Middle East Retail Forum (MRF) 2023

AI Trends To Redefine Retail

AI Tools For Change

Artificial intelligence and its advent into the business landscape has helped shape varied aspects of business and under its influence several key functions have grown and become streamlined. The AI buzz is growing, and it is taking over every aspect of business including retail. Let’s try to decode the potential of AI in retail.

AI solving cybersecurity problems

Cybersecurity is the need of the hour for online businesses, and it is important for e-commerce companies to tighten their security measures so that the personal information of shoppers can be managed effectively. AI algorithms helps build-in latest security measures. And these advanced algorithms help break down high amounts of data into smaller chunks. This ensures maximum safety from both malicious attacks and data breaches.

AI helps with product recommendations

Understanding the customer shopping patterns and then predicting products as per their needs helps with customer retention. AI tools in this regard help with data analysis and works towards decoding customer purchasing habits. Retailers can use the AI engine to drive the right recommendations and thus, offer personalised product suggestions. Moreover, the AI predictions and data from shopping behaviour can be saved, analysed and used to predict the right approaches in future also. 

Building prompt responses with AI

Artificial intelligence and machine learning can help train chatbots and therefore retailers can use it to have personalized conversations with customers. The chatbots offer 24/7 customer assistance and guide customers through their shopping needs virtually, all through the day. The good part about this is that customers no longer need to wait for responses. But actually, get quick results, which are satisfactory as if they were talking to real people. The automation garnered by AI makes the process streamlined and does not need employees to manually respond to requests. 

AI for predicting sales

Business predictions is helpful in deciding the outlook for business and it helps the company analyse and plan the growth path. When we appoint the right AI tools to run these predictions, then the outcome is streamlines and the result helps with better company decisions. Predictive analysis of sales records always helps in keeping abreast with the market changes and the right forecasting allows one to stay ready for the trends and future demands. 

Ease of payment

According to a report by the National Retail Federation, cashless payments have become more prevalent in the United States. With 67% of consumers preferring cards or mobile payment options. AI is ruling the aisle when it comes to automating purchases and it is helping tighten the approach. Going contactless is the trend to follow and artificial intelligence tools helps set the trend right by makes the framework technology-driven and agile.

AI is powering it all and making shopping faster and easy as a breeze. It is helping derive a consumer-friendly approach and thus, AI-driven trend in retail will continue into 2024 and beyond making it an indispensable truth.