AI integration and retail trends in Europe and South America

Consumers in Germany and Spain are increasingly utilizing artificial intelligence to navigate major sales events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In Germany, a YouGov survey shows that 51 percent of shoppers plan to use AI tools, a significant increase from 23 percent the previous year. Consumers primarily use tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to verify discount authenticity and locate optimal deals, though human oversight remains high during the final transaction phase.

In Germany, interest in Black Friday promotions is heavily influenced by age; 47 percent of Gen Z and Millennials plan to shop, compared to 20 percent of Gen X and Baby Boomers. Similarly, in Spain, 55 percent of shoppers intend to use AI for upcoming sales, with ChatGPT being the most anticipated tool at 61 percent.

In Argentina, the Argentine Chamber of Distributors and Wholesale Self-Services (CADAM) has announced a ‘Black Week National Wholesale’ campaign running from November 16 to 23. Approximately 200 physical and online businesses will participate, offering discounts on essential goods such as food, beverages, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene products. This initiative aims to revitalize the commercial circuit and support the wholesale channel, which supplies over 140,000 small local businesses. The campaign follows a period of economic difficulty, with data from Scentia indicating that mass consumption fell 1.2 percent year-on-year in September and saw a cumulative volume decline of 2.7 percent during the first nine months of the year.