Retail AI adoption hits operational milestone, survey shows

A recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) Business Insights survey released on 2 July found that 46 % of retailers that have adopted artificial intelligence are now using it to improve core operations, placing the sector alongside transport, storage and manufacturing. The report also noted that 40.8 % of retailers not yet applying AI to operations plan to do so within three months, and that most AI tools are sourced externally—41.3 % from purchased software and 53.6 % from free‑to‑use solutions—while only 5.9 % develop their own systems.

Industry commentators highlighted the shift from experimental pilots to production‑grade AI across the retail value chain. Amperity, a customer‑data platform provider, stressed the need for trustworthy data and contextual information to enable effective enterprise AI. Eagle Eye warned that retailers are moving from predictive AI toward "agentic" AI, where digital assistants may act on behalf of consumers. The Australian Loyalty Association flagged AI as a key topic at its 2026 Asia‑Pacific Loyalty Conference, noting its growing role in customer research, product comparison and purchase decisions. Together, these developments show AI expanding from operational efficiency to customer experience, loyalty, marketing and new‑product development in the retail sector.