‘AI without good data is like a car without fuel’

Let’s talk about data.

Not the buzzword. Not the abstract concept. But the real, often overlooked hero powering the most transformational force of our time: artificial intelligence. Because if AI is the rocket ship, then data is its fuel. And it’s time we gave data the recognition and affection it deserves.

As someone who’s spent over two decades in retail data science, I’ve seen firsthand how data has quietly revolutionised how we understand customers, make decisions, and unlock value. But in recent months, with the spotlight squarely on generative AI and chatbot showstoppers, we risk forgetting that these flashy tools are nothing without quality data beneath them.

In other words, no data, no AI.

Data is not just numbers—it’s human behaviour in digital form.

“AI is not plug-and-play—it’s plug-and-prepare”

Let’s get one thing straight. When we talk about data in retail, we’re not just referring to spreadsheets and graphs. We’re talking about people’s lives, translated into zeros and ones—their preferences, habits, aspirations, even their values.

Every time a customer picks up oat milk instead of cow’s milk, lingers on a product page, or redeems a loyalty coupon, they’re telling us something. And when we aggregate, analyse, and respect that information, we gain the ability to serve them better.

This is where data earns our love—not as a cold, clinical tool, but as a bridge to empathy at scale.

AI is not plug-and-play

There’s a tendency to think of AI as magic. It’s not. It’s maths, powered by data. Machine learning algorithms are trained on historical data to make predictions. Generative AI learns statistical patterns from vast datasets to produce new content. Without clean, relevant, well-governed data, the results are unreliable at best, harmful at worst.

Retailers looking to leap into AI need to understand this. You can’t simply plug in a large language model and expect it to transform your business overnight. AI is not plug-and-play—it’s plug-and-prepare. And that preparation starts with data: collecting it responsibly, managing it ethically, and structuring it for action.

Fall in love with data again

So why should we all love data? Because it makes the invisible visible. Because it reveals what customers need—sometimes even before they know it themselves. Because it’s the foundation on which every intelligent system is built. And because, when used responsibly, it has the power to make retail more human, not less.

If you’re a business leader wondering where to start with AI, start with your data. Ask yourself: is it clean, connected, and comprehensive? Are you using it to understand, not just to target? Are your teams equipped to turn insight into action?

Building a strong data foundation means focusing your attention on four key pillars:

• Technology that can handle multiple data streams simultaneously and in real-time
• Talent to bridge the gap between technical insights and business decisions
• Architecture that ensures your systems communicate effectively
• Data governance to keep data clean, protected and trustworthy

The future of AI

The future of AI won’t be won by those chasing the latest model. It will be won by those who know how to wield data wisely. In the end, it’s not AI that will make or break your strategy. It’s whether you’ve learned to love—and leverage your data.