Our booth has been dismantled, and the team is back in the office, energized by the positive response we received. EuroCIS in Düsseldorf wrapped up another successful year! Despite 2024 just unfolding, the focus on site was on the future, or "go beyond today", in line with this year's trade fair motto. We conclude EuroCIS 2024 with a brief review and interview!

Months of preparation, three intense trade fail day filled with set-up and dismantling, and in between many conversations – all of this has been integral part of our long-standing offline presence. This year, it was incredibly rewarding to see MS POS recognized as a familiar and popular brand by so many visitors. There was always a "hello" and "you're here again!" with exhibitors, partners, and customers. As per every year and true to form, our trade fair stand featured an open plan, with plenty of space for discussions and a clear design that enabled a clear communication of our most important features. Our trade fair team showed many interested visitors our four POS solutions live at our high tables. We have summarised some impressions of our daily trade fair routine for you here in a short video – let´s go.

With over 475 exhibitors from 41 countries on 14,400 m², EuroCIS was also a highlight for us retailers and was characterised by a consistently positive atmosphere and good discussions with concrete project enquiries. Here are a few data from this last fair that affirm the importance of EuroCIS as the leading trade fair for retail technology:

Further information can also be found in the press release of EuroCIS.

There were also many specialist topics on the agenda for the trade fair and the exhibitors: customer centricity, AI and machine learning, payment, self-checkout, connected retail, smart energy management and seamless stores. But what were the topics for us as MS POS and for our customers? Below a short interview gives an insight.

Was and is AI the trend in retail, what was the mood like at the trade fair and why is a company like MS POS an exceptional service provider on the market? Konstantin Gergianakis, CEO, answered these and other questions on the last day of the trade fair.

Mr Gergianakis, are you satisfied with the trade fair overall?
Absolutely, especially because you are asking me today on the last day. I wouldn't have answered that way on the first two days. Today there was indeed much more quality among the visitors than on the first two days. There was also more quantity. That was indeed rather unusual. The dialogue with business partners and, especially on the last day, with interested visitors, let me sum up with a positive feeling. We had some promising discussions with interested parties that have concrete projects in the pipeline.
Overall, I can say that we feel validated in our decision to be present at the trade fair for years. This definitely pays off in terms of recognition and a growing relationship of trust. MS POS is a permanent fixture in the industry and that shows that it's not just the big players you can rely on. Incidentally, we were at EuroCIS for the first time in 2013, at that time still exclusively with Microsoft Retail solutions Retail Management System (RMS) and especially the new Dynamics AX for Retail 2012 module.

What is the (!) trend this year?
Based on my observations and conversations, I haven’t identified a single, clear trend emerging, including the much-discussed “AI-trend”. It's amazing that AI is being talked about and discussed everywhere. At the same time, however, (almost) nothing is being showed here at the trade fair. In my opinion, this is because there are hardly any concrete use cases for how AI should be used at the point of sale. A technology can only bring an advantage if it has a concrete application. No problem, no (AI) solution!

Of course, if I want to make logistics more efficient in the warehouse, then I can use AI to make transport routes or the warehouse more efficient - with technologies, probability calculations, better planning and more. At the POS, I see almost nothing that I can solve with AI.

I could imagine AI being used for self-checkout concepts by connecting the right systems. But we are a long way from such shop concepts being used across the board. You need a highly complex infrastructure and, even more importantly, you need a (constantly available) IT administrator with the appropriate expertise. A traditional retail store needs a cashier. Who is easier to find?
And this is precisely the biggest problem with self-checkout concepts.

So if it's not AI, are there other trends in retail?
It was astonishing how many visitors were interested in hardware. There were a lot of exhibitors for hardware and I could see that these stands were very busy. It is rather unusual, because nowadays the systems are more independent of the hardware. In the past, you had to have good, specialised hardware because not everything worked everywhere. Today you need a browser and a PC.
We at MS POS are also noticing this. There is a surge I customer demand for comprehensive hardware support - during the rollout, of course, but also in the long term. They want a service provider who can take care of everything for them. Everything should come from a single source.

You noticed a lot of hardware exhibitors. Otherwise, what is your impression of the exhibitor structure?
It is becoming increasingly clear to me that companies are getting bigger and bigger. This has already been the case in recent years, but this year it is unmistakable. As a smaller medium-sized company, we are definitely the exception. Many smaller providers are either giving up or being "swallowed up" and disappearing from the market. There are few companies of our size, at least at the trade fair, either they are not visible as exhibitors, or they are represented at the stands by larger companies.
Our customers appreciate the advantages we offer as a medium-sized company, such as very short distances, quick decisions, and personal contact. With us, customers get answers within a short timeframe and dedicated support professional. Many appreciate working with experienced specialist who can leverage their project knowledge to offer the best solution. We are naturally very pleased about that.

Is there any more general feedback about the fair?
Every trade fair requires a high degree of organisation and helping hands that need to be coordinated. On behalf of the management, I would like to thank our entire MS POS team for their work and their great commitment before and during the trade fair. This year has clearly shown me how we can build on our trade fair experience and how important our live presence on site is - for a trusting and closer relationship within the team, with partners, suppliers, interested parties and, of course, customers.

This year, we focussed on the topic of sustainability. Our textile exhibition wall was not thrown away but reused as practical shopping bags - each one unique and sewn by hand in the sewing workshops of Caritas Cologne. All visitors who took part in the campaign and filled in a card at the trade fair stand received a bag. The offer was very popular, so we expect to send over 40 bags on their way in the next few weeks.