Michael Scheibner is CEO and Chairman of the Board at GK Software, a Fujitsu company and global leader in retail technology.
Retail leaders are serious about implementing AI. According to Gartner, 91% of retail IT leaders have prioritized AI as the top technology to implement in 2026.
There's a good reason for this, as AI can enhance personalization and optimize pricing, promotions, fraud detection and real-time associate guidance at the point of transaction across convenience stores, fuel stations, grocery outlets and other online and brick-and-mortar retail formats.
This momentum is also being driven by changes in consumer behavior. A recent Adobe report found that U.S. e-commerce site visits originating from generative AI tools increased 393% year over year in March 2026 and are of a higher quality than other traffic from other channels.
There’s a problem, though: Many retailers lack the right IT infrastructure and connected data to take advantage of AI. Retailers are aware of this issue, with data infrastructure being the top priority for AI adoption, according to a recent survey by Verizon Business and Cisco.
