Currys has said it is aiming to enhance its operations, elevate the shopping experience, and improve its colleague experience by investing in the latest AI technologies.
The omnichannel retailer has selected Accenture and Microsoft to deliver its core cloud technology infrastructure; with their joint venture, Avanade, they will work closely with Currys to modernise, secure and simplify its technology estate, enabling the retailer to accelerate the adoption of Microsoft AI technologies such as Azure OpenAI Service.
By doing this, Currys said it can “unlock value” across every part of the business.
The retailer plans to make it easier for customers to shop using personalised relevant product information and suggestions tailored to their needs in the moment, as well as providing customers with improved post-sales and warranty services.
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Internally, Currys said it wants to enhance its colleague experience, by equipping staff with faster and easier access to information such a product availability, delivery costs and add-on services so they can better serve customers, while also identifying potential cross and upselling opportunities.
All of this, plus other plans in the pipeline, will help to drive future growth and profitability, the retailer said. Through integrating AI into marketing, HR, finance and legal processes, Currys will benefit from increased productivity across core business functions. The retailer will look to harness AI for opportunities to improve omnichannel experiences.
The transition will also accelerate Currys’ journey to net zero emissions by 2040, it claimed, by moving nine existing data centres with more than 2,000 servers and 200 applications onto Azure to create a more energy efficient infrastructure.
Alex Baldock, Group CEO of Currys plc, said: “AI is the biggest technological leap of our lifetime. So as well as bringing the benefits of AI to millions of our customers, we’ll do the same to our own business.
“We couldn’t have better partners for this, and together we aim to put Currys at the forefront of digital transformation in retail. We’re just starting out here, but the possibilities are vast. I’m looking forward to unlocking big benefits for our colleagues, customers and shareholders.”
