Latest news with #StateofAIinRetail
Techday NZ
6 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Retailers face data hurdles as just 11% ready for full-scale AI
A new report from Amperity reveals that although nearly half of all retailers are engaging with artificial intelligence tools on a weekly basis, only a small minority are fully prepared to scale these initiatives due to persistent data challenges. The 2025 State of AI in Retail report surveyed 1,000 retail professionals from sectors ranging from marketing and IT to executive leadership. According to the findings, 45% of retailers currently use AI daily or several times per week, and 97% plan to maintain or increase their AI investment within the next year. However, just 11% report they are ready to implement AI tools at full scale across their organisations. Tony Owens, Chief Executive Officer of Amperity, emphasised the importance of unified, actionable data in realising AI's benefits. "Retailers believe in AI's potential to drive loyalty and lifetime value - but belief alone won't close the gap between ambition and execution," said Tony Owens, CEO of Amperity. "What's needed is unified, actionable customer data - regardless of where it resides. With Amperity's patented identity resolution, retailers can unify data without moving it, transforming fragmented records into complete customer profiles that fuel AI and measurable business results." Customer-facing uses lagging The report highlights a gap between retailers' expectations and actual deployment of AI in customer engagement. While 63% expressed confidence that AI will foster greater customer loyalty and 65% expected it to increase customer lifetime value, only 43% currently deploy AI in customer-facing roles such as personalisation, chatbots, or bespoke marketing experiences. Moreover, a mere 23% use AI systems in production to resolve customer identities or ready their data for marketing use, indicating a sizeable unrealised opportunity. Role of customer data platforms The adoption of customer data platforms (CDPs) appears to be a significant factor separating those retailers making regular and effective use of AI from those lagging behind. The survey revealed that 60% of retailers equipped with a customer data cloud use AI at least weekly, compared to only 29% of retailers without this infrastructure. Additionally, 35% of CDP users employ AI for production-level data preparation for marketing or analytics, suggesting a tangible advantage over the 9% without such platforms. Furthermore, 22% report full-scale AI adoption across multiple departments, while only 10% of those without a CDP do the same. This alignment between high-quality, unified data and accelerated AI maturity is also reflected in retailers' confidence in understanding and deploying customer insights. The findings suggest that the presence of a CDP is becoming an essential element in modern enterprise AI strategies. Tapan Patel, Research Director at IDC, commented on these shifts within the retail industry. "This survey highlights a pivotal shift in retail: AI is moving decisively from experimentation to scaled execution. Retailers are leveraging AI to deliver more adaptive, personalised customer experiences powered by high-quality, unified customer data," said Tapan Patel, research director at IDC. "Retailers who integrate AI into core workflows - across supply chain, merchandising, and engagement - are setting the new standards for customer experience in an increasingly dynamic market." Technical and data limitations The upbeat sentiment about AI's prospects is tempered by ongoing challenges, particularly related to data fragmentation and technical resources. According to the report, 58% of respondents described their customer data as fragmented or incomplete, presenting significant hurdles to coherent AI implementation. High costs associated with AI tools were cited by 46%, and limited technical expertise was a concern for 35% of those surveyed. Only 21% of participants expressed strong confidence in their current abilities to act on customer data effectively. The report's findings underscore a pressing need for strategies that allow retailers to bring together diverse, siloed data sources without compromising on compliance or operational efficiency. As the results indicate, achieving measurable business outcomes with AI hinges largely on solving these foundational data issues.
Business Wire
29-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Retailers Are All-In on AI - But Disconnected Data Threatens Progress
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Amperity, the leading AI-powered customer data cloud, today released its 2025 State of AI in Retail report, a new survey highlighting how retail businesses are rapidly embracing AI, but often lack the foundational data infrastructure needed to unlock its full potential. "Retailers are leveraging AI to deliver more adaptive, personalized customer experiences powered by high-quality, unified customer data,' said Tapan Patel, research director at IDC. The survey of 1,000 retail professionals across marketing, IT, data and executive leadership reveals that 45% of retailers are already using AI daily or several times per week, and 97% plan to maintain or increase their AI investment in the coming year. However, only 11% say they're fully prepared to deploy AI tools at scale. 'Retailers believe in AI's potential to drive loyalty and lifetime value — but belief alone won't close the gap between ambition and execution,' said Tony Owens, CEO of Amperity. 'What's needed is unified, actionable customer data - regardless of where it resides. With Amperity's patented identity resolution, retailers can unify data without moving it, transforming fragmented records into complete customer profiles that fuel AI and measurable business results.' Customer-Facing AI: The Missed Opportunity While 63% of retailers believe AI will improve customer loyalty and 65% expect it to increase customer lifetime value, only 43% are currently using AI in customer-facing applications such as personalization, chatbots or tailored marketing experiences. In fact, just 23% are using AI in production to resolve customer identities or prepare data for marketing use, indicating significant untapped potential in customer engagement strategies. CDPs Are Accelerating AI Maturity Retailers with a customer data cloud (CDC) aren't just slightly ahead - they're moving at a different pace entirely: 60% of CDP-equipped retailers use AI daily or several times per week (vs. 29% without a CDP) 35% use AI in production to prepare data for marketing or analytics (vs. 9% without a CDP) 22% report full AI adoption across multiple business units (vs. 10%) These retailers are also far more confident in their ability to understand and act on customer behavior, reinforcing the CDP's role as a critical enabler of enterprise AI strategy. 'This survey highlights a pivotal shift in retail: AI is moving decisively from experimentation to scaled execution. Retailers are leveraging AI to deliver more adaptive, personalized customer experiences powered by high-quality, unified customer data,' said Tapan Patel, research director at IDC. 'Retailers who integrate AI into core workflows—across supply chain, merchandising, and engagement—are setting the new standards for customer experience in an increasingly dynamic market.' Data Gaps and Technical Barriers Persist Despite high levels of optimism, the report reveals several key barriers: 58% of respondents say their customer data is fragmented or incomplete 46% cite high costs of AI tools as a top challenge 35% note limited technical expertise Only 21% are 'very confident' in their ability to understand and act on customer data. Amperity helps retailers close the gap between AI ambition and execution. By unifying fragmented customer data, resolving identities with precision, and making insights accessible across the business, Amperity gives retailers the AI-ready foundation they need to move faster and compete smarter. Built for enterprise scale and privacy-conscious activation, Amperity's Customer Data Cloud turns data into a growth engine—powering personalized experiences, smarter decisions, and measurable ROI. Get the full 2025 State of AI in Retail report to learn how leading retailers are using customer data to close the gap between AI potential and business results. About Amperity Amperity's Customer Data Cloud empowers brands to transform raw customer data into strategic business assets with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Through AI-powered identity resolution, customizable data models, and intelligent automation, Amperity helps technologists eliminate data bottlenecks and accelerate business impact. More than 400 leading brands worldwide, including Virgin Atlantic, Dr Martens, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Reckitt rely on Amperity to drive customer insights and revenue growth. Founded in 2016, Amperity operates globally with offices in Seattle, New York City, London, and Melbourne. For more information, visit or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
