Morrisons talks embracing opportunities in data and AI as Mohsen Ghasempour joins grocery retailer
Rami Baitiéh, CEO at Morrisons, has taken to social media to discuss the appointment of Mohsen Ghasempour as Chief AI Officer, a newly created role that will see him establish a central data science and AI function for the UK grocery retailer. He joins from Kingfisher, where he had served as Chief AI Officer since March 2024 following more than two years as Group AI Director.
In a LinkedIn post, Baitiéh said: “To keep delivering exceptional value and service, we have to constantly innovate. That's why I am so excited to welcome Mohsen Ghasempour to Morrisons in the newly created role of Chief AI Officer. The creation of this new department reflects our commitment to ensuring we embrace the opportunities in data and AI at pace, with focus, and in the right way.”
He added: “Mohsen is a recognised expert in the field with hands on experience of unlocking the potential of technology to deliver innovative new solutions. Under his leadership, we will put that technology to work where it matters most: driving customer growth, pushing the boundaries of our manufacturing, operational, and commercial excellence, and genuinely empowering our colleagues to deliver measurable business impact.”
He concluded: “Mohsen brings a phenomenal track record, joining us from Kingfisher where he built and scaled their AI operations across Europe under the leadership of my friend, Thierry Garnier. I'm delighted to welcome him to Morrisons, and I'm so glad he could join us on our Leadership Meeting day. Mohsen, a warm welcome to the team!”
Kingfisher
Kingfisher Group, which owns B&Q and Screwfix in the UK and Castorama and Brico Depot in France and other markets, is using AI enabled productivity tools, including Fabric, to accelerate content creation, enhance SEO and improve conversion.
The FTSE 100 home improvement retailer lifted the lid last month on its AI and other tech initiatives as it raised its profit target despite seeing a heatwave driven drop off in sales at B&Q. It now expects to make a pre-tax profit of between £595 million and £635 million, having previously guided between £565 million and £625 million. Last year, it posted a £560 million profit.
Other highlights from its full year profit guidance and HY26/27 results include: group e-commerce sales reached 22% penetration. Group app sales now account for 29% of e-commerce sales, with app customers spending approximately 14% more than non-app users.
AI driven personalisation increased +16% generating approximately £100 million of sales, showing, Kingfisher claims, the growing value of its data and digital capabilities. Click & Collect sales were up +9% and home delivery sales +15%, supported by store-based fulfilment network and marketplace growth.
Screwfix Sprint (20 min delivery) was up +50% reflecting the growing demand for rapid fulfilment, particularly in Kingfisher’s City stores. Marketplace GMV rose +42% to £372 million, representing 18% of e-commerce sales. There has been investment in platform enhancements including Buybox, which helps customers find the best offer from multiple vendors by balancing price, merchant performance and delivery speed.
B&Q, meanwhile, continued to stump up cash for search and navigation capabilities, supporting improvements in online traffic and conversion. Natural language search is planned for implementation at B&Q in H2. The next phase of digital commerce will also include agent enabled shopping experiences.
