Kingfisher and Morrisons pivot to AI as retail tech consolidation deepens

Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q and Screwfix, is scaling its use of AI tools like Fabric to streamline content production and SEO. The strategy appears to be yielding results, with AI-enabled personalization contributing approximately £100 million in sales. This digital acceleration arrives as the retailer lifts its pre-tax profit guidance to a range of £595 million to £635 million, even as store-based sales faced headwinds from recent unseasonable weather.

Simultaneously, Morrisons is formalizing its digital leadership by appointing Dr. Mohsen Ghasempour as its first Chief AI Officer. Moving from his role at Kingfisher, Ghasempour will report directly to CEO Rami Baitiéh to oversee a centralized data function. Elsewhere in the sector, Royal Mail is expanding its physical footprint by acquiring 3,000 parcel lockers from Quadient, while Tesco has begun testing virtual try-on technology at its Sandhurst store to enhance the F&F clothing shopping experience. These developments underscore a period of rapid integration where physical infrastructure and algorithmic intelligence are becoming increasingly inseparable.