Few industries have been forced to adapt as rapidly, and repeatedly, as that of UK retail. Shrinking footfall on the high street, escalating costs and persistent supply chain disruption have reshaped the competitive baseline over the past decade, leaving little room for efficiency as margins continue to tighten.
Director of Revenue at UiPath.
When applied strategically, AI allows retailers to expand operations without increasing complexity, or requiring resources to be stretched. Teams can be redirected toward customer-facing priorities, while predictive insights help anticipate market shifts and optimize inventory and supply chain decisions.
With efficiency now being the golden standard, moving decisively on AI is key to staying competitive. Retailers that do so can unlock greater efficiency, enhance performance, and strengthen customer relationships, putting themselves in the strongest position to thrive in the years ahead.
AI empowering retailers do more with less
UK retailers are grappling with the challenges of a leaner workforce this year, with around 97,000 retail jobs being cut. This has left retailers needing to balance smooth operations with rising customer expectations, all with fewer people to shoulder the work
AI is stepping in to bridge this gap between limited resources and customer demand, enabling retailers to successfully scale operations.
Retail is inherently an admin heavy industry, with tracking inventory, customer orders, managing stock levels and liaising with suppliers all contributing to this significant time drain.
In fact, a recent study indicated the average retailer dedicates almost 300 hours a year to routine admin tasks, with 66% of the retailers surveyed saying their volume of admin is only increasing, citing reasons such as growing inventories and the pace of order processing.
With AI automating these routine administrative tasks, employees can devote more time to creative, customer-facing work that requires a human touch, and ultimately fosters long-term customer loyalty.
Beyond internal data and admin tasks, AI agents also have huge potential in customer-facing operations, with it being predicted that they’ll handle up to 80% of customer service queries by 2029.
When trained on a retailer’s own data, these agents can autonomously manage first-line queries and provide informed product recommendations, freeing human operators to focus on more complex issues.
Turning real-time insight into smarter retail decisions
Retailers that anticipate market changes and act with foresight can build long-term operational resilience, staying ahead of those who rely on reactive, last-minute strategies.
Legacy planning systems and slow-to-update spreadsheets continue to be widely used by many retailers, but in a UK market defined by constant change and unpredictable consumer behavior, these tools cannot keep pace. Real-time insights are critical for staying ahead.
AI powered forecasting reimagines this process by drawing on real-time consumer data to forecast demand with up to 50% greater accuracy. This foresight enables retailers to plan promotions, manage stock levels and prepare for shifts in demand before they even happen.
Crucially, AI powers scenario-based planning. Retailers can now run multiple real-time scenarios at once, rather than relying on a single forecast.
This allows them to stress-test strategies against potential supply shocks or competitor activity, enabling proactive planning to ensure revenue opportunities and cost savings aren’t overlooked. For example, by leveraging AI planning, a leading UK multi-channel retailer optimized pricing markdowns to save a total of £2.4 million.
Building a solid foundation for AI
AI and its suite of tools can drive major operational improvements, but this largely hinges on retailers first aligning their data strategy and rethinking core workflows. AI requires end-to-end process redesign to deliver on its full potential, it’s not a plaster for outdated, legacy systems.
At the heart of operational excellence lies a streamlined, purpose-built tech stack. By first ensuring that data is accurate, and of high quality, retailers can look to deploy AI systems, including agents, to automate decisions and eliminate manual bottlenecks.
AI frees up teams to focus on strategy, to maintain a competitive edge in the crowded retail landscape and drive long-term growth.
AI powering retail’s operational future
Achieving operational excellence, both behind the scenes and in customer-facing operations, is the defining challenge for retailers in the coming years. Establishing a modern AI and data strategy is essential for reimaging workflows, driving efficiency and making smarter, faster decisions.
These gains are well within reach for UK retailers that act decisively today, allowing them to drive stronger growth, make smarter and more informed decisions, and deliver customer experiences that both meet evolving expectations while attracting new customers.
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