Artificial intelligence is beginning to transform different processes in commerce, from the management of consumer inquiries to order preparation, logistics, and in-store advice. Its implementation poses a challenge for companies: identifying where it adds value, measuring its results, and extending the applications that demonstrate concrete improvements.
The study La Distribución Inteligente, prepared by La Distribución Anged y DigitalES, brings together experiences from Leroy Merlin, Alcampo, Eroski, MediaMarkt and El Corte Inglés. The report identifies opportunities to increase productivity and improve service, but also points out the conditions necessary for technological projects to become established: having quality data, integrating tools into business processes, and training professionals.
Five experiences, different uses of AI
One of the quantified cases is that of Eroski. Its customer service platform unifies voice, email and messaging channels, and handles more than 23,000 cases a month. The company has reduced management time per interaction by close to 42% and has lowered transfers between advisers from levels close to 40% to values close to 4%.
The example shows how automation and systems integration can reduce operational tasks and facilitate the resolution of queries. The usefulness of these applications, however, depends on their adaptation to the specific needs of each organization.
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Leroy Merlin uses artificial intelligence to continuously improve its digital catalog; Alcampo integrates it into online shopping, order preparation and logistics through its alliance with Ocado; and MediaMarkt develops assistants intended to support employees in advising customers.
El Corte Inglés, for its part, is working to transfer its expert knowledge and personalized service to the digital environment. The experiences reflect that technology is not limited to automating administrative tasks: it can also intervene in product search, purchase preparation and assistance during the decision-making process.
Data and training, conditions for extending the projects
The study recommends starting from concrete problems, setting indicators and expanding the applications only when there is evidence of their usefulness. The availability of reliable data is one of the central conditions, together with the integration of technological solutions and the preparation of the teams that must use them.
The benefits collected by the report are not limited to time savings. The availability of products, customer satisfaction and the possibility of dedicating more resources to personal attention also form part of the results that companies can evaluate.
The Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla, defended during the presentation that technology must bring value to companies and benefits to people. She also highlighted that automating repetitive tasks makes it possible to concentrate talent on higher-value activities, such as strategy, creativity, innovation and dealing with the consumer.
Agentic commerce opens a new phase
Among the next challenges identified by the study is agentic commerce, in which assistants based on artificial intelligence could compare alternatives or complete purchases on behalf of the consumer. This evolution opens up new possibilities for searching and selecting products, but it also raises questions about the relationship between companies and their customers.
The management of data, the allocation of responsibilities and human oversight acquire special importance in this scenario. Companies will have to determine how decisions are made, what information their systems use and what mechanisms allow intervention when necessary.
The European framework is also part of this context. The Artificial Intelligence Act establishes a risk-based approach and contemplates specific obligations for certain uses, in addition to transparency requirements for some interactions between people and AI systems. Its application is progressive, so the concrete obligations depend on the type of system and its use.
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The president of La Distribución Anged, Matilde García Duarte, defended during the presentation that technology can reinforce and the distinctive value of physical stores: the possibility of trying products, receiving advice and building a relationship of trust with the customer.
The challenge for commerce will be to combine operational improvements with that personalized attention. The extension of artificial intelligence will depend as much on technical capabilities as on evidence about its results, the preparation of the teams and the trust that companies are able to maintain in their relationship with consumers.