Personalization in retail has long promised one-to-one experiences, tailored journeys, and laser-focused messaging. But in practice, what works today is often far simpler and more powerful than the hype. It’s about relevance. Subtle shifts. Content that lands in the right context.
As consumer expectations rise and AI becomes more accessible, retail leaders are reevaluating how they personalize experiences, localize content at scale, and maintain a consistent brand voice across touchpoints. They're asking new questions: How can we make content feel more human, even when machines help create it? Can small tweaks drive big results? And where does AI genuinely fit in the customer experience?
In conversations with retail professionals across Europe, a clear picture is emerging: personalization is evolving from heavy-handed targeting to thoughtful, contextual design. AI, meanwhile, holds promise but also presents real hurdles in localization, platform cohesion, and internal adoption.
Personalization: context over customization
The consensus? Personalization today isn’t about reinventing the wheel; it’s about smart context. Making small adjustments that align with the customer’s moment can lead to big results. One ecommerce expert shared a compelling example: simply swapping in pants images for those more fitted for a specific customer segment boosted their sales of those items by more than 20%. It’s a reminder that relevance, not hyper-tailoring, often moves the meter.
AI in retail: promise, pain points, and pathways
It might not come as a surprise to many, but the subject AI was the center of one of the liveliest discussions of the evening. The picture is nuanced:
- Localization and brand voice remain major pain points. Companies experimenting with AI-powered translation learned that tools struggle to replicate brand tone, especially for loyalty-driven formats like apps.
- Adoption is fragmented. Many teams are experimenting with AI internally, from paid-media bots to translation pilots, without a cohesive company-wide strategy or consumer impact.
- Unified platforms drive maturity. A standout example discussed was Decathlon, which uses Google’s suite (inclusive of Gemini) across its entire operation. This cohesive framework enables more integrated and customer‑facing AI deployment.
A recurring discussion point was: “How do we embed AI with human judgment to strengthen both?” It became clear that teams need to rethink not just the tools, but their roles and workflows too.
Beyond AI: from people to platforms
Throughout the night, conversation uncovered wider opportunities:
- Empowering store staff with in-the-moment tech to advise customers, especially as many brick-and-mortar staff struggle with fragmented tools.
- Multidisciplinary teams are key to uniting emotion-driven brand experiences on websites with performance-based design.
- Brand consistency at scale is still a hurdle. Local markets often bend or break global design guidelines, undermining user experience. There’s a strong appetite to dig deeper into this at our next gathering.
Looking ahead
What resonated most by night’s end was that AI should augment, not replace, human insight. From content tweaks that speak to customer context to cohesive platforms that empower retail teams, the future lies in thoughtful hybrid approaches.
As one participant put it:
“AI is not the destination, it’s a powerful tool along the journey.”
A heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us; your ideas, stories, and camaraderie made it a memorable evening. We can’t wait to explore the next chapter of retail transformation together.
Beyond chatbots – How generative AI transforms customer service
