Commerce & retail

The disappearance of slow retail

Slow retail is over. The gap between ambition and execution is no longer just widening, it’s fatal. Benchmarking 100 leading European retailers across digital capabilities, our new research exposes why Digital Leaders are pulling away, while Latecomers slip into decline. Download the report to uncover the insights.

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October 17, 20251 Minute to Read
With insights from
Jack Fitzgerald

Jack Fitzgerald

New Business Director – Retail
Denis Kolmanic, Business Solution Manager, Zühlke

Denis Kolmanic

Head of Retail

Richard Lim

CEO, Retail Economics

Our new research with Retail Economics, benchmarks 100 leading retailers across Europe and reveals a widening gap between those who are accelerating with AI, omnichannel, and resilient operations, and those whose ambitions stall in execution. Digital maturity is not optional – it's the survival strategy. The cost of inaction is quantifiable, immediate, and escalating.

Metric Digital Leaders Latecomers Cost of Inaction (Annual/3 Years)
Revenue Growth (CAGR) 8.6% 4.6% £135m lost sales per £1bn revenue/year
Pre-tax Profit Change +47.2% -12.8% £33m profit swing per £100m profit/3 years
Market Share (2024) 58.5% Falling Unbridgeable gap, loss of relevance
Average Pre-tax Margin 5.7% <5.7% Margin erosion, higher risk of loss

Key findings:

  • Digital Leaders – such as IKEA, Tesco, and Zalando are embedding AI, unifying customer journeys, and hardwiring resilience. The result? Double the revenue growth of Latecomers and a 47% profit surge over five years.
  • Aspirers – including Asda, Burberry, and MediaMarkt – show solid digital foundations and clear momentum but are struggling with uneven execution.
  • Latecomers are losing ground, with profits declining by 12.8% as competitors pull away.

Digital Leaders double the revenue growth of Latecomers and see a 47% profit surge over five years.

Fill in the form and download the full report to discover:

  • Which retailers are setting the digital maturity pace, and who risks falling behind
  • What separates Digital Leaders apart; from AI adoption to omnichannel execution
  • Why the ambition–execution gap is the new systemic risk in retail
  • Eight actionable strategies to accelerate maturity and close the gap 

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