Adoption of artificial intelligence tools by retail organisations

Abstract

Recent advancements in information and computing technologies have created a new category of artificial intelligence (AI) tools which are now being adopted by the retail industry. History reveals that every new technology-based tool faces barriers before becoming widely and successfully adopted, and AI tools are no exception. While numerous studies have already confirmed the benefits of these tools for multinational corporations, many retailers are facing significant barriers in adopting them. A review of the literature showed that the primary barriers are in the areas of human resources, strategic planning, project management and legacy IT systems. To build on these findings and find the AI adoption barriers, an international study of 13 retail and retail technologies experts from eight different countries was conducted. The results suggest that there is a preferred way for retail organisations to be structured and act in order to be successful at adopting AI tools. Based on the literature review and empirical results, a conceptual model for successful AI tools adoption is proposed. This model with broader research results contributes to the literature on AI tools adoption in retail organisations, suggests the steps organisations can take to be more successful, and highlights the importance of company culture and potential return on investment (ROI) of the AI solution for successful adoption.