RESEARCH
AI: retail’s new backbone Gen AI and automation solutions could be critical to helping retailers looking to boost sales by enhancing the retail experience, but also help in the fight against loss prevention, says new research from Zebra Technologies.
“Retail’s future belongs to those who connect the physical and digital worlds through intelligent workflows,” said Matthew Guiste, global retail technology strategist at Zebra Technologies, after findings of Zebra Technologies’ 18th Annual Global Shopper Study were revealed recently. The research shows 87% of retail leaders believe Gen AI and automation solutions are critical tools in the fight against loss prevention efforts. The majority also believe that AI and improved workflows will deliver fast and personalised shopping experiences that today’s busy consumers are coming to expect. It also gives into insights into persistent challenges that retailers face daily such as inventory visibility, task prioritisation for retail employees, and achieving shopper satisfaction. Retail armour Technology is continuing to move to the centre of loss prevention, as decision- makers adopt AI, RFID, and computer vision to better detect, prevent and respond in real time. Once a luxury, these tools are becoming an essential part of retail armour for loss prevention, inventory accuracy and employee productivity. Half of shoppers still leave stores without the products they want, driven by frustrations like out-of-stock items, slow service, locked-up items and limited checkout options, according to the report. Retail workers still voice that real-time inventory synchronisation is a top priority for profitability and customer experience,
however they are doing it in larger numbers than in previous years.
Matthew Guiste global retail technology strategist
Inflation bites The report’s data is perhaps reflective of macro-economic trends too. The research highlights a shift in shopper priorities. While increasingly drawn to convenience, speed and value, nearly eight in 10 shoppers prioritise discounts and promotions as inflation pressures persist. All too important too is shrinkage, perhaps not all related to shoplifting, but recent reports suggest in England and Wales it is at its highest level since current records began more than two decades ago. There were 530,643 reported shoplifting offences in the year to March, a 20% increase from 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. Hence it is no surprise that many of the retailers surveyed plan to implement advanced technologies such as computer vision (57%), RFID (54%) and Gen AI (51%) over the next five years as they are viewed as essential tools for improving inventory visibility and reducing shrinkage. n
zebra.com
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Half of shoppers still leave stores without the products they want, driven by frustrations like out-of-stocks, slow service, locked-up items and limited checkout options, according to the report.
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