How AI and Machine Learning Are Helping Smaller Retailers Compete Against Amazon, Walmart

Without the tech infrastructure of Amazon or Walmart, it has been harder for small and medium-sized retailers to compete in an increasingly digital market. For starters, knowing how to manage inventory between physical stores and online can be challenging for retailers who lack access to the data insights of their larger competitors. But new developments in AI and machine learning are democratizing the use of data. "Five or 10 years ago, you really had no way out," said Kishore Rajgopal, founder and CEO at NextOrbit, an AI platform for inventory and price management. "Amazon was the king, Amazon and Walmart had all the data and the data scientists and you could never catch them -- but now you can."