Technology

Retailers embracing AI to boost data-driven strategies

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March 10, 2021

HomeTown Pharmacy, Pyramid Foods and Carlie C's IGA are three retailers deploying AI technology to boost data-driven decision making across merchandising, marketing and other business areas.

The three companies are deploying Hypersonix's AI platform, according to a press release.

HomeTown Pharmacy, a chain with more than 40 locations across Michigan and Indiana, is striving to drive crossover sales within its pharmacy and retail stores and leveraging AI to better identify and serve customers.

"Although we pride ourselves on being a long-running and family-owned pharmacy, that doesn't mean we aren't also embracing the latest technologies to improve the level of service for our valued customers," Jonathan Grice, HomeTown Pharmacy president, said in the release. "Working with Hypersonix is helping us figure out what we need to do in order to not only grow on the pharmacy side, but also increase sales for the rest of our retail products."

Pyramid Foods, a regional 50-store, multi-brand retailer based in Springfield, Missouri, is partnering with Hypersonix to improve pricing capabilities and will use a variety of new factors including analyzing consumer demand and competitive intelligence to set more optimal pricing to meet the needs of local shoppers.

"Historically it has been a manual process to set pricing in our various locations, especially with the strong competitors that we face here. Now that we have the technology to make informed, accurate changes in real time, there are a variety of other areas where we plan to use Hypersonix," Erick Taylor, Pyramid Foods CEO and president, said in the release. "We're looking forward to seeing continued growth across our business with the help of Hypersonix."

Carlie C's IGA, a 25-store operator based in Dunn, North Carolina, is tapping Hypersonix to improve competitiveness with larger chains. Its main priority initially was to improve competitive pricing against larger, national chains by identifying key factors such as consumer demand, competitive positioning, internal economics and localized category goals.

"As a smaller chain, using AI to improve the business has always seemed like something that would be out of reach for us. I must say that it has been incredibly easy and fast to implement Hypersonix and now we are looking to maximize results," Mack McLamb, Carlie C. McLamb Enterprises president, said in the release.