Researchers encourage retailers to embrace AI to better serve customers

Three QUT researchers are part of an international research team that have identified new ways for retailers to use Artificial Intelligence in concert with in-store cameras to better capture consumer behavior and tailor store layouts to maximize sales. In research published in Artificial Intelligence Review, the team propose an AI-powered store layout design framework for retailers to best take advantage of recent advances in AI techniques, and its sub-fields in computer vision and deep learning to monitor the physical shopping behaviors of their customers. Any shopper who has retrieved milk from the farthest corner of a shop knows well that an efficient store layout presents its merchandise to both attract customer attention to items they had not intended to buy, increase browsing time, and easily find related or viable alternative products grouped together. A well-thought-out layout has been shown to positively correlate with increased sales and customer satisfaction. It is one of the most effective in-store marketing tactics that can directly influence customer decisions to boost profitability.