IGD UK roundup describes a refurbished store featuring a new layout intended to make shopping more intuitive. This specific redesign included upgraded navigation, updated signage, and improved display structures. Physical environments are being reconfigured around easier navigation, inspiration, and shopper engagement.
IGD's supplier-focused analysis confirms that the strategic opportunity is to connect customer interactions into a single ecosystem. This ecosystem approach creates richer experiences for the shopper and more efficient operations for the retailer. Anonymous shopper tracking, computer vision, and sensors provide a continuous stream of behavioral data. Brands executing live promotions must understand how their physical presence interacts with these invisible data collection methods.
This shift changes the foundational rules for consumer packaged goods marketing leaders. You can no longer treat the store as a simple product distribution point. Activation planning must account for how shoppers find the activation, interact with it, and remain connected afterward. Physical marketing efforts must capture attention while feeding into the retailer's broader data systems.
Consumer packaged goods brands face intense pressure to justify their physical marketing spend. When a retailer transitions to a hyperconnected model, the baseline expectations for brand activations rise significantly. Integrating first-party shopper data into your execution plan helps secure retailer buy-in and premium placements. Marketers must coordinate physical activation plans with retailer apps, loyalty systems, and digital navigation platforms.
We blend physical and digital experiences by integrating QR codes, mobile technology, and real-world activations into a cohesive layer across retail, event, and tour experiences. This blended strategy is not a standalone service but an upgrade we apply to many types of experiential work to drive connected results. Connecting a physical footprint to retailer systems is the most reliable way to prove Return on Investment today. Teams that fail to align their physical footprint with retail technology often lose premium floor space.
A Director of Brand Strategy in the CPG snack division shared: "The Makai team turned our product launch into a sensory event that shoppers still talk about. From creative storytelling to flawless in-store execution, they made snack time unforgettable. We couldn't have asked for a stronger partner." Our team created an in-store experience that left a lasting impression on consumers and became a memorable brand moment. Success like this requires strict operational control and alignment with the host retailer.
These connected ecosystems create significant downstream effects for field marketing teams and activation staffing. Store redesigns mean traditional high-traffic zones may shift as navigation pathways change entirely. Field teams need clear requirements for placement, signage, product presentation, and data capture. Ask retailers for the information needed to connect an activation to the broader shopper journey.
We specialize in creating retail demos, product sampling programs, and roadshows that bring brands face to face with their audiences. Each program is designed to drive trial, build consumer relationships, and accelerate retail velocity across multiple locations. Operating these programs now requires strict validation through the retailer's available loyalty integration or retail media support. An attractive physical installation is not evidence of commercial effectiveness on its own.
Staffing profiles must also adapt to this changing retail landscape. Brand ambassadors are no longer just handing out samples; they are guiding shoppers through a connected journey. Staff must be trained to direct consumers toward app-linked carts or digital loyalty programs. Building a human-centered in-store experience means making the technology seamless and invisible to the shopper.
Brands preparing a new launch must plan the activation as a repeatable retail operating system. We ran a four-week Dole Whip summer sampling program across San Francisco, Boston, Tampa, and Orlando. The activations distributed more than 64,000 servings, and we built the creative assets so the concept could be reused in future campaigns. Executing at this volume requires flawless logistical alignment with the host retailer's new operational standards.
Logistical complexities multiply when you add digital requirements to physical events. Routing event gear nationwide is already difficult without the burden of smart basket integration. Teams must coordinate physical plans with retailer apps and post-purchase communications when those capabilities are available. Brands that prioritize in-store retail media screen placement secure better shopper data and smoother field execution.
Connecting these systems across multiple store locations requires a centralized approach to field management. Every regional market presents different retailer capabilities, meaning a national activation cannot rely on a single technical assumption. Field managers must audit individual store environments to confirm whether app-linked services or conversational AI tools are actively online. Building this flexibility into your operational blueprint prevents costly mid-campaign pivots. When field teams understand the retailer's ecosystem, they can intercept shoppers at the most impactful moments.
Permitting and approvals will increasingly require brands to prove they fit into the store's digital infrastructure. Retailers want to ensure that third-party activations do not disrupt their internal computer vision or sensor arrays. Brands executing large national programs must account for these technical reviews in their lead times. Delays in understanding a retailer's connected capabilities can derail an entire sampling schedule.
The physical store is evolving from a static warehouse into a highly connected sensing environment. Measuring raw samples distributed is no longer sufficient to prove a program actually works. Marketers must build measurement plans around trial-to-purchase behavior, redemption, conversion, and repeat engagement. The true value of a physical activation lies in its ability to start a measurable sequence of events. Will your next field program plug seamlessly into the retailer's digital ecosystem, or will it operate as an untrackable island?
When field marketing directors struggle to integrate physical activations into connected retailer ecosystems, Makai designs the operational framework required to close the gap. To overcome the difficulty measuring real ROI from live events, our Engagement Marketing capability turns audiences into participants with live and digital experiences that invite people to try, share, and act.
30 Years Experiential & Retail Activation Partner for CPG & Beverage Brands | Multi-Market Demos, Roadshows & Costco/Club Programs That Actually Sell
