VusionGroup’s shares plunged about 12% after the company confirmed a strategic partnership with Carrefour to deploy its in-store technologies throughout Carrefour locations in France by 2030. The announcement coincided with a weak trading reaction to Carrefour’s Capital Markets Day (CMD), where the European grocer also disclosed quarterly results and strategic refocusing.
Carrefour’s stock fell more than 5% after the retailer reported that fourth-quarter like-for-like sales in France - excluding fuel and calendar effects - rose 0.4%, below the 0.7% analysts had expected. The company also said recurring operating income missed consensus estimates. Alongside those results, Carrefour outlined plans to further scale back some international operations, and presented its new 2030 strategic plan at the CMD.
The commercial agreement, revealed during the CMD, centers on the supply and rollout of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) using Vusion’s EdgeSense technology, together with rails and camera systems paired with an AI-powered computer-vision solution. Carrefour’s press materials and presentation indicate the contract represents over €150 million of investment for the retailer across the timeframe of its 2030 plan.
Stifel analyst Valentin-Paul Jahan characterized the arrangement as “fundamentally positive,” noting that signing a leading European retailer for a large-scale computer-vision rollout underscores the relevance of Vusion’s offerings. Based on the budget disclosed by Carrefour and the proposed timing of the rollout, Jahan estimated the agreement could generate on average more than €30 million in annual revenue for Vusion.
EdgeSense is identified within Vusion’s portfolio as the company’s most advanced solution. It is already being deployed at Walmart in the United States with objectives that include automating pricing, reducing inconsistencies and improving in-store picking efficiency. The computer-vision element of the Carrefour contract is described as potentially Vusion’s most significant deal to date with a major retailer, with a targeted outcome of reducing out-of-stock situations by roughly 20% through automated detection.
While the commercial win affirms demand for Vusion’s technologies, Jahan highlighted that uncertainty persists about the company’s prospective performance for 2027. He pointed to the fact that the Walmart U.S. EdgeSense deployment is concluding and will create a demanding comparison base. Consequently, the Carrefour contract currently provides only a limited incremental visibility specifically for 2027, and further agreements will be necessary to underpin existing sell-side expectations for that year.
At the same CMD where the Vusion deal was disclosed, Carrefour set out a refreshed strategic focus on its core markets of France, Spain and Brazil. The plan - the third strategic roadmap under Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Bompard - emphasizes improved cash flow and profitability targets, including an operating margin objective of 3.5% by 2030 and an ambition to realize €1 billion in annual cost savings by the end of the decade.
The market reaction to the combined news was clear: the Vusion commercial announcement, while sizable and strategic, has not removed near-term investor concerns tied to sales momentum in France and the level of earnings visibility into 2027. Both the retail and in-store technology sectors will watch for follow-on contract news and clearer revenue recognition patterns to assess how the partnership will translate into sustained cash flow for Vusion and improved operational metrics for Carrefour.