{ "$schema": "https://symbion.dev/schemas/ai-json-page-v1.json", "version": "1.0", "generated": "2026-10-29T11:13:13+01:00", "page": { "title": "Retail Between Algorithms and Proximity", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/retail-between-algorithms-and-proximity/", "type": "post", "language": "en_US", "published": "2026-10-29T07:45:00+01:00", "modified": "2026-10-28T18:05:58+01:00", "alternates": [ { "hreflang": "de", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/retail-between-algorithms-and-proximity/", "lang": "de", "post_id": 5814 }, { "hreflang": "en", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/retail-between-algorithms-and-proximity/", "lang": "en", "post_id": 5823 }, { "hreflang": "x-default", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/retail-between-algorithms-and-proximity/", "lang": "de", "post_id": 5814 } ] }, "seo": { "meta_title": "AI in Retail: Why Proximity Still Drives Tech Sales", "meta_description": "Discover how AI reshapes consumer tech retail, why expert advice still matters, and how services build loyalty. Read GFU’s market insights now.", "keywords": [ "AI in retail", "consumer tech retail", "future of retail", "retail customer journey", "specialist retail" ], "lsi_keywords": [ "AI commerce", "product data quality", "brick-and-mortar retail", "after-sales services", "retail media" ] }, "content": { "excerpt": "AI is shifting the customer journey: consumers are increasingly using AI tools for preselection, yet brick-and-mortar retail remains relevant as a place for advice, live testing, and after-sales services. How retailers need to adapt their data, service, and brand strategies so that systems and customers alike can find them — and what this means for…", "word_count": 0, "reading_time_minutes": 0, "structure": [], "full_text_plain": "", "full_text_html": "\n
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Why retail remains relevant despite the importance of artificial intelligence in the selection and purchasing process for consumer tech – and is more important than ever.

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Frankfurt am Main, October 29, 2026 The impact of artificial intelligence on retail has been the subject of intense discussion for some time. A consumer study presented at IFA 2026 by GFU Consumer & Home Electronics and the strategy consultancy Oliver Wyman showed how artificial intelligence, social commerce, and digital comparison offerings are changing the customer journey and influencing purchasing decisions. You will find the link to it at the end of this article.

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A series of qualitative interviews with decision-makers from industry and specialist retail complements the consumer perspective with concrete market observations and strategic assessments from experts for the future. The results of the interviews show what lies behind the familiar buzzwords – and where developments are less clear-cut than many transformation debates would suggest.

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Everyone agrees that AI will continue to gain importance along the customer journey, that spending behavior will diverge more strongly depending on the target group, that traditional hardware segments face the challenge of repositioning themselves, and that the provision of services will become even more important for retail.

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When AI takes over the preselection

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Consumers are increasingly arriving at the point of sale with a clear idea in mind: Some experts report that customers are entering the purchasing process with a more specific product preselection. They observe that these customers are obtaining information in advance less through traditional search engines and increasingly through AI tools. The vast majority of experts therefore see AI as a central starting point for the customer journey in the future. More than 80 percent of the industry representatives surveyed therefore plan to invest more heavily in the quality of product data and content. Almost all want to increase their visibility in AI commerce and comparison tools. For them, the question is no longer just whether a product can be found online, but whether it is correctly understood and recommended by systems such as AI agents. Their own website remains relevant, but increasingly takes on the function of a data, brand, and service anchor. For the brands surveyed, direct sales are therefore not only an additional sales channel, but also a way to professionalize product presentation for discoverability by AI while at the same time intensifying customer relationships.

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The key question in sales in the future will therefore be: Are brands, products, and retailers being taken into account by the systems that significantly influence purchases on behalf of customers?

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The physical store remains relevant – its tasks and function are changing

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The retailers surveyed continue to attach central importance to personal expert advice in the future. When AI-supported preliminary research is referenced at the point of sale, a well-conducted consultation can better engage the customer, build customer loyalty, or reinforce it. Community-building events and measures will also become more important in this regard. Especially for devices with a wide range of functions, live product tests and demos play an important role. These cannot be replaced by digital tools and appeal to customers in a different way.

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However, experience formats have different effects depending on the category: For large household appliances and products that require explanation or installation, customers primarily expect product availability, reliable delivery, professional installation, and support – if questions or problems arise after the purchase. Industry representatives also highlight the seamless integration of online and offline channels, professional advice, installation, and repair and service expertise as key retailer capabilities.

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Logistics is also increasingly part of the value proposition. From the experts’ perspective, the decisive factor is not automatically the shortest delivery time, but reliably met delivery commitments, flexibility in delivery windows, as well as installation and support after the purchase.

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Device sales as a starting point for growing, profitable customer relationships

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The retailers surveyed expect stagnation in traditional hardware sales. In some cases, even a decline. By contrast, they see growth potential in after-sales and services, such as repair services and warranty sales. Advertising sales in specialist retail media are also seen as a growing business area. Retailers market their own digital reach to brands, for example through sponsored placements or target group-specific offers in online shops and apps. Retailers expect rising revenues here, with the majority even anticipating a significant increase.

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Retail media is therefore one way to respond to declining margins in the product business. Another lies in revenues from additional services related to the product. Installation, maintenance, repair, and other services are gaining importance for retailers and brands. Product sales no longer mark the end of the business; instead, they form the starting point for a longer customer relationship.

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Alternatives to traditional hardware sales, such as leasing and renting devices, are still not seen by the majority as a scalable business model. However, retailers report that these options often provide a good entry point into a customer conversation, which can then lead to a sale, for example on the basis of financing.

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The sale of refurbished devices is still at a relatively early stage, and success and acceptance depend heavily on the type of device, effort involved, and economic viability. Nevertheless, a market for refurbished devices and spare parts is currently becoming increasingly established. This is also happening in the context of sustainability requirements, scarce resources, and the associated circular economy.

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Two aspects will determine the future of retail

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In conclusion, two central challenges for retail in the future can be derived from the experts’ statements. The first concerns the point before the purchase: Structured, comprehensive product data that can be evaluated by AI-supported systems will become a prerequisite for discoverability and thus for being included in the consumer journey at" }, "media": { "images": [ { "url": "https://gfu.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pressemeldung-GFU-CustomerJourney-1024x538.webp", "alt": "Mann mit Smartphone prüft digitale Produktvisualisierung einer Waschmaschine im hellen Showroom; Customer Journey, A/B-Test", "type": "featured", "id": 5818 } ], "featured_image": { "url": "https://gfu.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pressemeldung-GFU-CustomerJourney-1024x538.webp", "alt": "Mann mit Smartphone prüft digitale Produktvisualisierung einer Waschmaschine im hellen Showroom; Customer Journey, A/B-Test" } }, "ai_context": { "faq": { "type": "summary", "source": "generated", "visible": false, "confidence": "high", "purpose": [ "semantic_comprehension", "entity_disambiguation", "answer_generation" ] }, "semantic_qa": { "type": "summary", "source": "generated", "visible": false, "confidence": "low", "quality_score": 0, "purpose": [ "semantic_comprehension", "entity_disambiguation", "answer_generation" ], "items": [ { "answer": "AI is increasingly influencing early product research and preselection. Consumers arrive at the point of sale with clearer preferences, often shaped by AI tools, comparison platforms, and digital recommendations.", "question": "How is AI changing the retail customer journey for consumer tech?" }, { "answer": "Physical retail remains important because customers still value personal expert advice, live product demonstrations, reliable service, installation support, and trust-based relationships that digital tools cannot fully replace.", "question": "Why does physical retail remain important despite AI?" }, { "answer": "Structured, complete, and high-quality product data is becoming essential because AI systems and comparison tools rely on it to understand, evaluate, and recommend products to consumers.", "question": "What role does product data play in AI-driven retail?" }, { "answer": "Yes. According to the expert interviews, more than 80 percent of industry representatives plan to invest more in product data and content quality, while many also aim to improve visibility in AI commerce and comparison tools.", "question": "Are retailers expected to invest more in AI visibility?" }, { "answer": "Retailers see growing importance in services such as installation, maintenance, repair, warranty sales, delivery reliability, after-sales support, and customer-specific advice.", "question": "What services are becoming more important for retailers?" }, { "answer": "Specialist retailers can compete by combining digital visibility with expert consultation, personal proximity, empathy, service quality, and seamless online-offline customer experiences.", "question": "How can specialist retailers compete in an AI-driven market?" }, { "answer": "Retailers must ensure their products are discoverable by AI-supported systems before purchase and provide strong personal advice and services during and after the purchase to build long-term customer relationships.", "question": "What future challenges will retail face?" } ] } }, "faq_detection": { "status": "none", "visible": false, "source": "", "source_label": "", "quality_score": 0, "item_count": 0 }, "related": [ { "title": "Soccer World Cup 2026: A powerful showcase for premium TV growth", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/soccer-world-cup-2026-a-powerful-showcase-for-premium-tv-growth/", "type": "post" }, { "title": "Major Domestic Appliances 2026: From Price Pressure to Value Creation", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/major-domestic-appliances-2026-from-price-pressure-to-value-creation/", "type": "post" }, { "title": "Polarisation, premiumisation and platforms", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/polarisation-premiumisation-and-platforms/", "type": "post" }, { "title": "Bottleneck in the Memory Market", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/bottleneck-in-the-memory-market/", "type": "post" }, { "title": "From the Shelf to the Algorithm", "url": "https://gfu.de/en/from-the-shelf-to-the-algorithm/", "type": "post" } ] }