22-05-2025
UAE retailers grapple with new AI-driven sales realities
AI is finding its way onto the shelves of UAE electronics retailers. Washing machines, speakers, mice, cameras, you name it. These additions promise consumers innovation. But it also presents fresh, complex hurdles for retailers to overcome.
I recently moderated a roundtable discussion at the 2025 Channel Summit, during which senior UAE retail leaders voiced pressing concerns. The recurring theme was the challenge of equipping frontline staff to articulate these sophisticated—and often premium-priced—benefits to a cautious consumer base.
This isn't surprising.
While curious about AI's potential, consumers are often baffled by technical jargon. They rightly question whether 'AI-powered' genuinely justifies a higher price tag. If sales teams cannot clearly bridge this understanding gap, sales will falter and consumer trust will erode.
This highlights just one of several critical sales challenges AI introduces. Others include validating actual AI value for consumers against manufacturers' marketing hype, building robust consumer trust around AI data ethics and privacy, and effectively managing complex post-sale support for these evolving products. For instance, how do retailers ensure staff can answer tough questions about where a smart device processes data?
Addressing these multifaceted challenges effectively requires more than just stocking the latest gadgets and conducting superficial sales training sessions. As I explain in my upcoming book AI-Driven Market Leader, it demands a deeper, more holistic approach to AI adoption that permeates the retail organisation.
UAE retailers must ensure they build the holistic internal capabilities needed to handle these challenges and others brought about by AI transformation. To support those on the front lines, retailers must reshape evaluation processes to discern AI's real value. They must craft communication strategies that resonate clearly with consumers. They must build comprehensive staff enablement programs that build genuine AI awareness and understanding. Crucially, they must implement strong ethical governance frameworks to ensure that the brands they sell adhere to consumers' rising standards.
This in turn requires retailers to embrace holistic AI transformation to truly convert AI's promise into tangible sales while securing lasting customer loyalty in this dynamic new era.
The writer is the Managing Partner of Bellamy Alden AI Consulting, specialising in Applied AI and AI Transformation, and author of AI-Driven Market Leader.
