Physical stores face an existential infrastructure choice as Bluetooth Low Energy becomes mandatory for communicating with smartphone-equipped shoppers, according to a new vision paper from retail tech partners Vusion and Qualcomm Technologies. The companies released their joint white paper "The AI-Native Store™: The New Operating System for Physical Commerce" on February 25, positioning BLE-native infrastructure as non-negotiable for future retail operations.
Stores lacking Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity and intelligent shelf-edge systems "will simply not be able to interact with the consumers they serve," the document states.
Today's shoppers enter stores expecting real-time guidance through their BLE-native devices, smartphones, earbuds, wearables, or smart glasses. Without BLE and EdgeSense technology, stores remain effectively silent: unable to sense shopper intent, personalize moments, or connect engagement to conversion.
AI-native stores built on this infrastructure deliver measurable operational benefits across six key areas. Associates save 60 to 90 minutes per shift through more efficient workflows and automated tasks.
Shelf conditions improve by double digits while local e-commerce picking becomes faster and more accurate. Shoppers make clearer decisions in aisles with real-time product information, and retailers gain deterministic closed-loop media attribution alongside 1.5 to 2 points of operating margin upside.
"AI at the edge will transform everyday environments and retail is leading the way," said Art Miller, VP and Global Head of Retail at Qualcomm Technologies. "The next era of intelligent computing happens at the edge, on the devices and sensors we use every day."
Miller emphasized that BLE and on-device AI form the foundation of this transformation.
Vusion Chairman & CEO Thierry Gadou framed the shift as reshaping both economics and experience. "AI-native stores mark the next decade of retail transformation," he said.
"BLE connectivity, EdgeSense intelligence and on-device AI create stores that are not just more connected, but more efficient, more interactive, and more profitable."
The partnership leverages Qualcomm's edge computing expertise with Vusion's existing footprint serving over 350 major retail groups worldwide through its AI-powered digitalization platform. Their integrated ecosystem combines three layers, Vusion Intelligence for analytics, Vusion Connect for communication, and Vusion IoT for hardware integration, to turn real-time store signals into actionable intelligence.
As retailers transition toward AI-native operations, those locked into older operating models face structural disadvantages against responsive competitors equipped with real-time interaction capabilities. The full whitepaper outlining this infrastructure roadmap is available for download from Vusion's website.
