Retail 5.0 Community



Our Mission

Involving the various players of the Specialized Retail sector, the key representatives of the benchmark countries, and the European institutions in a process of constructive, on-going discussion, with the goal of offering action proposals to Italy's Government and the nation’s economy.

Why Retail 5.0

Specialized Retail, the direct front-end of the consumer, is in a privileged position to promote the 5.0 transition of society, which means putting people at the centre so that they can realize their own lifestyle and live safely and healthily, using technology to solve the challenges that modern society is facing, and envisioning innovation as the key to a new business and development model of companies - including in foreign markets.

5th edition

The 2025 edition was launched in February and will include a number of meetings and focus groups addressed to the Community's members, who will have the opportunity to meet institutional representatives and other companies to develop contents, mapping the value chain, and increase their network with the common goal of boosting specialised retail in Italy.

Macro topics

Human resources: Specialised Retail is the largest employer in Italy, with 1.6 million employees, of which 10% are women and 27% young people. However, the sector faces a significant challenge in finding qualified personnel, with a demand for more than 450,000 new hires by 2028. Difficulties include long working hours, unattractive jobs, and insufficient salaries.

Artificial Intelligence: AI can significantly enhance the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, with a return on sales of +30%, and improve retention strategies, increasing customer loyalty levels by +20%. AI enables the creation of highly personalised consumer experiences, responding to the growing consumer demand for unique and engaging experiences. Smart technologies, by integrating real-time data and behavioural analytics, enable the development of more targeted and authentic interactions, providing customers with increasingly relevant and personalised experiences that strengthen brand loyalty and incentivise return on purchase.

Retail media: the “retail media” phenomenon is growing, with retailers also acting as media to promote products, through data and physical and online spaces. Globally, the retail media market reached 121 billion euro in 2023, but in Italy only 8% of retailers have retail media programmes in place, compared to 65% in France and 51% in Germany. With a current value of 428 million euro, the Italian market can further develop.

5th edition's meetings

• Workshop RetAIl Revolution in collaboration with Giuseppe Stigliano, January 28, 2025
• Kick-off Meeting: Milan, February 21, 2025
• Working Table at the Interporto Campano in Nola (NA): March 6, 2025
• TEHA Club Meeting with Hon. Massimo Bitonci (Undersecretary at the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy): Padua, March 14, 2025 
• Plenary Meeting: Milan, April 11, 2025
• Focus Group on Retail Media “L’innovazione esperienziale dei punti vendita e il Retail Media”: Milan, June 25, 2025
• TEHA Club Meeting with Ignazio Visco (economist, former Governor of the Bank of Italy): Milan, July 8, 2025
• Institutional Working Table: Rome, September 17, 2025
• Plenary Meeting: Milan, October 10, 2025 
• Final event of the Community: Milan, November 7, 2025

The annual Forum of the Community, “Retail 5.0: Driving Innovation, Growing in Change” will be held on Friday November 7, 2025 in Milan. It will be a time for discussion with the public and industry stakeholders on the topics discussed during the year by Community members. The Strategic Report 2025, containing up-to-date data on specialised retail and current trends, will be presented at the event.



Specialized Retail in Italy

The economic and social impact of the Specialized Retail sector on the country is much greater than what is perceived by the public and institutions, and it represents a vital asset for Italy's competitiveness: about 282.2 billion euros, nearly 15% of the country's GDP, could not be generated without the extended supply chain of Specialized Retail.

Despite these figures, the Specialized Retail is not recognized as an economic sector, nor as a policymaking partner. Moreover, the social-economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 emergency has severely impacted the non-food retail sector, alongwith unprecedented changes currently underway.

Within a rapidly changing global society, Specialized Retail, as a direct point of contact with the consumer, plays a crucial role in interpreting the changes taking place and contributing to the country's growth and competitiveness, also by virtue of its economic weight.

Today, the Italian sector is at the center of major challenges: global crises, structural changes and digitaline transformations - which are redefining the context where it operates.