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.

AI ON PRIORITY

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.

TREND

SPOTTING

THE POWER OF
COMMUNITY
“Customisation and community-building will remain at the top of every retailer’s mind. Fashion retailers, particularly, are embracing the concept of customisation and trying to offer personalised products and services to customers just to build a community of like-minded people. This trend is gathering a lot of momentum, alongside sustainable practices”.

Neeraj Teckchandani

Group Chief Executive Offcer
Apparel Group

TREND

SPOTTING

TIMELESS
APPROACH
“If you are building a ‘brand for tomorrow’ and portraying your brand as the ‘brand of choice’ for Gen Z then sustainability is not an option anymore, it is a must. In KSA pricing is a factor of consideration as customers don’t like to pay a premium or bear that extra cost when it comes to investing in a sustainable product. However, social responsibility is a big factor too and sustainability is a key trend to align with social causes and responsibly stand up to the situation to create a brand that will resonate with a youth-centric customer base”.

May Kanounji

Chief Executive Offcer
Blooming

TREND

SPOTTING

SCALING WITH
TECHNOLOGY

“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.”

Vishal Kapil

Group CIO, GMG

TREND

SPOTTING

GETTING FUTURE
READY

“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”.

Ashish Panjabi

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.”

Mark Parker

CEO, Nike

Steve Dennis

Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption

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.

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