Delivery comms, intelligent fulfilment, and AI's growing influence | Computer Weekly

"Nine in ten retailers globally are planning to raise their spending on artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise their e-commerce operations over the next 12 to 24 months, with online delivery execution a key area of focus. A total of 38% of European retailers identify speed, tracking and proactive communication around the delivery process as areas where AI can deliver the greatest impact."

"Retailers with a turnover of £500m or more are more likely to point to skills gaps and the complexity of integrating AI with legacy systems (54%) as a challenge to AI adoption. Smaller retailers, with a turnover of under £100m, cite high development costs (35%) and data security or compliance concerns as a notable barrier to using AI."

"Globally, 78% of shoppers used AI tools such as ChatGPT in the past year, rising to 93% among those under the age of 35. Some 30% of adults are open to AI acting as a personal shopping agent, recommending products, checking delivery and returns options, and even making certain purchases on their behalf once preferences are set."

"By 2030, 48% of shoppers expect AI to act as a helpful assistant across the shopping journey, while a further quarter of shoppers anticipate it evolving into a trusted co-shopper that automates some decisions. Retailers such as JD Sports and Etsy have developed tech integrations and started allowing shoppers to transact directly through AI platforms."

Retailers worldwide are significantly increasing AI investments to enhance e-commerce operations, particularly in delivery execution. European retailers identify speed, tracking, and proactive delivery communication as key AI impact areas. Large retailers with turnover exceeding £500m cite skills gaps and legacy system integration complexity as adoption challenges, while smaller retailers face high development costs and data security concerns. Consumer adoption of AI tools is widespread, with 78% globally using platforms like ChatGPT, rising to 93% among those under 35. Approximately 30% of adults accept AI as personal shopping agents, with expectations growing to 48% by 2030. Leading retailers like JD Sports and Etsy enable direct transactions through AI platforms.

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