Nearly eight out of ten retailers (79%) believe they're at risk of losing their competitive edge if they don’t adopt AI technologies fast enough, according to new research by Avanade.

​In grocery retail, the success of AI agents—whether for demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, inventory replenishment, or personalized customer engagement—depends on access to clean, accurate, data in near real-time.

Yet, 70% of retailers still struggle with poor data quality and governance, which continues to hold back AI adoption. The key challenge lies in the fragmentation of core systems. Point-of-sale (POS), inventory, loyalty programs, e-commerce platforms, and supply chain tools often operate in silos, making it nearly impossible to form a unified view of the customer or the business.

When grocery retailers take control of their data—by unifying, contextualizing and democratizing customer and operational information—they can unlock powerful opportunities to drive growth.

The result? Targeted marketing that truly resonates, optimized promotions, improved on-shelf availability, and reduced waste to boost revenues and margins.

Download our guide to learn how your organization can overcome data challenges and fully capitalize on AI.