VOL 1 ISSUE 5
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22
91% of retail IT leaders are prioritising AI as the top technology to implement by 2026 – Gartner’s 2024 CIO Agenda.
Over the course of 2023 and 2024, the size of the prompts that large language models (LLMs) can process, known as “context windows,” spiked from 100,000 to two million tokens. This is roughly the difference between adding one research paper to a model prompt and adding about 20 novels to it. And the modalities that gen AI can process have continued to increase, from text summarization and image generation to advanced capabilities in video, images, audio, and text. This has catalyzed a surge in investments and innovation aimed at advancing more powerful and efficient computing systems. In fact, Mckinsey mentions that this expansion will continue, pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities.
Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co.’s (Cenomi Retail) board of directors appointed Salim Fakhouri as CEO. Fakhouri has more than 20 years of experience in the retail and fashion business across MENA. He served as CEO of the fashion segment at Cenomi Retails since November 2021. Before that, he was the fashion section head at Azadea Group.
Sunil Nair joins Majid Al Futtaim Retail in a new position as SVP – Business Technology & Analytics. In his recent role, he was working as a Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) at Cenomi Retail. With over 28 years of experience in the technology and retail domains, Sunil is a seasoned digital and technology leader who delivers business value through technology transformation and innovation.
Group Chief Executive Offcer
Apparel Group
Chief Executive Offcer
Blooming
“AI is on any CIO’s agenda at the moment. Retailers leveraging AI will deliver an elevated customer experience at lower costs while building scalable businesses. As we expand our footprint and enter new categories and markets, safeguarding customer, enterprise and other data and ensuring the resilience of our systems become critical. We’ve made significant investments in cybersecurity, implementing robust security measures, fostering a culture of ‘security by design’ across the organisation and continuously strengthening our defences.”
Group CIO, GMG
“The future tech agenda will focus on smarter, more integrated use of emerging technologies, particularly Generative AI and other AI tools. These technologies will permeate all aspects of our business, from accounting to customer service and even website management. In 2025, we plan to invest in new devices equipped with advanced AI capabilities, such as the recently announced Microsoft Surface Copilot PCs. These devices require enhanced NPU power, necessitating an upgrade of our existing laptops and PCs. This investment will enable us to leverage these powerful AI tools fully, enhancing our operational efficiency and overall business performance”.
Chief Operating Officer, Jacky’s Retail
“The biggest sources of opportunity are collaboration and partnership. And today, with digital communication, there is more of that everywhere. We need to expose ourselves to that as a matter of doing business.”
CEO, Nike
Career in Retail
This bestseller outlines key trends and eight strategies for future retail success, helping businesses reimagine customer experiences to be digital-first, human-centred, and memorable across channels.
RetailME presents SHELF TALK | Panchali Mahendra | CEO, ATELIER House hospitality
