Imagine a retail store that, thanks to applied technology, transforms its spaces into a comfortable, welcoming, and safe environment for customers, while minimizing environmental impact.
This is what defines the Smart & Sustainable Store model — and it may well represent not just the future, but already the present of retail.
By integrating IoT devices, the store becomes a connected system capable of detecting data, analyzing it, and reacting in real time to store conditions and customer needs.
Digital transformation offers unprecedented opportunities to improve both customer experience and operational sustainability — two key factors in staying competitive in the retail sector.
The Smart & Sustainable Store model delivers value across multiple dimensions:
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Business: Analysis of foot traffic, dwell time, and customer paths to optimize marketing strategies and store layouts.
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User care: Air quality, acoustic comfort, and temperature regulation for a better shopping experience.
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Environmental sustainability: Optimized energy use and the ability to pursue building sustainability certifications (e.g., LEED).
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Operational efficiency: Automated activation of systems based on usage conditions and predictive fault detection.
Technology and expertise: the winning combination from VINCI Energies Building Solutions Italia
Today’s market offers affordable, easily integrated, and continuously evolving IoT solutions that deliver tangible short-term results and create data foundations for long-term analysis.
But technology alone is not enough.
Skilled human oversight is essential to transform data into information — and information into action.
The offering from VINCI Energies Building Solutions Italia, developed in synergy with Axians Italia (the ICT brand of VINCI Energies Italia), combines IoT technology, data analytics, and advanced engineering expertise.
Our pragmatic approach
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Accessible and scalable solutions: Cost-effective technologies, easily integrated and upgradable over time.
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End-to-end expertise: Supervision ensures that all collected data is useful, relevant, and reliable.
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Short- and long-term results: Immediate tangible benefits combined with the creation of a solid data base for future insights.
The practical case of a flagship store in Milan
For a 200-square-meter flagship store of a well-known fashion brand, located in central Milan and open daily from 9:00 to 20:00, we implemented an advanced monitoring project designed to be scalable across the entire retail network, both in Italy and abroad.
The IoT devices installed in the store collect data on customer flows, air quality, and energy consumption, and transmit it to the Xsona IoT platform, developed by the Axians Italia Software Factory.
This platform provides real-time performance analysis and benchmarking across the brand’s stores.
This approach enables optimized space management and the identification of inefficiencies, supporting the client in improving economic, environmental, and compliance performance.
Technology serving simplicity and efficiency
To implement our client’s Smart & Sustainable Store model, we adopted a technological architecture based on an open and wireless communication protocol (LoRaWAN).
This allowed for a solution that is easy to install, with no cabling, and minimal impact on store space.
The devices, powered by batteries with an estimated lifespan of five years, ensure long-term operability and low-maintenance management.
Concrete data, targeted action
The model includes regular, clear, and immediate reports, along with technical meetings to support data-driven decision making.
Reporting is at the heart of the efficiency strategy, providing:
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Zero-investment operational actions, such as rescheduling the heat pump to reduce night-time energy use.
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Improvement proposals with documented ROI, accompanied by detailed technical datasheets outlining expected benefits and implementation methods.
Real-world applications have shown operational savings that repay the entire project cost within 2 to 4 years.
Project phases
Our implementation model is structured into five main phases:
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On-site assessment to identify the store’s specific needs.
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Solution design based on identified requirements.
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Pre-configuration of devices and platform in a lab setting.
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On-site installation and calibration to ensure proper functioning.
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Ongoing data analysis and reporting with efficiency improvement proposals.
A typical timeline completes the first four phases within the first month. Data collection becomes significant after the first quarter of operation, enabling both immediate improvements and long-term strategies.
The value of benchmarking
One of the distinguishing features of the Smart & Sustainable Store model is its scalability, allowing rapid deployment across multiple stores.
This enables internal benchmarking by comparing stores based on type, size, or geographic area.
With this comparative system, it is possible to:
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Identify the top-performing stores and replicate best practices.
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Highlight areas needing technical or managerial improvements.
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Analyze key metrics — such as energy consumption and CO₂ emissions — to enhance overall sustainability.
A solution in continuous evolution
Our solution is constantly evolving, and we have already identified three strategic pillars for further development:
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Integration with digital signage, enabling real-time communication of project results and sustainability messaging to customers.
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Inclusion in corporate sustainability reporting, to highlight the actions, measurements, and improvements made in each store.
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Pursuit of LEED O&M certification, validating the store’s operational sustainability.
Thanks to an approach that combines cutting-edge technology, engineering expertise, and a strong focus on sustainability, VINCI Energies Building Solutions Italia is helping drive innovation in retail real estate.
The Smart & Sustainable Store model is more than just an innovative solution — it’s a concrete strategy to create value, ensure efficiency, and promote environmental sustainability.