Vusion and Qualcomm have published a whitepaper describing how BLE-native infrastructure, intelligent shelves, spatial signals and on-device AI will redefine how stores operate, how associates work and how shoppers engage.

The jointly developed whitepaper is called “The AI-Native Store: The New Operating System for Physical Commerce”.

Retailers entering this era face a decisive infrastructure choice. Stores that are not built on Bluetooth Low Energy and intelligent shelf-edge systems will simply not be able to interact with the consumers they serve. Today’s shoppers walk in with BLE-native devices (smartphones, earbuds, wearables or smart glasses) expecting guidance and real-time support.

Stores without BLE and EdgeSense remain effectively silent, unable to sense intent, personalise moments or connect engagement to conversion. As the industry shifts towards AI-native retail, this becomes a structural disadvantage, a form of lock-in to older operating models that cannot compete with real-time, responsive stores.

AI-native stores unlock value across the board for retailers with:

• Better on-shelf availability and double-digit improvements in shelf condition
• Faster, more accurate picking for local ecommerce
• 60 to 90 minutes of staff time saved per shift
• Clearer, more confident shopper decision-making in the aisle
• Deterministic, closed-loop retail media attribution
• Up to 1.5 to 2 points of operating margin upside

“AI at the edge will transform everyday environments and retail is leading the way,” said Art Miller, vice president at Qualcomm (www.qualcomm.com). “The next era of intelligent computing happens at the edge, on the devices and sensors we use every day. Retail is one of the industries best positioned to benefit from this shift. Together with Vusion, we are empowering stores to run AI natively, unlocking new levels of responsiveness and enabling richer interactions between stores, associates and shoppers. BLE and on-device AI will be central to this transformation.”

Thierry Gadou, CEO of French firm Vusion, added: “AI-native stores reshape the economics and the experience of physical commerce. They mark the next decade of retail transformation, giving associates the clarity and guidance they need, while helping shoppers make better decisions. BLE connectivity, EdgeSense intelligence and on-device AI create stores that are not just more connected, but more efficient, more interactive and more profitable. With Qualcomm, we are bringing AI into physical commerce, making the store itself intelligent, responsive and continuously improving.”

Together, Vusion and Qualcomm are creating a retail infrastructure that is open, scalable and built for AI-native experiences, powered by Bluetooth Low Energy.

The full whitepaper is available for download at www.vusion.com/the-ai‑native-store/.

Vusion (www.vusion.com) serves 350 major retail groups and develops technologies that combine IoT, data, cloud and AI.