Artificial intelligence has been one of the hottest topics discussed in 2024. For 2025, AI trends are expected to continue to grow rapidly, and be more comprehensively integrated across industries – including the retail arena, and enterprise systems.
Touching on this, Mark Micallef, Managing Director of Google Cloud in Southeast Asia, shared a number of trends that will shape the adaptation of artificial intelligence in the retail arena in 2025.
Multimodal AI Offers More Value and Detail
Today, various merchants and retailers already have a lot of data. However, most of it is unstructured and unorganized, and underused due to previous systems that are not friendly to various content variations. With the support of Multimodal AI, it can analyze data from image, video and text content that retailers already have, while offering new details, information and insights to sellers and retailers.
Among the areas where it will help include analyzing buying and selling patterns in managing stock, while also managing communication with suppliers and feedback to customers. AI can also be used to study visual trends such as product images purchased. The various data collected can later be used to lead to more high-impact campaigns.
Product Discovery and Personalization Through User Search Results
By using search support powered by Gen AI or artificial intelligence, it can change how a user finds products before making a purchase. For example, there are sellers who are introducing conversational search interfaces, thus giving users an experience like interacting with humans in finding their products.
By 2025, various sellers are expected to integrate more or less the same support, thus allowing users to search for desired products based on conversational language. The same thing can also be implemented in physical stores, where specialized interactive kiosks can be used to lead users to what they are looking for.
AI Agents Lead to Increased Sales Revenue
By using AI agents, it is expected to open up various new spaces to interact with customers. These AI agents can answer various questions, assist in purchases, and provide recommendations for styles and products to buy.
Indirectly, this offering is also expected to increase customer satisfaction rates. In addition to sales in regular stores, sales in restaurants can also be improved through the use of AI agents that offer additional food or beverage options in line with the original food purchased by a customer.
AI Improves Content Control and Brand Care
Merchants are also expected to continue to use artificial intelligence to improve brand integrity. For example, merchants can use AI to pre-screen images and text, thus preventing inappropriate content from being published to users.
AI can also improve analytical support, in addition to ensuring workplace safety by identifying suspicious behavior in real-time.
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As always, the use of artificial intelligence in business and retail activities depends on the method of using data. With a comprehensive data platform, it will provide a better impact and potential of AI to a brand. Companies that prioritize data integration will be more fortunate in adapting to the market.
In 2025, retailers that use AI will generate more value, and can focus on continuing to develop solutions in their respective industries.