Digital Transformation in Retail: An Examination of Management Challenges in the Smart Supermarket (2020–2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18800/360gestion.202611.003Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, Smart supermarkets, Automated retail, Machine learningAbstract
The digital transformation of retail is one of the fastest organizational change processes in today's economy. However, management literature on this phenomenon remains fragmented, as studies analyze operational efficiency, customer experience, and the governance of emerging technologies separately. To address this gap, a systematic literature review with narrative synthesis was conducted, examining 41 studies published in five academic databases between 2020 and 2025. The analysis highlights three central management tensions: a gap between the technical maturity of AI systems and retailers' organizational capabilities to operate them sustainably; a personalization paradox, in which algorithmic recommendation systems enhance customer experience but undermine autonomy and create regulatory risks; and digital exclusion that reproduces access inequalities among consumers. The theoretical contribution is an integrative framework that positions the smart supermarket as a privileged context to study the unresolved tensions of digital transformation in consumer services.
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