As EuroShop closes its doors on its 60th anniversary show, it said that retailers are signalling a continued commitment to efficiency, experience and future-proofness.

The international retail festival, which marked six decades of shaping retail investment across tech and store design this year, started as a trade fair in 1966. Fast forward 60-years and EuroShop, which took place earlier this week in Düsseldorf, registered over 81,000 trade visitors, with two thirds of visitors made up of international delegates.

“EuroShop 2026 has demonstrated that retail [continues to] invest in its future – strategically, technology-driven and with a clear focus on efficiency and the customer journey,” said Marius Berlemann, COO at Messe Düsseldorf.

EuroShop said that solutions where “efficiency intersects with customer benefits,” AI-based applications and flexible store fitting concepts had proved popular among the decision-makers taking in the offerings across its 14 exhibition halls. With four halls dedicated to innovation, it said that the event had highlighted how “technology has become the strategic backbone of retail” in a post-show press release.

“EuroShop not only highlights the key issues of retail, but also retail’s great willingness to change,” Ulrich Spaan, MD of the EHI Retail Institute, added. “Retail uses all opportunities to creatively and actively shape its future. Here AI and digital technologies not only serve to boost efficiency but also to develop new business models and further enhance the customer journey.”

EuroShop also said its programme of side events outside of the expo floor was met with strong interest among visitors, with seven stages welcoming industry experts on its conference programme, as well as Guided Tours and Store Tours taking in innovative store concepts.  

The next EuroShop will be held from 18 – 22 Feb 2029 in Düsseldorf, while EuroCIS also returns next year between 16 – 18 Feb 2027.