French supermarket chain Intermarché has rolled out predictive and genAI technology as it seeks to further boost its retail operations from the supply chain and store operations to customer experience.

The move builds on the retailer’s existing partnership with tech developer Symphony AI, having previously deployed AI for demand forecasting.

The latest tech rollout aims to manage all production, model management, tuning, maintenance, and delivery for demand planners so that employees can focus on higher-priority activities.

The software also forecasts trends including accounting for variability due to holidays, seasonal conditions, weather, monthly events, and third-party data.

The technology uses AI and genAI to deliver more accurate demand forecasting than traditional statistical based modelling and with greater degree of automation, aiming to increase demand planning team efficiency, and reduce waste, shrink, and spoilage.

“Shoppers are assured of finding the items they want on shelves across the 2,500 stores in France,” said Intermarché in a statement, emphasising the impacts on customer service.

Thomas Darbois, general director at Intermarché, said that the technology will have an impact across many areas of the business, including consumer insights, pricing and promotion, assortment optimisation, forecasting and replenishment, and store operations.

He said that the fact that the new tech rollout could shrink the store owner’s technology dependence to a generative AI capability held in the hand is “revolutionary”.

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