Ikea: as AI tools see wider adoption in retail space, we must celebrate what only a human brings to the table

In a new blog post, Cristina Rutgers-Astolfi, Global Head of Analytics Ikea Customer Support, analyses how AI and data analytics are seeing widespread adoption across the retail space.

Yet according to Ron Thurston, the Co-Founder of OSSY and the author of Retail Pride, many people in retail aren’t really thinking about the technology, instead focusing on the human experience of the industry.

“Retail professionals are passionate about the work they do, but many AI solutions being developed seemingly focus on taking them away from the work that they are best at. AI tools can drive major improvements in retail, but only if they allow retail specialists to focus on the human aspects they are so invested in,” she says.

Blog post in full:

Many retail businesses are having an interesting moment right now regarding AI and data analytics, as there are mixed feelings across the board as to how it should be handled.

While there’s a lot of discussion about how they can enhance the retail experience, there is also a sense that some of the tools being developed with these technologies aren’t providing the support that retail employees need.

These technologies have tremendous transformative potential for the industry, but they need to be designed with the human experience in mind in order to meaningfully improve the employee experience.

This challenge has been on my mind since I recently listened to an episode of the Strategy for Breakfast podcast titled "Why Physical Stores are Still King (Even in a Digital World)".It featured Ron Thurston, the Co-Founder of OSSY and the author of Retail Pride: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career, who shared several key insights that strongly resonated with my own experience at Ikea. Retail is highly complex, requiring all departments to work together to bring the bricks and mortar experience to life.

AI can be a massive help in improving those connections, but retail leaders aren’t necessarily thinking about that, since as Thurston says, stores are “so immersed in the human experience that they spend very little time worrying about [AI and how to embrace it].”

This is something you only truly understand when you've experienced working in a store, like we do at Ikea with our "INTRADAY." It isn’t that retail leaders aren’t interested in AI, but they don’t typically have the time to unravel the ins and outs of AI powered tools that aren’t built with them in mind, especially when they would rather focus on the aspects of the job that they are most invested in.

These people are deeply passionate about the work they do, and so we should provide tools that allow them to focus on those human aspects that they are so invested in. For instance, there are AI-based communication solutions where people can upload their entire store operations manual into an app, and then simply ask an AI assistant questions as needed.

This eliminates the need for rummaging through manuals or checking to see if documentation is up-to-date, allowing for a speedy response to problems as they arise.

AI offers so many opportunities to streamline processes in a way that allows retail professionals to spend more time working with the customers and enables them to provide the best experience possible.

This is how AI can improve the retail experience, not by replacing the human element with technology, but by supplementing human workers in a way that lets them focus on customer engagement, empathy, and tackling challenging situations. Our goal should be to provide tools that enhance the employee experience, which in turn improves the customer experience.

A digital product stands out when the people developing it genuinely care about serving their customer team and love the brand they work for.

As AI sees wider adoption in the retail space, we must remember to celebrate what only a human brings to the table. AI should help give us back time to focus on what we’re passionate about, and so we should aim to provide tools and resources that allow retail professionals to do just that.

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

AI is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which are now closed for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.