How AI is Transforming the Way Retailers Connect With Consumers

AI continues to shape the next generation of retail, not just as a tool for efficiency but as a catalyst for entirely new ways our customers connect with consumers. Leading retail brands are turning to the Data Intelligence Platform for Retail to unify their data, uncover real-time insights, and build adaptive models and AI agents that respond to changing customer behavior. From forecasting product demand and reducing food waste to analyzing customer sentiment and deploying GenAI-powered chatbots, retailers are reimagining what’s possible across every touchpoint.

In this blog, we showcase how global brands like Pilot Flying J, adidas, Domino’s, Albert Heijn, and PRADA Group are using Databricks and AI to personalize interactions, streamline operations, and deliver more intelligent, connected customer experiences.

Pilot taps GenAI to personalize offers across 750+ locations

Pilot Flying J, the largest travel center operator in North America, is using the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to unify its data and accelerate its AI strategy. With over 750 locations and 30,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada, Pilot handles hundreds of terabytes of data, from structured sources like point-of-sale systems and fuel deliveries to growing volumes of unstructured data such as guest reviews and survey responses. Databricks enables Pilot’s previously siloed data science, analytics, and engineering teams to collaborate in a single environment, working from shared notebooks and unified datasets. This cross-functional approach has streamlined operations and set the stage for more advanced use cases, including real-time personalization and guest engagement. Now, as Pilot expands into generative AI, it’s leveraging Databricks to build smarter software, empower marketing and personalization teams, and explore the evolving energy landscape.

Our next step is moving to generative AI, where we’re looking to innovate faster for our engineering teams, building better software for our guest personalization teams and marketing. Databricks is helping us on our GenAI journey by providing that end-to-end platform. — Todd Hunt, Director of Database at Pilot Flying J

adidas builds a scalable GenAI chatbot to power product innovation

adidas is transforming product innovation with GenAI built on Databricks. By leveraging the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, adidas built a scalable RAG-based chatbot that analyzes sentiment across 2 million+ product reviews, reducing latency by 60%, cutting compute costs by 90%, and improving review analysis efficiency by up to 40%. Now, global teams across product, design, and marketing can extract actionable insights in seconds, accelerating decision-making and enhancing customer experiences. Powered by Mosaic AI Vector Search, Model Serving, Unity Catalog, and MLflow, adidas’ GenAI solution is unlocking faster feedback loops and paving the way for future use cases in service, knowledge management, and beyond.

We leveraged Databricks to build a GenAI chatbot solution that analyzes sentiment across millions of customer reviews and delivers actionable insights, helping teams uncover opportunities and accelerate product innovation. — Rahul Pandey, Senior Solutions Architect, adidas

Domino’s responds to customers in real-time using GenAI and Reddit data

Domino’s, which sells over 3 million pizzas a day, is redefining how it responds to customer feedback using GenAI and Databricks. Through their “Voice of the Pizza” initiative, Domino’s is using the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to analyze customer feedback from sources like Reddit, turning raw comments into real-time insights. Powered by tools such as Vector Search, Model Serving, and the AI Playground, the team built a GenAI solution that classifies sentiment, surfaces key themes, and recommends actions, all with low latency and high accuracy. The project boosted developer productivity, reduced manual work, and transformed how teams interact with AI in the notebook environment.

The integration of AI into the Databricks Notebook environment has been a game-changer for our development process. As one team member put it, ‘The in-line code generator transformed our workflow, shifting us from being coders to AI Directors. — Domino’s Data Science Team

Albert Heijn improves forecast accuracy and reduces food waste with AI

Customers expect to walk into a store and find exactly what they need, but delivering that seamless experience requires a highly intelligent, data-driven supply chain. At Albert Heijn, the largest grocery retailer in the Netherlands, meeting that expectation means generating over a billion forecasts per day across 1,200+ stores and 30,000 SKUs. By migrating from legacy systems to the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform, Albert Heijn now operates from a single source of truth, with real-time insights powered by Databricks SQL and scalable machine learning models. These models predict store-level sales and optimize stock availability, helping ensure shelves are stocked — while also minimizing food waste. With Databricks, Albert Heijn has reduced waste by 3.6 million kilograms in just one year, all while delivering a smarter, more reliable shopping experience to customers.

With multiple data and AI initiatives on Databricks, we reduced 3.6 million kilograms of food waste in just one year. — Vipool Agarwal, Product Owner, Supply Chain at Albert Heijn

PRADA Group uses AI to deliver more personalized, data-driven customer experiences

PRADA Group is embracing AI to elevate personalization, forecasting, and marketing, all powered by Databricks. As a global leader in luxury fashion with over 600 stores in 70 countries, PRADA turned to the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to unify its data and accelerate innovation. With a single source of truth governed by Unity Catalog, PRADA’s data science teams can now build and deploy machine learning and GenAI models faster — driving smarter forecasting, personalized experiences, and optimized marketing campaigns. Databricks also democratizes data access across the business, enabling non-technical users to explore insights independently and act on them with confidence.

Thanks to Databricks and Unity Catalog, we have clean, governed data that’s ready for machine learning and GenAI models. — Anna Codispoti, Head of Data Analytics at PRADA Group

The future of AI in retail starts here

From predictive supply chains and personalized marketing to real-time customer feedback analysis, these leading retailers are showing what’s possible when AI meets a unified, governed data foundation. Databricks is proud to power their journeys, helping retailers move faster, innovate smarter, and deliver more connected experiences across every customer touchpoint.

Get started today with the Data Intelligence Platform for Retail.