Aksheshkumar Ajaykumar Shah
Founder and CEO of Cogniify.ai
Retail is experiencing an enormous shift regarding how technology impacts your shopping experience and how consumers find, evaluate, and buy products. The shopping journey has shifted away from being a linear process to being a dynamic and data-based experience that combines both physical and digital experiences. These technologies provide consumers with greater convenience, but also serve as powerful enabling technologies for retailers, allowing for greater personalization, improved efficiencies, and more developed relationships with their customers.
1. How are technologies like AI, AR, and QR codes transforming the in-store and online shopping experience for today’s consumers?
Through identifying the way shoppers behave, what they prefer and how they choose between products in real-time using AI technology to recommend products that would be most appropriate for them, retailers can create a highly tailored shopping experience. Augmented reality will further improve the way people discover products by allowing them to virtually test or preview products (e.g., clothing, make-up, furniture, etc.) prior to deciding to make a purchase. In addition, retailers will be able to easily create a connection between digital and physical by using QR Codes that enable customers to have instant access to product information (including reviews, promotions and options for making digital payments) on the product they are looking for. Altogether, these technologies are making the shopping process interactive, informative and seamless between both online and traditional.
2. Are consumers ready to fully embrace tech-driven shopping experiences, or do privacy and usability concerns still hold them back?
Consumers have become more at ease with technology, so there is still an important need for trust and transparency. While customers accept the adoption of new technologies as long as they provide better convenience or valued service than traditional methods of pricing or providing service, feelings about data privacy and excessive tracking will still be a concern. As a result, retailers must focus on responsible data practices; develop easy to understand consent options; and provide user experiences that are easy to navigate. If the technology makes people feel more comfortable as opposed to feeling like they are invading their privacy, then the technology will be adopted more easily.
3. How can small and mid-sized retailers adopt AI and AR without the massive budgets of large retail chains?
The emergence of cloud-based solutions has made Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality far more accessible than before. Retailers can start with targeted implementations such as AI-based recommendation engines, chatbot-driven customer service solutions, or AR-enabled eCommerce product previews.
They can also introduce virtual store experiences using AR, allowing users to explore and interact with products and virtually experience them before purchase without leaving their homes. Additionally, retailers can sell premium placement slots within these virtual stores, enabling brands to showcase their products more prominently and creating an additional revenue stream.
Strategic partnerships with technology providers can further reduce the costs of developing and deploying these technologies, making adoption easier for smaller retailers. Instead of attempting a full-scale transformation, retailers can focus on high-impact use cases that improve customer engagement and operational efficiency.
Ultimately, the retail tech revolution is enhancing human interaction rather than replacing it. The most successful retailers will continue evolving their technologies while creating smarter, more intuitive, and trustworthy shopping experiences.
Samvedna Suman
Marketing & Communication Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla
From my perspective, the retail landscape is changing rapidly as technology becomes a natural part of how people shop. Tools like AI, AR, and QR codes are not just adding convenience; they are reshaping how brands interact with consumers both online and inside stores. Today’s shoppers expect quick information, personalized recommendations, and seamless experiences. AI helps retailers understand customer preferences better, making it possible to recommend products, tailor promotions, and improve service. At the same time, AR is making shopping more interactive—whether it’s virtually trying on clothes, visualizing furniture in a home, or exploring product features in a more engaging way. QR codes have also become a simple yet powerful bridge between the physical and digital worlds, allowing customers to instantly access product details, offers, or brand stories.
While many consumers are excited about these innovations, trust still plays an important role. People appreciate technology that makes their shopping experience easier, but they also value transparency when it comes to how their data is used. Retailers must ensure that technology enhances convenience without making customers feel overwhelmed or monitored.
For small and mid-sized retailers, adopting these technologies does not always require massive budgets. Many affordable platforms now offer AI-driven insights, simple AR integrations, and QR-based engagement tools that can be implemented gradually. The key is to focus on solutions that genuinely improve the customer journey. When used thoughtfully, technology doesn’t replace the human touch in retail—it strengthens it by helping brands understand and serve their customers better.
Prakash Patel
Chairman & MD at Bhumi World
“Retail today is being reshaped by technologies that make shopping more intelligent, immersive and measurable. At Outlet Mall of India, we see AI, QR-led engagement and data-backed retail systems not as add-ons, but as the core of how modern shopping environments should function. We are building a technology-led retail ecosystem that helps improve customer engagement, retailer performance and overall mall growth in a far more structured way.
For us, this starts with advanced consumer intelligence. We are deploying European-grade sensors and smart camera systems across stores to understand real-time shopper behaviour, movement patterns and interactions. Spread across 12.5 acres, the development is also mapped into performance zones, allowing us to identify high-activity and underutilised areas and respond with smarter interventions, whether through events, activations or brand placement strategies.
At the consumer level, technology is helping make shopping more seamless and engaging.
Our Denmark-built loyalty platform is designed to drive repeat visits and influence buying behaviour through personalised rewards and incentives. At the same time, brand-authorised QR touchpoints across the mall will enable shoppers to instantly access offers, product information and exclusive experiences in real time.
From a retailer perspective, our integrated tracking and payment systems generate AI-powered insights that help brands better understand performance and optimise decisions. We have also created a gamified digital twin of the development, which has allowed retailers and partners to engage with the ecosystem even before launch. That approach has already helped us onboard over 200 brands since 2023.”
