The Future Of Retail: AI-Driven Trends To Watch

There is, however, growing acknowledgment amongst retailers that AI warrants further investigation and many are weighing up the level of investment to allocate. The government is anticipating AI will change the UK economy on an unprecedented scale, providing a £400bn boost by 2030. For the average UK worker, productivity gains are expected in the region of 100 hours per year, but some sectors are set to benefit more than others. GPs and teachers, for instance, could save 700,000 hours usually spent on administrative work through AI, freeing up £8bn worth of public sector resources. Anheuser-Busch (BUD -0.12%) isn’t a retailer, but the recent controversy around Bud Light recently shows why retailers invest time and money into managing their brands and monitoring social media accounts. If you don’t have the answers to these questions, don’t worry, TELUS International can help.

This highlights the increasing popularity and usage of chatbots for customer-facing roles. AI can be incredibly helpful in detecting and preventing fraud in retail companies by analyzing large amounts of data quickly and accurately, identifying patterns and anomalies that may indicate fraudulent activity. By automating the process of identifying and categorizing products in images, AI systems analyze visual data to recognize products, logos, and other elements of an image.

Fellow AI’s Inventory Management Solutions

The AI model can generate multiple companies to shortlist the most appealing options. For instance, creating designs for clothing, furniture, or electronics can be an option. As we have seen so far, the applicability of AI algorithms in retail is rather broad and AI can be used to solve a variety of different tasks. While some retailers are still hesitant to automate replenishment or predict demand using AI, global players are already making full use of the technologies of the future.

• AI-powered tools like chatbots and virtual assistants allow retailers to engage with customers in real-time, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• However, the integration of generative AI into the retail technology stack for most businesses represents a complex set of challenges.
• Some of these algorithms consist of components combined to produce calculations so complex that even data scientists have trouble explaining them.
• The solution provides highly accurate inventory calculations based on performance analysis and demand throughout the product’s sales history.

The high growth of social media and digital commerce has propelled consumers to look at community experts to help find relevant products and services. “Ask a friend what compelled them to purchase their last product online, and most likely they will say they discovered it from social media, specifically a content creator,” exclaimed Julian Greene, Head of Creator Partnerships at Flagship. Generative AI can help forecast demand for products, generating predictions based on historical sales data, trends, seasonality, and other factors. This can improve inventory management, reducing instances of overstock or stockouts. That is why it might seem fair to say that retailers have no need for an AI solution. After all, they need to solve current problems and new industry challenges faster and optimally.

Automated Inventory management

Clarifai’s technology is used across six different industries including e-commerce and retail. Offering assistance and answering queries instantly can often be the difference between making a sale and losing a potential customer. AI-driven chatbots and virtual shopping assistants are now filling this role 24/7. Perhaps slightly controversially, it could also tackle ‘Wider Cost Inflation’ (#5) by reducing unnecessary staff costs. There is a fear AI could eliminate jobs across the sector, but the technology will still need to be carefully balanced with human instinct and experience. Whilst the actual benefits of some AI deployments may be unclear (one third of UK consumers believe customer service has worsened, with 50% citing chatbots as a source of frustration) – the ultimate goal should be driving profitability.

Read more about AI in Retail Industry here.