Augmented Commerce: How AI is Redesigning Retail

By Amandine Launois, Head of Data & Insights – Retailer

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we buy, sell, and manage data. However, contrary to some claims, it does not dehumanize commerce; it makes it more relevant. By streamlining the customer journey and personalizing the experience, AI strengthens the customer relationship rather than replacing it. The future of retail will be neither entirely digital nor purely physical, but hybrid: a continuum of experiences where data guides without imposing, and where technology fades into the background of a sophisticated understanding of needs. Beyond the technological promise, a new grammar of retail is being written: predictive, contextualized, and human-centric.

Data: The Matrix of Predictive Commerce

Every interaction, checkout, or online search produces data, acting as a signal. Cross-referencing data from navigation logs, loyalty cards, and purchase histories allows retailers to anticipate consumer needs rather than merely reacting to them. Analyzed through AI, these massive volumes of data reveal preferences, identify life milestones (moving house, new dietary regimes, interest in eco-responsibility, etc.), and fuel high-yield predictive marketing: better stock allocation, increased average basket value, and improved loyalty. Investments decided on the basis of these predictive analyses are no longer matters of "test & learn" but redefine the very competitiveness of retail.

AI at the Service of the Point of Sale

Thanks to AI, the brick-and-mortar store is also becoming "smart." On one hand, generative AI empowers sales forces: with connected tablets at their fingertips, employees receive real-time information on retailers, stock levels, or the profiles of the customers questioning them. They can even receive instant, personalized recommendations. The salesperson is no longer a mere operator but an "augmented advisor." Relieved of time-consuming tasks, they can devote their full attention to customer relations and expert advice.

On the other hand, the in-store experience is enriched by dynamic screens, personalized content, and Retail Media campaigns triggered by the visitor's profile. Hyper-personalization is leaving the digital realm to occupy physical spaces. The store thus becomes a natural extension of the online journey: it is the concrete illustration of the ROPO (Research Online, Purchase Offline) model, which AI finally makes measurable and actionable. While every point of sale features an assortment tailored to its local catchment area, this personalization is now visible even on displays. Imagine a store where you see different advertisements, promotions, and signs than another consumer in the adjacent aisle at the same time, based solely on your purchasing preferences. To this individualization, a new dimension is added: interactivity. Connected kiosks, Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and touchless interfaces are paving the way for immersive and engaging experiences where digital invites itself into reality. We are only a few years away from this becoming a standard reality.

From Generative AI to Agentic AI: Toward Delegated Consumption

Recently, artificial intelligence itself has scaled up. Following Generative AI, capable of producing content, Agentic AI is now emerging—designed to act, potentially in a proactive and autonomous manner. These new personal assistants—already being trialed by Google and Perplexity—learn everything about a consumer: their tastes, budget, preferred delivery methods, favorite times to shop, and more, eventually making daily purchases on their behalf.

By 2027, nearly one in two consumers worldwide is expected to interact with an "AI shopper." The latter will no longer just recommend; it will search, compare, negotiate, and purchase directly. Furthermore, by 2028, the web will have adapted to these agents as much as to humans: we will find fewer "storefront" pages and more transactional experiences. A complete paradigm shift in consumption patterns is currently underway.

Acculturation and Compliance: The Two Conditions for Success

These mutations require the implementation of a genuine culture of change within brands. Because AI, more than a technological revolution, necessitates a reinvention of how retailers work. They should no longer primarily ask "how" to launch a product, offer, or promotion, but "why." What is the utility, value, and ethics behind every customer interaction?

Retailers must also support their teams, rethink their processes, and integrate regulatory constraints. While the GDPR set the framework, the AI Act—applicable by 2026—completes it by imposing transparency, traceability, and control over algorithms. Finally, the responsible use of AI must integrate its environmental footprint: the energy efficiency of models, infrastructure frugality, and the optimization of logistics flows. Tomorrow's performance will be that which combines innovation, sovereignty, and sobriety. In this context, the emergence of a European Retail Media ecosystem—simultaneously sovereign, ethical, and certified—constitutes a major strategic challenge. By differentiating itself from dominant American platforms, it embodies a vision of commerce based on trust, data quality, and consumer protection.