EuroCIS 2025 in Düsseldorf brought together the latest retail technology from across Europe.
EuroCIS 2025: A Glimpse into the Future of Retail and Hospitality with HiStone
HiStone: Leading the Charge in AI-Powered POS and Self-Service Kiosks
Stuart Packwood, Managing Director, had the privilege of attending EuroCIS in Düsseldorf, a leading trade fair for retail technology, and it was an electrifying experience! The energy was palpable, with innovators from across the globe showcasing their latest solutions. For me, the highlight was undoubtedly spending time with the HiStone POS team, for whom we’re the official UK distributor, and our technology partners, ICRTouch. I’m excited to share some of my key takeaways and insights into the future of retail technology.
As the official UK distributor for HiStone, I’m incredibly proud to represent a company at the forefront of retail innovation. Their cutting-edge EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) systems and self-service kiosks were truly impressive. What sets HiStone apart is their integration of cutting-edge AI software, designed specifically for the retail and hospitality sectors. This intelligent technology empowers businesses to personalise customer experiences, optimise operations, and drive sales like never before. Seeing these systems in action at EuroCIS reinforced my belief that HiStone is shaping the future of retail.
My meetings with HiStone’s senior management were incredibly productive. We discussed exciting new developments, upcoming product releases, and strategies for expanding our reach in the UK market. I also had the opportunity to connect with HiStone’s partners, fostering valuable relationships and exploring potential collaborations.
ICRTouch: Strengthening Partnerships for Future Innovation
Our strong partnership with ICRTouch is crucial to our success, and I was delighted to spend time with Tony and Vincent. We engaged in fruitful discussions about how we can collaborate on future projects, leveraging our combined expertise to deliver even more comprehensive and innovative solutions to our customers. The synergy between our companies is undeniable, and I’m confident that together, we can achieve even greater things.
Exploring the Landscape of Retail Technology
EuroCIS provided a fantastic platform to explore the broader landscape of retail technology. I dedicated time to visiting other suppliers, examining their self-service kiosks and EPOS systems. This allowed me to gain a valuable overview of the latest trends, identify potential opportunities, and ensure that HiStone remains at the cutting edge of innovation. It’s essential to stay informed about the evolving needs of the retail industry, and EuroCIS offered the perfect environment to do just that.
Key Takeaways and the Future of Retail
My visit to EuroCIS solidified my belief in the transformative power of technology in retail. AI-powered POS systems, self-service kiosks, and strategic partnerships are no longer futuristic concepts – they’re essential tools for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive market. I’m incredibly excited about the future of retail, and I’m confident that HiStone and ICRTouch are perfectly positioned to lead the way.
Looking to the Future with HiStone and ICRTouch?
If you’re a retailer looking to revolutionise your business with cutting-edge EPOS systems, self-service kiosks, and AI-driven solutions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. As the official UK distributor for HiStone, I can provide you with expert guidance and support to help you choose the perfect technology for your needs. And through our partnership with ICRTouch, we can offer seamless integration and comprehensive solutions to optimise your retail operations.
B-Spoke Systems at EuroCIS 2025
B-Spoke Systems is the UK’s largest independent distributor of HiStone EPOS hardware and also supplies Hisense commercial displays, with trade supply, UK-based support and showroom demonstrations for businesses across the UK and Ireland.
Looking for HiStone EPOS hardware? Browse our HiStone self-checkout kiosks, mobile tablet EPOS systems and all-in-one EPOS terminals, or contact B-Spoke Systems for trade supply across the UK and Ireland.
What Is EuroCIS?
EuroCIS is one of Europe’s leading trade fairs for retail technology, held in Düsseldorf, Germany. It brings together manufacturers, software developers, retailers and integrators from across the world to showcase the latest developments in point-of-sale hardware, self-service, payments, data analytics and in-store technology. For anyone working in retail or hospitality technology, it offers a valuable preview of the trends that will shape stores over the coming years.
EuroCIS 2025 continued that tradition, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence, self-service, unified commerce and sustainability. Our visit gave us the opportunity to see new HiStone products, meet the HiStone team and talk to other industry partners about where the market is heading.
Key Themes From EuroCIS 2025
Artificial Intelligence at the Point of Sale
AI was everywhere at EuroCIS 2025. Exhibitors demonstrated systems that recognise products without barcodes, suggest upsells based on basket contents, predict demand and detect unusual activity at self-checkouts. While many of these capabilities are still developing, the direction of travel is clear: point-of-sale hardware increasingly needs the processing power and camera support to run intelligent software.
Smarter Self-Service
Self-service kiosks were among the most visited stands at EuroCIS 2025. New designs combined larger screens, faster scanning and better accessibility with AI features to reduce errors and losses. Hospitality-focused self-order kiosks showed how quick-service restaurants and cafés can serve more customers without adding staff.
Unified Commerce
Retailers increasingly want a single view of customers, stock and orders across stores, online channels and apps. Many demonstrations at EuroCIS 2025 focused on cloud platforms that connect the point of sale to every other part of the business.
Mobile and Flexible Checkout
Handheld devices, tablets and compact terminals allow retailers to sell anywhere in the store. At EuroCIS 2025 we saw growing interest in flexible checkout zones that can switch between staffed and self-service operation depending on demand.
Sustainability
Energy-efficient hardware, longer product life cycles, digital receipts and responsible recycling were common themes. Retailers are under pressure to reduce their environmental impact, and technology choices play a part.
HiStone at EuroCIS 2025
HiStone used EuroCIS 2025 to showcase its latest all-in-one terminals, self-service kiosks and mobile devices, with a clear focus on supporting AI-powered applications and modern self-service. For us as the UK distributor, it was a valuable opportunity to discuss the roadmap with the HiStone team and understand which new products will be most relevant to UK retailers, hospitality operators and resellers.
What EuroCIS 2025 Means for UK Businesses
The trends on show in Düsseldorf will reach UK stores and restaurants quickly. For UK businesses planning new technology investments, EuroCIS 2025 offers several practical lessons:
- Choose hardware with headroom – processing power and camera support will matter as AI features become more common.
- Plan for self-service – even if you aren’t ready today, consider how kiosks could fit into your layout.
- Think connected – make sure new tills work well with cloud software and other channels.
- Value flexibility – handhelds and compact terminals let you adapt checkout areas to demand.
- Consider sustainability – efficient, long-lasting hardware reduces both costs and environmental impact.
Bringing EuroCIS 2025 Technology to the UK
As the UK distributor for HiStone, our role is to bring the best of what we saw at EuroCIS 2025 to UK customers and partners, with the local stock, configuration and support they need. New models are evaluated by our technical team, tested with popular UK software and added to our range when they’re ready. Resellers and software houses can request evaluation units to test new hardware with their own applications.
Customers who want to see the latest products can visit our Leicester showroom, where we display HiStone terminals, kiosks, handhelds and kitchen screens alongside Hisense commercial displays.
Practical Steps for Retailers
If the ideas from EuroCIS 2025 have inspired you to review your own technology, here’s a simple plan:
- Map your checkout journey and identify where customers wait longest.
- Audit your existing hardware and note devices that are slow, unreliable or out of support.
- Speak to your software provider about AI, self-service and cloud features on their roadmap.
- Trial new hardware in one store or till point before rolling out more widely.
- Measure results such as queue times, transaction speed and customer feedback.
Our team is happy to help with each step, from recommending hardware to preparing it for installation. See our retail EPOS systems page for an overview of the range.
Practical Steps for Hospitality Operators
Many of the themes at EuroCIS 2025 apply equally to restaurants, pubs, cafés and hotels. Self-order kiosks, handheld ordering, kitchen display systems and digital menu boards all help venues serve more guests with fewer errors. If you run a hospitality business, consider where orders slow down today and whether technology could help. Read more on our hospitality EPOS systems page.
Practical Steps for Resellers and Software Houses
For the channel, EuroCIS 2025 highlighted growing demand for complete, connected solutions. Resellers who can offer terminals, kiosks, handhelds, kitchen screens and signage together are well placed to win larger projects. Software houses developing AI or self-service features will want hardware with the right performance and peripherals. We support partners with trade pricing, demo units, imaging and drop-shipping. Find out more on our trade EPOS hardware page.
Looking Beyond the Hype
Trade shows are full of exciting ideas, and not every innovation on display at EuroCIS 2025 will be right for every business. Our advice is to focus on technology that solves a clear problem, works reliably with your existing systems and delivers measurable benefits. A faster till, a well-placed kiosk or a handheld for busy periods often delivers more value than an ambitious project that’s difficult to implement.
That said, it’s wise to choose hardware that won’t hold you back as new features arrive. Modern processors, sufficient memory, good camera and scanner support and flexible operating systems give you room to adopt AI and other capabilities as your software provider introduces them.
A Note on Accessibility
Accessibility featured in several conversations at EuroCIS 2025, particularly around self-service. Kiosks need to work for customers of all heights and abilities, with options such as lower screen positions, high-contrast modes, larger text and audio guidance. As self-service becomes more common, accessible design is increasingly important for both customer experience and compliance. When planning kiosks, ask suppliers and software providers about accessibility features from the start.
The Role of Reliable Hardware
Amid all the talk of AI and new software, one message from EuroCIS 2025 was clear: reliable hardware remains the foundation. Intelligent features are only useful if the terminals, kiosks and handhelds running them are fast, stable and well supported. Commercial-grade, fanless designs, solid-state storage and robust peripherals ensure that new capabilities can be delivered without compromising day-to-day reliability.
Highlights From the Show Floor
Walking the halls at EuroCIS 2025, a few things stood out. The scale of self-service was striking, with kiosks of every shape and size on almost every major stand. Cameras and sensors were increasingly built into hardware, supporting product recognition and loss prevention. Payment options continued to expand, with contactless, mobile wallets and integrated card terminals now standard across the board.
Design also mattered. Retailers want technology that looks good in modern stores, and manufacturers responded with slimmer terminals, cleaner cable management and more attractive kiosk enclosures. HiStone’s emphasis on combining functional engineering with clean design fitted well with this trend.
Finally, there was a strong sense that the industry is moving from individual products to complete ecosystems. Terminals, kiosks, handhelds, kitchen screens, signage and cloud software are increasingly expected to work together seamlessly, sharing data in real time. For distributors, resellers and software houses, that creates both opportunity and responsibility: to make sure every component in a solution is reliable, compatible and well supported.
Our Takeaways
Our main takeaway from EuroCIS 2025 is that the pace of change in retail technology is accelerating, but the fundamentals have not changed. Businesses still need fast, reliable checkouts, staff who are free to help customers and data they can trust. The technology that delivers those fundamentals best, while leaving room for future innovation, will be the technology that succeeds.
We left Düsseldorf with a clear view of where HiStone is heading and how we can best support UK customers and partners as new products arrive. We look forward to sharing those products with you in our showroom and through our reseller network.
EuroCIS 2025 Frequently Asked Questions
Where is EuroCIS held?
EuroCIS takes place in Düsseldorf, Germany, and is one of Europe’s leading trade fairs for retail technology.
What were the main themes at EuroCIS 2025?
Artificial intelligence, self-service, unified commerce, mobile checkout and sustainability were among the most prominent themes.
Can I see HiStone products from EuroCIS 2025 in the UK?
Yes. Many HiStone products are available from UK stock and can be seen in our Leicester showroom. Contact us to arrange a visit or a demonstration.
Do you supply AI-ready hardware?
We supply modern terminals and kiosks with the performance and peripheral support needed to run advanced software. Speak to your software provider about specific AI features, and we can recommend suitable hardware.