Carrefour, one of the world’s largest retail chains, is making waves with a pioneering trial of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine vision at its hypermarket in Villabé, France. In collaboration with VusionGroup, Carrefour is testing a sophisticated system that could reshape the future of physical retail. Imagine stores where shelves maintain themselves, prices are updated in real-time, and customer journeys are enhanced through visual intelligence. This isn’t just a futuristic vision; it’s happening today in Villabé.
This initiative serves as a tangible manifestation of France’s ambition to lead in AI infrastructure and innovation. With over €100 billion pledged towards AI-related investments, France is rapidly becoming a hub for technology applications, setting the stage for Carrefour to showcase the future of retail on the shop floor.
France’s National AI Strategy: Building the Infrastructure for Change
In February 2025, President Emmanuel Macron announced an ambitious €109 billion in AI investments during the Paris AI Action Summit. This initiative is backed by both public and private funding aimed at developing a robust national AI infrastructure, which includes data centers, high-performance computing (HPC), and low-carbon AI facilities known as hubs powered by nuclear energy. Notable partners like the UAE’s MGX fund and Brookfield have committed significant resources to facilitate this transformation.
These investments underpin the broader France 2030 roadmap, which aspires to position France not just as a European leader in AI, but as a global competitor against the USA and China. Alongside infrastructure development, the French government also initiated Current AI, a €400 million nonprofit fund dedicated to public-interest AI, focusing on vital sectors such as healthcare, environment, and education.
For the retail sector, this means a foundational shift toward rapid, real-time data flows, enhancing algorithmic decision-making capabilities. Carrefour’s implementation of AI-driven vision systems directly reflects this national vision, bringing cutting-edge technology into everyday shopping experiences.
Strategic Expansion with VusionGroup Announced at VivaTech Show
This past June, at the VivaTech show in Paris, Carrefour and VusionGroup revealed a significant extension of their strategic partnership, highlighted by the success of previous deployments across European stores. This expansion will see a large-scale rollout of VusionGroup’s EdgeSense platform, which integrates machine vision, intelligent shelving, and real-time analytics to revolutionize traditional shopping environments.
Rather than a stand-alone experiment, this partnership signifies Carrefour’s commitment to scaling these advanced technologies across its store network. Through EdgeSense, Carrefour aims to modernize merchandising, automate pricing, and enhance overall store operations.
“Digitalization is at the heart of Carrefour’s strategy. Our stores, which account for 90% of our revenue, are a top priority, and this partnership with VusionGroup marks a key milestone in their modernization through the EdgeSense platform.”
— Emmanuel Grenier, Executive Director of E‑commerce, Data and Digital Transformation, Carrefour
Inside the Villabé Store: A Vision-Driven Retail Environment
At the Villabé hypermarket, Carrefour has deployed:
- 500 AI-powered cameras monitoring shelves in real time
- 70,000 electronic shelf labels enabling dynamic pricing
- 7,000 intelligent rails for item positioning and geolocation
This system does more than observe; it interprets. Using computer vision and AI, the technology can identify empty shelves, validate pricing accuracy, and ensure items are positioned correctly according to predetermined layouts. This results in immediate notifications for restocking or pricing adjustments, effectively minimizing stock-outs and human errors.
Additionally, store staff are empowered. Instead of aimlessly walking the aisles for issues, employees receive AI-guided instructions that prioritize the most urgent tasks — restocking fast-moving items or correcting inaccuracies in pricing. This approach leads to a more organized store and better customer experiences.
For shoppers, the benefits are clear: products are reliably stocked, prices are accurate, promotions are timely, and finding items is simplified through enhanced in-store geolocation. Furthermore, in-store pickers for Carrefour’s e-commerce operations enjoy faster and more efficient order fulfillment, optimizing the shopping experience.
Retail as a Media Platform
Carrefour envisions this transformation as more than a mere enhancement of productivity. The company aims to convert its stores into “intelligent media platforms”: dynamic spaces that respond to consumer needs in real time, act as active digital touchpoints, and integrate with the broader Carrefour ecosystem.
Emmanuel Grenier reaffirms that computer vision, AI, and precise data are “essential levers” in Carrefour’s long-term vision for modernization. With physical stores generating 90% of the company’s revenue, they are pivotal to this strategy.
Instead of viewing stores as outdated assets in an increasingly digital world, Carrefour is redefining them as intelligent, interconnected hubs where retail meets real-time computing.
Beyond France: The Global Rise of Machine Vision in Retail
Carrefour’s initiative is part of a broader global trend. In the USA, Amazon Go has set the standard for cashierless shopping through machine vision and sensor technology, while Walmart’s Intelligent Retail Lab employs AI for inventory monitoring and operational effectiveness.
In Asia, innovations from Alibaba’s Hema and JD.com’s 7Fresh stores are raising the bar with app-connected experiences, smart carts, and automated back-end processes, all driven by AI and machine vision.
What distinguishes Carrefour is its dedication to large-format hypermarkets, which face unique automation challenges. With thousands of SKUs and heavy customer traffic, these environments offer a daunting landscape for implementing real-time vision systems. However, the Villabé pilot illustrates that such vast retail operations can be effectively digitized.
Unlike some global models, Carrefour’s strategy appears to align with European standards for privacy, transparency, and regulatory compliance, potentially serving as a model for responsible AI integration in retail.
Carrefour Belgium’s BuyBye Stores: AI for Seamless Checkout
The initiative in Villabé isn’t Carrefour’s sole exploration of AI. In May 2025, the company launched its third BuyBye store in Belgium, a grab-and-go retail concept empowered by AI and autonomous checkout technology. Much like Amazon Go, these stores allow customers to enter, pick up items, and exit seamlessly: no lines or cashiers. Purchases are automatically detected and charged.
While smaller than hypermarkets, the BuyBye stores signify yet another layer of Carrefour’s experimentation with AI-driven retail formats, signaling a clear belief that autonomy and intelligence are crucial for the future of commerce.
A Glimpse into the Future
The Villabé initiative is not merely a showcase of technology; it offers an intriguing glimpse into the future trajectory of retail. Bolstered by unprecedented government investment in AI infrastructure and an evolving partnership with VusionGroup, Carrefour is transforming its stores into innovative testing grounds for tomorrow’s shopping experiences.
For retailers around the globe facing pressure to modernize, Carrefour’s Villabé blueprint, underpinned by machine vision and guided by data, presents a compelling and scalable approach to digital transformation. While France’s national strategy sets the backdrop, Carrefour is actively driving this evolution, one smart shelf at a time.
For more information, visit: https://www.vusion.com/newsroom/carrefour-vusiongroup-test-new-generation-connected-stores-edgesense/