Here’s how Gap Inc.’s Global Technology team are building associate friendly, problem solving smarter stores
Gap Inc’s Global Technology team recently spent time with the retailer’s store leaders and showed them what they’re working on to address their painpoints and improve the customer experience. A key takeaway: whilst AI powered, connected smart stores are important, none of that matters if it isn’t laser focused on an associate’s ability to do their job effectively.
In a LinkedIn post, Sven Gerjets, EVP, Chief Technology Officer at Gap Inc., said: “The most important thing we're building at Gap Inc. isn't technology. It's a company that's learning how to work differently.”
He added: “Last week, our Global Technology team spent time with over a thousand store leaders, showing them the tools we're building to help them work smarter: next-generation Point of Sale, new reporting capabilities, and Bridgette, our virtual hiring assistant, ahead of peak hiring season. But the best part wasn't the demos. It was the conversation. Store leaders weren't asking us to bring them robots. They were asking how technology could give them more time with customers, more visibility into their business, and less friction in their day. That's exactly the problem we're trying to solve.”
Gerjets concluded: “Over the past year, we've been building momentum across connected commerce, AI powered experiences, smarter inventory, and modern store technology. None of it matters if it doesn't make the associate's job better. What I'm most optimistic about isn't the tech roadmap. It's the curiosity and openness I keep seeing from our teams. The next chapter of retail gets built by people willing to reinvent, not by the tools alone.”
AI
Gap Inc. also recently hosted a readout as part of its AI Learning Series, with representatives from Microsoft sharing results from a study the pair ran together last November.
Gerjets commented: “388 Gap Inc. employees volunteered to spend a day as research participants testing how AI adoption actually works. I want to thank every one of them!”
“Two findings stuck with me. First, mindset beats mandate. Teams forced into a rigid AI workflow did worse than teams left to figure it out themselves, more friction, lower quality, more incomplete work. But when we simply reframed AI as a thought partner instead of a tool, people produced meaningfully better work with the exact same access.”
He added: “Second, and this made me laugh, there is such a thing as an AI hangover. People who struggled through a forced workflow without the mindset shift carried that frustration into their next task and it measurably lowered how they felt about AI afterward.”
You can check the study out here.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
