AI in retail: How artificial intelligence is changing retail

From personalised recommendations to autonomous warehouse logistics - artificial intelligence has long since arrived in many areas of retail. However, many companies are still at the beginning of the transformation. Our publication "Intelligent Retail: A blueprint for creating value through AI-driven transformation" shows how far the retail sector has already come in terms of AI - and how retail companies can utilise its full potential.

Many retail companies are already relying on AI, for example for process optimisation, warehouse management or personalisation of the customer experience.

The results of our study show this:

• 56 per cent of the companies surveyed have been using AI for more than three years.
• 67 per cent report efficiency gains through AI.
• 55 per cent already see a measurable return on their investment in AI.
• 71 per cent expect a return on investment (ROI) of over 10 per cent in the next twelve months.

But it remains challenging: 62 per cent of respondents are under pressure to deliver short-term results while regulatory requirements and technological possibilities are evolving rapidly.

A particular focus of the publication is on the potential of autonomous AI agents. These systems not only take on supporting tasks, but also act independently - they analyse, decide and interact. Applications range from intelligent price control and inventory optimisation to hyper-personalised customer interactions in real time.

KPMG has developed a three-stage framework that supports retail companies in the strategic use of AI. The focus is on the systematic and targeted introduction and scaling of AI:

1. Enable: Lay the foundations - establish governance, ethics guidelines and data strategy, launch initial pilot projects.
2. Enhance: Scale AI - integrate applications along the customer journey, automate processes, optimise value creation.
3. Embed: Anchoring AI in the core business - developing new business models, rethinking retail as an intelligent ecosystem.

Our publication offers a practical roadmap for retail companies that not only want to test AI, but also scale it and anchor it strategically. Find out more now and download the full publication for free.