Retailers don’t need more technology amid the hype surrounding AI; they need the right technology used effectively. According to Graham Broomfield, COO of Neve Jewels Group, the best technology supports people and improves their experience, while the worst technology merely adds noise and becomes someone else’s problem to clean up.
In a LinkedIn post, Broomfield emphasized that “transformation without clarity is just expensive confusion.” He noted that some technology is rolled out without being used, tools sound great in theory but fail on the shop floor, and platforms look good in demos but never deliver meaningful results. Broomfield’s key message is that retailers don’t need more tech; they need the right tech, used well.
Useful Technology in Retail
Broomfield identifies several types of technology that are genuinely useful:
- A proper unified commerce setup that provides a single view of the customer, inventory, and order history across every channel.
- Customer insight tools, including behavioral tools that help understand customer actions beyond just their stated preferences.
- Smart and useful automation, such as effective live chat and personalized content that makes sense.
- Sales tools that work in-store, like virtual try-ons and digital receipts.
- Simple operational systems for task tracking, training, and scheduling.
Technology to Avoid
On the other hand, Broomfield highlights several technologies that retailers are likely wasting money on:
- Over-engineered CRMs that are not updated and from which marketing can’t extract insights.
- Too many dashboards with outdated data that cause confusion.
- Gimmicky in-store tech that doesn’t add value to the customer experience.
- Endless marketing tools that don’t integrate with each other.
- AI experiments that solve no real problems, such as untrained chatbots or nonsensical algorithms.
- Innovation without accountability, where no one measures or manages the outcomes.
The Future of AI in Retail
The Retail Tech Innovation Hub (RTIH) is launching the RTIH AI in Retail Awards to recognize global technology innovation in retail. The awards aim to celebrate companies that make AI usable in everyday retail processes, enhancing efficiency and innovation. The ceremony will take place on September 3, 2025, at The Barbican in Central London.
