Sensormatic's AI Arsenal Aims to Remodel Retail at NRF 2026

By Charles Anderson

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland – January 07, 2026 – As the retail world prepares to converge on New York City for the 2026 NRF Big Show, one industry veteran is marking a major milestone by redefining the very space retailers inhabit. Sensormatic Solutions, the global retail portfolio of Johnson Controls, is celebrating its 60th anniversary not by looking back, but by launching a suite of innovations aimed at creating the intelligent storefront of the future. The company plans to unveil significant advancements in its loss prevention, inventory intelligence, and traffic analytics portfolio, demonstrating a strategic push to arm retailers with actionable, AI-driven insights.

This year's NRF show, themed "The Next Now," underscores a critical industry-wide shift from experimental technology to practical, operationalized AI. Sensormatic's announcements appear perfectly aligned with this trend, promising to turn abstract data into tangible outcomes. “As we celebrate 60 years of retailer-inspired innovations, our commitment to powering future-ready supply chains and storefronts through collaborative, outcome-driven solutions is as strong as ever,” said Tony D’Onofrio, president of Sensormatic Solutions, in a recent statement. The showcase at booth #5321 is set to provide a holistic view of a connected retail ecosystem, from supply chain to checkout.

The Dawn of the Intelligent Storefront

At the heart of Sensormatic's vision is the transformation of the physical store from a simple point of sale into a dynamic, data-rich environment. The new Flexible Loss-prevention & Engagement Experience (FLEX) system exemplifies this dual-purpose approach. Moving beyond traditional security gates, FLEX integrates customizable, brand-aligned messaging, turning a loss prevention checkpoint into an opportunity for customer engagement and retail media monetization. This system is designed to provide a firsthand look at how to capture shopper pattern data from the moment a customer enters.

Further delving into customer behavior, the company will demonstrate its Orbit AI and Video AI solutions. Enhanced with advanced Re-ID technology, these platforms promise to deliver a granular understanding of in-store activity. The technology is designed to provide unique visit counts while excluding employees, analyze shopper demographics, and map out the complete customer journey through the store. For retailers struggling to understand foot traffic and dwell time, these tools represent a significant leap forward, offering insights that were once the exclusive domain of e-commerce. This level of analysis is crucial as retailers seek to optimize store layouts, improve product placement, and create more personalized, frictionless shopping experiences that can compete with online alternatives.

A New Front in the War on Retail Shrink

While enhancing the customer experience is paramount, retailers continue to face the persistent and costly challenge of retail shrink, which has been exacerbated by a rise in Organized Retail Crime (ORC). Sensormatic is addressing this critical pain point with a multi-pronged, data-centric strategy. The company will debut its Shrink Analyzer application, a tool fortified with machine learning that moves beyond simply flagging theft events to identifying underlying patterns and vulnerabilities.

This smarter approach to prevention is further bolstered by the launch of Category-Level Shrink Insights. Powered by the company's proven Acousto-Magnetic (AM) technology, this innovation allows retailers to pinpoint which specific product categories are most frequently targeted for theft. By providing this detailed level of insight, retailers can move from generalized security measures to highly targeted strategies, such as adjusting on-shelf availability for high-risk items or optimizing staff placement in vulnerable areas. This solution is also compatible with Sensormatic's global source-tagging program, allowing for a seamless integration of anti-theft measures directly into the manufacturing process, providing protection from source to store.

Optimizing Operations from Warehouse to Shelf

Profitability in retail is not just about preventing loss; it's also about maximizing efficiency. Inaccurate inventory records lead to lost sales from out-of-stocks and excess carrying costs from overstocking. Addressing this, Sensormatic is showcasing its new 'Hands Free Cycle Counting' solution, an offering within its partner ecosystem designed to deliver real-time, always-on inventory records using RFID technology. By automating this traditionally labor-intensive task, retailers can free up store associates to focus on serving customers rather than scanning barcodes.

Further democratizing access to these powerful tools, the company announced that its TrueVUE Cloud services will now be available in a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model. This strategic shift allows retailers with in-house IT expertise to build custom software solutions on top of TrueVUE's powerful backend infrastructure, accelerating development and integration. This increased flexibility, combined with enhanced Supply Chain Visibility solutions, demonstrates how connected RFID technology can unify operations across the entire enterprise, creating a more agile and responsive system to meet fluctuating consumer demand.

A Legacy of Innovation in a Connected World

These individual innovations are part of a broader, cohesive strategy that reflects Sensormatic's 60-year legacy and its role within the Johnson Controls ecosystem. The focus on AI, data analytics, and connected devices aligns directly with Johnson Controls' mission to create smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings through its OpenBlue digital platform. In this context, the retail store becomes another intelligent environment where data-driven insights optimize performance, enhance user experience, and improve safety and security.

To further this dialogue, company leaders are scheduled to host a Big Ideas session at NRF titled “The AI Advantage: Turning Foot Traffic into Retail Intelligence.” This session will likely explore the practical applications of turning raw data into profitable actions, a theme that resonates throughout their entire NRF showcase. By integrating shopper insights, inventory intelligence, and loss prevention into a single, interconnected ecosystem, Sensormatic Solutions is not just providing tools for today's challenges but is laying the groundwork for the autonomous, predictive, and highly efficient retail operations of tomorrow.