62% of Asian retail businesses will apply AI in store management

According to Zebra Technologies’ 18th annual global procurement study, Asia-Pacific retail businesses are planning to apply GenAI to inventory management in the next five years, significantly higher than the global average. The report shows that GenAI and automation solutions are gradually becoming essential tools in retail industry operations. Globally, 87% of retail business leaders affirm that this technology plays an important role in efforts to prevent goods loss and optimize store operations.

According to Mr. Christanto Suryadarma, Vice President of Sales for Southeast Asia, Korea of ​​Zebra Technologies, the rapid pace of AI application in Asia-Pacific comes from the characteristics of consumers in the region. “Shoppers here have a very high level of access to technology. Before coming to the store, they search for information, compare prices and read product reviews,” he said.

This characteristic creates great pressure on retailers, forcing them to understand customers more deeply and react faster. “AI helps businesses predict demand and ensure suitable products are always available. If done well, the likelihood of customers returning will be higher,” he said, emphasizing that AI does not stop at chatbots but can be applied across many stages of operations.

Mr. George Pepes, Director of Vertical Industry Solutions in the Asia-Pacific region of Zebra Technologies, said that GenAI plays the role of an “assistant” for sellers. “Gen AI helps quickly look up key features, check goods at other stores and suggest suitable delivery options,” Mr. Pepes said.

Research also shows that the majority of people surveyed believe digital tools make their work less stressful and more efficient. In that context, many retail businesses will increase the application of advanced technology such as computer vision, RFID and especially GenAI. These solutions help increase real-time inventory visibility, reducing losses in the supply chain.

Besides technological factors, demographic changes are also driving the transformation. Gen Z, a customer group that accounts for an increasingly large proportion in many Asian markets, has different shopping behavior compared to previous generations. They are strongly influenced by social commerce, prioritize speed, convenience and seamless experiences, and do not want to wait or stand in line.

“The shopper profile in Asia-Pacific is changing rapidly. With a young population and high levels of digitalization, many retailers realize the question is no longer whether to apply AI or not, but how quickly to deploy to maintain competitiveness,” Mr. Christanto commented.

In Vietnam, research by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in early September also showed that about 18% of businesses have deployed AI, equivalent to 170,000 units, an increase of 39% over the previous year. In 2024 alone, on average every hour, five more Vietnamese businesses will start applying AI technology. However, most stop at using AI for basic tasks such as optimizing operations and streamlining processes.

Previously, at the AI ​​forum organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in August, Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long said that in the past two years, the cost of using AI has decreased by 99%, helping AI popularize faster than any other technology, and “the more popular it is, the cheaper it is”.

The Gartner 2025 report also predicts that 37% of the world’s workforce will be directly affected by GenAI in the next 2-5 years, forcing businesses to redesign jobs and improve employee skills.