The omnichannel AI revolution: Inside retail's next power play

The checkout line is gone, and so is the one-size-fits-all shopper. In today’s algorithm-driven retail world, every scroll, click, and conversation is a data signal feeding a smarter, faster, and more personal customer experience. Across the globe, machine learning is helping retailers predict what you’ll want next, personalise your recommendations down to the millisecond, and even decide which human agent (or chatbot) should talk to you.

The payoff? Personalised journeys are boosting order values by as much as 40%, while AI-driven service solutions now manage nearly seven out of every 10 customer interactions. But as the race intensifies, the true competition isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about trust, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. The brands that win won’t be those with the most data, but those that know how to turn intelligence into human relevance.

Turning Data into Loyalty

For Jadd Elliot Dib, Founder and CEO of PangaeaX, a pioneering data and AI ecosystem, the secret to long-term retail success lies in creating a seamless experience that feels consistent across every touchpoint. “AI connects all customer touchpoints by giving the same helpful experience whether in-store, online, or on an app,” he says.

“AI keeps track, allowing the customer to feel a uniform brand message and experience across all platforms. By studying consumer behaviour, predictive analytics can help predict what people want next, making it easier to build long-term loyalty.”

In this view, the omnichannel journey isn’t just a digital upgrade, it’s a unification strategy. Predictive analytics can anticipate what customers want next, and when brands use this insight responsibly, it builds emotional equity.

“A key point for brands is to ensure alignment, because consistency builds trust,” Dib adds.

Jadd Elliot Dib, Founder and CEO of PangaeaX.

“AI should enhance the brand’s identity, not change it. When technology, design, and human experience align, customer relationships deepen organically by creating a smooth journey that feels personal but still true to the brand.”

In other words, the future of loyalty isn’t just earned through discounts or speed, it’s built through coherence. Every click, swipe, and store visit should feel like it’s part of one continuous brand narrative.

Personalisation with Principles: Privacy as a Value Proposition

Hyper-personalisation may be retail’s new frontier, but it comes with its own moral mathematics. With 70% of shoppers now expecting tailored experiences, the pressure to personalise is immense, yet it’s the ethical approach that defines who stays trusted in the long run.

“It’s crucial to have ethical AI frameworks in place,” Dib notes. “This ensures that AI can personalize experiences responsibly by using only approved, anonymised, or consent-based customer data.” In a market where trust can be lost in a click, transparency isn’t optional.

“Personalisation without privacy leads to short-term gain but long-term loss,” he warns. “Privacy is part of customer value; it’s not just a legal issue but a trust issue.”

The next wave of personalisation will be permission-based, he predicts — one where customers not only know what data they’re sharing but understand the benefit they’re getting in return. “The future of personalisation is permission-based, and customers should always feel in control of their data and choices.”

AI with Empathy: The Human Edge in an Automated World

Today, 68% of retail customer service is handled by AI bots. Efficiency is undeniable — but empathy remains the differentiator. “AI bots can handle general questions quickly, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex or emotional cases,” says Dib. “They are complementary – AI handles efficiency, while humans handle empathy.”

The next evolution lies in emotional intelligence. With advances in natural language processing and emotion recognition, AI systems are learning to interpret tone, urgency, and even frustration.

“AI interactions can become more human-like while maintaining speed, accuracy and improving over time,” he explains. “Then when more complex situations arise, a human agent can step in and use their empathy and ingenuity to solve the problem.”

Dib cautions that boundaries matter. “Empathy must remain at the centre; AI should make human service better, not replace it. Having AI technology that listens, learns, and knows when to hand off to a real person builds deeper brand loyalty.”

From Reactive to Predictive: The Next Five Years of Retail Intelligence

If today’s AI understands customers, tomorrow’s AI will anticipate them. Dib envisions a near future where retail experiences are dynamically optimised in real time — from price adjustments to personalised recommendations that evolve by the second. “In the next five years, retail will become more real-time, with AI able to adjust offers, messages, and inventory instantly based on customer behaviour,” he says.

“The leaders will connect online and offline experience through a central shared AI system that understands the full customer journey,” he adds. “The winners will be those who move from personalisation to predictive personalisation. Brands must anticipate needs, not just respond to them. And lastly, AI will shift from a cost-saving tool to a growth engine.” That shift — from efficiency to empathy, from insight to foresight is where the retail divide will grow deepest. “Those who use it strategically will lead the market,” Dib concludes, “while those who fail to grasp its potential risk getting left in the dust.”

The UAE’s AI Advantage

In the UAE, this transformation is already accelerating. Mohammed Alkhotani, SVP and GM, Salesforce Middle East, notes that retailers are under intense pressure to stay agile amid fierce competition and a customer base that expects both convenience and connection. “Retailers in the UAE face numerous challenges including fierce competition, increasingly demanding customers, and for many retailers — the need to engage customers across physical and digital stores,” Alkhotani explains. “Amid these challenges, it is vital for retailers to implement technology that enables them to gain full visibility of their customers across multiple touchpoints and digital channels.”

Mohammed Alkhotani, SVP and GM, Salesforce Middle East.

That visibility — powered by data-driven platforms enables retailers to personalise interactions not just by who the customer is, but how they prefer to engage. “By having better visibility of customers, retailers can also enhance their ability to respond to customer queries and complaints quickly and effectively across each customer’s preferred channel, whether that’s social, email or a phone call,” he says.

AI, Alkhotani adds, is redefining this engagement layer. “AI is becoming a gamechanger for retailers in terms of the technology’s ability to analyse data and use it to deliver smart solutions. Agentic AI in particular will transform the way retailers interact with customers, enabling stores and customer service teams to collaborate with AI agents to improve engagement while also freeing up human resources for more complex, creative tasks.”

The Omnichannel AI Advantage

• Personalisation is Power

• Predicts customer preferences, boosting order values by up to 40%

• Seamless experiences across online, offline, and mobile

Privacy Builds Trust

> Permission-based personalisation keeps customers in control

> Transparency is key: trust > short-term gains

> AI + Human Empathy = Winning Formula

> 68% of customer service is AI-driven

> Humans handle complex, emotional interactions

Predictive Retail is the Future

• Real-time adjustments to offers, inventory, and messaging

• Brands that anticipate needs will lead the market