The US retail landscape is entering a new era. As consumers accelerate their use of AI for making routine purchases, stores will remain a critical part of the shopping journey—but the role of the store will change. Store visits may become less frequent but more valuable.

In this environment, retailers and real estate players will need to clearly define the specific mission of each store and shopping center and determine how to meet consumers’ evolving needs—whether focused on convenience or discovery. The portfolio, operating, and investment decisions that these companies make over the next three to five years will determine which stores and centers earn their place in the future of shopping.

Amid the AI frenzy, retailers are still placing bets on brick and mortar, just more carefully. Nearly 78% report moderate or significant in-store investment, and about a third maintain a balanced mix of physical and digital channels, according to Morning Brew Inc. data. With more than 5,000 store openings forecast in 2026, according to Coresight Research, this wave is less about rapid expansion and more about strategic refinement.

Google Maps latest AI-driven feature is a big opportunity for local businesses to elevate visibility. Consumers can now “Ask Maps” and receive local shopping or activity options in seconds. For example, I prompted “Any fun things to do this weekend?” and Maps returned local workshops, markets, and more. “Ask Maps” found many fun things to do.

The feature can drive traffic to local merchants for low-intent queries, i.e., when consumers are unaware of a business or its products. Here’s how to appear in “Ask Maps” AI responses.

The application of artificial intelligence as a customer-facing element of physical stores is far from one-size-fits-all. In February, The Vitamin Shoppe opened an “innovation store” in New York City’s Upper East Side with a “Shoppe Advisor” touch screen. The AI-powered screen provides product information, wellness articles and videos, as well as information on in-store and online inventory. It aims to enable “more informed, interactive conversations throughout the shopping experience,” according to Retail Dive.

Holiday shopping trends revealed a sharp divide within the retail industry, and big-box stores are caught in the middle. Industry consumer spending data from the biggest pre-Christmas weekend of the year, Black Friday/Small Business Saturday, shows a clear bifurcation of shopping habits. Mid-market retailers report stagnant growth and missed targets, like Target’s 16 percent profit slip during Q3, but that’s really the result of consumer dollars headed in two directions: toward convenience shopping for commodities and experience-based shopping at local businesses.

Buy online, pick up in-store. Five words that sound simple … until a wrong item turns an excited customer into a lost one. BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), BOSS (buy online, ship to store), and BORIS (buy online, return in-store) have evolved from convenience features into measurable revenue channels. The math is compelling: a store processing 300 pickup orders weekly with a 70 percent attach rate on $50 add-ons generates roughly $10,500 in incremental sales. Annualized, that approaches half a million dollars per location.

If you had incremental budget to deploy this quarter, where would it go? Paid media? Personalization? Maybe a new AI layer? Few executive teams would instinctively direct that capital toward their store network. And that reflex is costing you margin.

For years, stores have been managed as operating obligations while digital channels absorbed strategic attention. Ecommerce performance was easier to measure, easier to scale, and easier to defend in a boardroom, while stores were evaluated on four-wall contribution and lease efficiency, not on how they influenced acquisition cost, return rates, or lifetime value.

We define the Store of the Future as a future-ready retail environment that leverages technology and integrates data across business functions and channels. The aim is to deliver seamless, personalized shopper experiences while simultaneously optimizing store operations and employee performance. The ultimate goal is to unlock performance through innovation.   

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