Why AI Won't Be Taking Over Retail Buying Teams Anytime Soon

There's a lot of chat lately about AI's incredible capabilities, and how it's poised to transform industries. And while I'm a big believer in leveraging technology for efficiency and inspiration - I'm pretty handy on Excel but AI definitely helps! - when it comes to retail buying, I firmly believe that humans are, and will remain, indispensable.

Think about the essence of what a great buyer does. It's not just about crunching numbers or identifying trends, although AI can certainly help with that. It's about building genuine relationships with suppliers , understanding their strategies, and fostering a "win-win and collaborative approach". AI can analyse data on supplier performance, but can it build the trust needed to negotiate a complex deal that brings in an additional funding to drive better pricing and volumes? I don't think so.

Then there's the nuance of understanding the customer. While AI can certainly process vast amounts of sales data, it lacks the intuitive insight that comes from a buyer's experience. I always valued the feedback and "closeness to customers" from store managers and people on the shop floor. That sort of invaluable insight helps determine how commercial strategies should adapt. AI can't walk the shop floor, pick up on how shoppers interact with products, or overhear what they say to each nor truly grasp the emotional connection people have with products and brands.

Innovation is another area where human creativity shines. Identifying "cutting-edge and market leading innovation" and translating that into commercial benefits isn't just a data exercise; it requires a unique blend of foresight, taste, and a willingness to take calculated risks. Can AI source the latest innovation in any given category to combat online threats from competitors? Perhaps with enough data, but the initial spark of an idea often comes from human ingenuity or from buying teams bouncing ideas around over a coffee.

Ultimately, retail buying is a blend of art and science. The science, AI can assist with, but the art – the negotiation, the relationship building, the intuitive understanding of market and customer – that's where human buyers truly excel. So, while AI will undoubtedly continue to be a powerful tool, it's destined to be a co-pilot, not the captain, of our buying teams.