Retail Tech Speeds Delivery but Rivals Catch Up Fast, Squeezing Margins

Speaking at the summit in Singapore, de Matos argued that technology mainly accelerates the competitive race, making it harder for retailers to hold onto an advantage and pushing businesses toward faster and faster price competition. He said strategy is still needed to give companies a firmer basis for outperforming standard industry practice.

He pointed to China's near-instant retail market, where orders can be delivered in roughly 26 to 28 minutes. Technology has cut average delivery times in that market by 21%, he said, showing how quickly operational performance can be pushed higher.

The benefit is short-lived, according to de Matos. Once one company achieves that level of speed, rivals can replicate it, converting what was a differentiator into a baseline expectation across the market.

He also warned that growth does not automatically produce healthier economics. In one China example he cited, revenue climbed 12% in June 2025 while selling and marketing costs jumped 52%, illustrating how top-line expansion can come at a heavy cost.

De Matos's remarks were delivered during the Retail Asia Summit 2026, where retail executives and technology specialists gathered to discuss the operational and financial pressures shaping the sector.