Microsoft’s Ricardo Belmar on How AI Provides Solutions to Retail Challenges

On today’s episode of The AI in Retail Show, Trevor speaks with Ricardo Belmar, Director Partner Marketing Advisor for Retail & Consumer Goods at Microsoft. They discuss the current landscape of technology in retail, and the areas in which AI can make an impact, like on accelerating product design and creating more personalized CRM messaging. They also discuss the current opportunities for retail media, how and where stores can implement more screens, and how brands will leverage retail advertising in the future.

Topics discussed:

• Ricardo's extensive career in retail, managing network, WiFi, and digital signage services for stores, before moving into software and landing at Microsoft "where I now look across the whole spectrum of retail technology."
• Examples of how AI can be used to benefit retailers, including summarizing customer reviews and accelerating the product design process.
• How Microsoft is focusing on assistive, responsible AI by adding Copilot technology to its services.
• How AI can benefit CRM strategies by creating personalized messages and templates based on in-house customer and business data.
• How AI technology can help improve supply chains, improve sizing challenges, and help solve the returns problem.
• How more retailers are adopting digital screens because of greater variability in screen offerings and lowering costs.
• The growing opportunities brands have today to leverage in-store retail media for their advertising.