According to the research "The State of AI in Early 2024: Gen AI Adoption Spikes and Starts to Generate Value", conducted by McKinsey, in 2024, 72% of corporations worldwide have already adopted the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, the reality in the retail sector is quite different. According to the report "CIO Agenda Perspectives for Industry and Retail", compiled by Gartner, reveals that currently less than 5% of companies in this segment use AI solutions to create synthetic customer data, that simulate real data
In this context, it is encouraging to know that, according to the Gartner report, by the end of 2025, Nine out of ten retailers plan to implement AI to transform the customer journey in a more personalized and efficient way. In addition to enhancing the consumer shopping experience, the technology in question is capable of revolutionizing the way trade operations management is conducted, enabling precise and strategic analyses
Among the many benefits that AI can bring to retail, we can highlight the possibility of collecting, store and exploit data for the identification of customer purchasing patterns, understanding of the products with the highest output and forecasting the need to replace goods. This feature helps to reduce costs with unnecessary inventory, waste of products and preparation for peak demand due to seasonality.
With an AI structured database, retailers can develop targeted marketing strategies, segmented promotions, special offers and individualised recommendations. In this way, In addition to boosting sales, technology contributes to customer loyalty
It's a win-win., After all, the retailer should have better results., while customers will have their favorite products and brands always available and, many times, with promotions
AI also promises to greatly help the retailer in the operational and financial management of their stores, helping to better control the stock, avoiding losses. An example of this, It's the pick list., which would be the retailer's "stock shopping list" for that time. The AI would already consider the current inventory, cash in hand, sales forecast for the next few days or weeks (taking into account seasonality) and product expiration dates, to generate an accurate shopping list. A more assertive purchasing procedure reduces losses and helps the retailer's cash flow, that can pass this gain on to the price of the final product to the consumer, Making the vending machine spin faster and better
In summary, AI is available to retailers and can empower them to make more informed decisions, optimise their operations and provide a more personalised experience for consumers. By adopting this technology, entrepreneurs can compete more effectively in a highly dynamic and competitive market. In this scenario, The global market for AI tools in retail is expected to grow exponentially, achieving, according to projections from Statista, $31 billion by 2028. With these innovations, AI doesn't just come to help., But also to radically transform your sales., making them more agile, efficient and customer-centric
