ACROSS: From February 18 to 20, 2025, the doors of Messe Düsseldorf will once again open for EuroCIS 2025 with this year’s title “Go Beyond Today”. What can visitors expect from it?
Elke Moebius: EuroCIS is the platform for everyone who is actively shaping retail – whether from retail, wholesale or the consumer goods industry. Artificial intelligence, smart stores, innovative payment solutions – developments are more rapid than ever and at EuroCIS 2025, visitors can get an overview and talk to the leading providers from Europe and beyond. It’s not just about discovering new technologies, but also really understanding them – which solutions suit my business, where is it worth investing? Artificial intelligence is a major focus topic at EuroCIS 2025 – be it in automation, customer service or the payment sector. Retail media, frictionless checkout and smart store concepts are also very popular. In short: EuroCIS will once again show how technology is making retail safer, more efficient and more customer-centric.
ACROSS: This time, cybersecurity appears to be a hot topic. Unfortunately, this is due to the increasing number of international cyberattacks. What aspects are visitors particularly interested in? What other focal points are there this year?
Moebius: Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing issues in retail – and is unfortunately becoming increasingly relevant. The increasing number of international cyber attacks shows that no company is safe. Retailers are asking themselves how they can protect themselves against cyber attacks without security measures unnecessarily complicating their business processes. The focus is on topics such as identity and access management, real-time vulnerability analysis and attack path simulations. There is also great interest in how artificial intelligence can help to detect threats at an early stage and respond to them automatically. With the new Cybersecurity Hub in Hall 9, we are offering a central point of contact for these pressing issues. Companies such as KPMG, XM Cyber, ServiceNow and Saviynt will be showcasing concrete solutions that make digital systems more secure. The aim is to combine technology and efficiency without retailers getting lost in the cybersecurity jungle.
ACROSS: Which of the focal points mentioned is the most popular with exhibitors? Are there also exhibitors from countries that have never exhibited at EuroCIS before?
Moebius: The biggest exhibitor focus at EuroCIS 2025 is clearly in the area of POS systems – both in terms of the number of exhibitors and the space presented. Solutions from the areas of POS software and hardware, pricing, seamless checkout and connected retail are particularly in demand. Retailers are looking for innovative and efficient ways to optimize the checkout process – be it through self-checkout, mobile payment solutions or seamless omnichannel concepts. The growing range of smart stores, both in highly frequented urban locations and in rural areas, is also reflected in the variety of seamless checkout solutions. The overarching megatrend is artificial intelligence, which now plays a central role in all segments. In addition to this focus, we are particularly pleased to welcome exhibitors from Malaysia and Romania for the first time. This shows that EuroCIS is becoming increasingly important internationally and is opening up new markets for innovative retail technologies. New is our “Food Service Innovation Hub”, where we present automation in retail catering: Cooking and baking robots, smart self-checkouts and digital solutions to combat food waste.
ACROSS: Once again this year, there will be three stages with presentations and discussions where visitors can take exciting insights home with them. These have not only been given new names (blue, red, black), but have also been given a corresponding visual design. What exactly distinguishes these stages?
Moebius: The Blue and Red Stages are the central stages for top-class speakers from retail tech companies and the retail sector. This is where they share the latest findings, trends and practical learnings with the trade audience. The focus here is on technological innovations, outstanding customer experiences and forward-looking business strategies. International companies such as Douglas, Hellweg, MediaMarktSaturn, Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf, dennree GmbH, La Sirena, Fozzy Group and 11teamsports will be there to provide valuable insights. The Black Stage, on the other hand, is the stage for start-ups and innovative market players from the food service innovation sector.
ACROSS: EuroCIS is often the first real customer contact for many start-ups. This start-up hub has also been redesigned and offers space for 18 units. Are there any success stories from recent years that have explicitly started at the trade fair? Are there countries that are particularly frequently represented with new ideas? Which sectors do most start-ups come from?
Moebius: The newly designed Start-up Hub at EuroCIS 2025 offers 18 young companies a platform to come into direct contact with potential customers for the first time. We have already seen some impressive success stories in recent years. One example is anybill: thanks in part to their participation in the Start-up Hub, they have been able to develop into a leading innovator in the retail tech sector. In terms of countries of origin, we have noticed that Germany in particular is represented by a large number of start-ups. But international start-ups from Europe also use EuroCIS as a springboard. This year, solutions from the fields of digital marketing and analytics are particularly well represented in the Start-up Hub. The rest is spread across various retail tech areas.
ACROSS: Another new feature this time is that on the last day of the trade fair, February 20, 2025, university students with a retail focus or an interest in retail technology will have the opportunity to take part in this event. A brilliant idea to connect the next generation with entrepreneurs during their education in order to maintain the future needs of future generations. Are you thinking of expanding these kinds of touchpoints in the future?
Moebius: We are always on the lookout for new touchpoints to address potential interested parties in a targeted manner. Involving students is a step towards bringing young talent into contact with the retail technology sector at an early stage – and if the concept is well received, it could be expanded further in the future.
ACROSS: EuroShop will be back next year in 2026, the “big sister” of EuroCIS, if you like. Will the number of exhibitors return to pre-pandemic levels? At EuroCIS this year, we already have around 500 exhibitors on approximately 15,000 sq m of net space!
Moebius: EuroCIS 2025 will be the biggest edition of Europe’s leading trade fair for retail technology to date. We definitely see a positive trend and are therefore confident that this will continue at EuroShop 2026. Retailers are facing major challenges – from increasing customer demands and consumer restraint to high energy costs and geopolitical uncertainties – which further increases the need for innovative solutions. In addition, there are companies that only exhibit at EuroCIS every three years as part of EuroShop. So we can also expect record figures in the retail technology sector in 2026.
ACROSS: For all those who would like to visit interesting stores in Düsseldorf besides the trade fair, in addition to the Telekom Shop, Rewe Pick&Go, Foto Koch and Mango, do you have any tips you would like to share?
Moebius: Other interesting store concepts in Düsseldorf are the Apple Store in the Kö-Bogen, the Boss Store with Smart Fitting Rooms, the Coolblue electronics store with interactive guide walls and the Douglas flagship store. These locations demonstrate different approaches to how technology can support brick-and-mortar retail. In addition, XPONENTIAL – Europe’s leading trade fair for autonomous technologies – is running in parallel on our site. Thematically, this is a very nice addition to EuroCIS. Visitors can experience both trade fairs with one ticket. You shouldn’t miss this either!
Elke Moebius
Elke Moebius is Director EuroCIS at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
