French retail technology firm Vusion is digitalising Rewe’s rapidly expanding network of autonomous round-the-clock smart kiosks across Germany.

Lekkerland, Rewe’s expert in convenience-store technology, has partnered with Vusion to improve the self-checkout kiosks.

Located in clinics, workplaces and public spaces, these autonomous mini-stores are now equipped with Vusion’s technology, enabling GDPR-compliant real-time shelf monitoring, cloud-based pricing, promotions and stock management, all remotely controlled from Lekkerland’s headquarters in Frechen.

By integrating Vusion’s cloud platform, digital price tags and AI-powered shelf-monitoring technology, Lekkerland gains complete visibility into every product on every shelf. The system enables pricing and promotion updates, accurate restocking alerts, and item-level performance insights that drive operational efficiency and enhance the shopper experience.

By implementing AI-driven shelf monitoring, Lekkerland quickly increased on-shelf availability to over 95%.

“Vusion Group is our eyes inside the autonomous smart kiosks,” said Luca Heidari from Lekkerland. “They allow us to precisely manage restocking without having to be on-site.”

The implementation was seamless and rapid across all pilot locations, with new stores under this format set to launch with Vusion’s technology by default. Employees can assign digital labels via handheld devices, with product and pricing information automatically synced from Lekkerland’s central merchandise management system, eliminating the need for physical interventions on-site.

“We are proud to support Lekkerland in scaling its 24/7 smart kiosk model across Germany,” said Sébastien Fourcy from Vusion Group. “Our collaboration demonstrates how AI, IoT and data-driven automation can unlock new levels of efficiency, flexibility and responsiveness in retail, even in unmanned formats. It’s a powerful example of how Vusion Group is transforming retail operations in real time.”

Following a successful pilot in Düsseldorf that quickly delivered measurable efficiency gains, the rollout has now expanded nationwide, with further store openings planned throughout 2025.

Across Germany, Lekkerland (www.lekkerland.de) serves around 41,800 points of sale and employs 3700 people. In 2023, the company generated sales of around €9.1bn. Lekkerland is also active in the Netherlands and operates under the name Conway in Belgium and Spain.

Since 2020, Lekkerland has been part of the Rewe retail and tourism group in Germany and Europe. In 2023, the Rewe Group generated external sales of around €92.3bn. Founded in 1927, the Rewe Group (www.rewe-group.com) employs around 390,000 people across 21 European countries.

Vusion (www.vusion.com) serves more than 350 large retailer groups around the world in Europe, Asia and North America.

• UK convenience-store chain Co-Op (www.coop.co.uk) has partnered with Vusion to replace paper shelf edge labels in store with electronic shelf edge labels, a move designed to improve the customer shopping experience, enhance the transparency of product information, cut paper waste and simplify everyday tasks including picking online grocery orders. The retailer is working with Vusion to roll-out the technology across its near 2400 stores.