Artificial intelligence isn’t just rewriting the rules of retail—it’s rewriting shopping lists. According to a new Acosta Group shopper study, 70% of U.S. consumers have already used AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini to browse, compare, or even buy products. Grocery is leading the way, but the message is clear: the AI revolution has officially left the novelty stage.

“Generative AI tools are becoming the new gatekeepers of the shopper journey,” said John Carroll, President of Connected Commerce at Acosta Group. “Retailers and brands have to rethink how they show up in AI-powered environments.”

From Novelty to Norm

Of the 1,074 shoppers surveyed, nearly every respondent (99%) was aware of AI, and 70% had already used it for shopping-related tasks. Saving money and time ranked as the top benefits. Interestingly, while retailer-specific tools like Walmart’s Sparky and Amazon’s Rufus are live, fewer than 15% of consumers have tried them—suggesting traditional retail AI assistants are lagging far behind open platforms.

Gen Z is setting the pace: over half (53%) of young shoppers say they trust generative AI more than traditional sources, signaling a sharp generational shift in trust dynamics.

Grocery Takes the Lead

No sector is feeling this shift faster than grocery. Thirty-six percent of shoppers say they’ve used AI tools to guide their grocery purchases, from recipe recommendations to in-cart substitutions. Other categories are catching up—health and wellness (28%), electronics (27%), and beauty (25%)—but grocery is the frontline battleground for AI adoption.

Kathy Risch, SVP of Shopper Insights at Acosta Group, puts it bluntly: “AI is transforming the way consumers shop, and grocery is where it’s happening first.”

The AI Shelf Is Shorter

One of the starkest changes: AI isn’t showing shoppers 25 options on a digital shelf or 100 items in a physical aisle. It’s surfacing two or three choices, often based on trust signals and contextual fit. That means if your brand isn’t ranking in an AI model’s shortlist, you may as well not exist.

Brands and retailers need to crack the new “AI shelf algorithm” by optimizing content for conversational queries, ensuring product detail pages are rich and trustworthy, and embracing agent-friendly ad strategies that prioritize substance over spend.

Trust Is Still the Hurdle

Despite heavy adoption, AI still faces a trust gap. While 58% of shoppers trust AI to find the best deals and 50% trust it for product reviews, only 12% are ready to let AI purchase autonomously. Privacy, fraud, and lack of approval remain top concerns. Still, nearly a third of shoppers said they’re open to letting an AI agent buy groceries on their behalf—suggesting the shift from assistive to autonomous is closer than many expect.

Key Opportunities for Brands

Acosta highlights several strategies for surviving—and thriving—in AI-powered commerce:

• Shift from keywords to conversations – Optimize for natural-language queries, not just search terms.

• Treat product detail pages as currency – Rich attributes, shopper context, and quality visuals now matter more than ad spend.

• Design agent-friendly ad strategies – Because tomorrow’s customer may not be human—it’ll be a bot shopping on their behalf.

• Audit your AI presence – Prompt ChatGPT, Gemini, or others to see if your brand even shows up in recommendations.

• Strengthen retailer collaboration – Share AI-driven demand signals to fine-tune joint forecasting.

The Bigger Picture

If AI really does become the “new gatekeeper” of shopping, then the next decade of retail won’t be defined by shelf space or SEO, but by AI discoverability. Brands that can’t secure a slot on the algorithm’s shortlist risk becoming invisible, regardless of how many endcaps or digital banners they buy.

Carroll summed it up best: “In the near future, AI agents will be making at least some of our purchase decisions. The winners will be those who build trust, show up in AI-powered environments, and make it easy for shoppers to say ‘yes.’”

For retailers and brands, the clock isn’t just ticking—it’s already in overtime.

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Massimo Group, best known for its powersports vehicles and boats, is making a less flashy but equally bold move: fusing Anthropic’s Claude AI with Oracle NetSuite ERP across its business. It’s not a racing ATV or a new fishing boat, but this behind-the-scenes upgrade could redefine how the company runs its day-to-day operations.

AI Meets ERP

The initiative pairs Claude’s natural language and reasoning skills with NetSuite’s tried-and-tested ERP backbone. The result? A smarter, faster enterprise system that promises to streamline workflows and give every department—from sales and supply chain to finance and customer service—an AI-powered edge.

David Shan, CEO of Massimo Group, framed it as more than just an IT upgrade:

“Artificial intelligence and cloud-based ERP systems are reshaping how companies compete. By integrating Claude AI with Oracle NetSuite, we’re responsibly deploying world-class tools that improve productivity, accelerate decision-making, and elevate customer experiences.”

Why This Matters

ERP systems are notorious for complexity. Adding Claude AI could make interacting with NetSuite as easy as chatting with a colleague—summarizing reports, surfacing insights, or even recommending next steps in supply chain management. For a company like Massimo, where moving parts range from manufacturing to dealer networks, shaving time off processes can mean faster product development and better margins.

The integration also plays into a broader enterprise trend: AI copilots are moving from shiny add-ons to core workflow tools. Microsoft has Copilot baked into Dynamics, Salesforce has Einstein, and now Massimo is effectively giving NetSuite the Claude treatment.

Beyond Efficiency

Massimo isn’t just chasing cost savings. The company says it expects the integration to deliver:

• Accelerated product development cycles – AI-assisted analysis can shorten time-to-market.

• Improved supply chain coordination – Proactive recommendations to avoid bottlenecks.

• Personalized customer support – Faster, context-rich responses for dealers and buyers.

The company also positions this as a play for shareholder value, signaling that AI adoption isn’t just about tech hype but about measurable impact on operations and customer engagement.

Looking Ahead

With this rollout, Massimo is preparing for continued growth into 2026 and beyond. The move also signals that AI-powered ERP isn’t just for Fortune 500s—mid-cap and niche manufacturers are finding ways to apply generative AI to unlock efficiency and competitive advantage.

The real test will be execution: can Claude AI embedded in NetSuite handle the grunt work of ERP without creating new layers of complexity? If it can, Massimo’s move could serve as a blueprint for other manufacturers reluctant to bet on AI until now.

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The grocery aisle is getting a brain upgrade. Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S., has partnered with Birdzi to deploy its customer intelligence platform—an AI-driven system designed to supercharge shopper personalization, marketing outreach, and planning.

Why It Matters

AI in grocery isn’t just about futuristic checkout kiosks. It’s about knowing what customers want before they hit the store—or the app. Birdzi’s platform blends advanced analytics with automated engagement, giving Wakefern banners like ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, and The Fresh Grocer the ability to run campaigns that are not only timely but highly individualized.

Darren Caudill, Wakefern’s Chief Sales Officer, put it bluntly: “As grocery retail enters an AI-driven era, working with Birdzi enables our supermarket banners to better respond to shopper needs.”

That echoes a broader trend. In 2023, 81% of grocery C-suite executives said AI would be a competitive necessity. This year? That number jumped to 93%.

From Pilot to Rollout

Pilot campaigns using Birdzi’s platform already delivered strong ROI for Wakefern, with added benefits such as:

• Sharper personalization – More relevant offers tailored to individual shoppers.

• Smarter planning – Data-backed forecasting to attract and retain customers.

• Deeper insights – Analytics that map shopper behavior with granular detail.

Now, Wakefern is scaling those efforts across its cooperative network, leveraging Birdzi’s Visper campaign engine—a system built to dynamically personalize promotions at scale.

AI as the New Loyalty Play

For Wakefern, personalization is more than a marketing tactic—it’s a survival strategy in an era where loyalty is increasingly fluid. Retail giants like Walmart and Amazon have been experimenting with their own AI assistants (Sparky, Rufus), but adoption remains limited. Birdzi offers something different: AI fine-tuned for large grocers that want real impact across hundreds of locations.

Shekar Raman, CEO of Birdzi, said the partnership validates years of development: “With over 80% of Birdzi customers operating 100+ store locations, the platform is mature and equipped to handle the needs of large-scale retailers.”

What’s Next

Birdzi will showcase its platform at Groceryshop 2025 in Las Vegas (Sept. 28–Oct. 1), where AI-powered grocery innovation is expected to dominate the floor. The Wakefern deal is likely to stand out as a case study of how legacy retail cooperatives can adopt cutting-edge AI without losing their community-focused DNA.

For shoppers, the result could be grocery lists that feel less like guesswork and more like personal concierge service. For competitors, it’s a reminder that AI personalization is moving from pilot projects to industry standard—fast.

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Apollo Silver Corp. (TSX.V: APGO; OTCQB: APGOF; Frankfurt: 6ZF0) is turning to outside expertise to step up its visibility in the capital markets. The Canadian mining company has engaged Capital Analytica, a Nanaimo, BC-based marketing and social media firm, to amplify its presence across digital channels and sharpen investor awareness strategies.

The deal, signed on September 22, 2025, is a six-month contract worth $120,000, paid in two tranches. Services include social media marketing, capital markets consultation, and social engagement reporting. While the arrangement is subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV), it reflects a broader trend in the mining sector: companies leaning on specialized communications firms to cut through the noise in an increasingly competitive capital markets environment.

Why This Matters

Mining is capital-intensive and visibility often equals investor confidence. With global exploration activity climbing and competition for investor dollars intensifying, firms like Apollo Silver can’t rely solely on drill results to keep attention. Instead, they’re borrowing tactics from B2B tech—where content marketing, targeted engagement, and data-driven social media campaigns are now table stakes.

Capital Analytica isn’t a household name, but in mining and metals circles, it’s carved out a niche helping juniors and mid-tiers stay relevant online. While $120,000 for half a year may sound steep, the spend highlights just how much companies are willing to invest in digital-first investor relations.

A Leadership Update

Alongside the marketing move, Apollo Silver has also made a boardroom adjustment. CEO and President Ross McElroy is now stepping into the company’s Board of Directors.

McElroy is no stranger to the mining spotlight. With nearly four decades in geology and leadership roles across uranium, gold, and multi-metal projects, he’s helped shepherd several world-class discoveries from exploration to production. His accolades—including The Northern Miner’s Mining Person of the Year (2013) and PDAC’s Bill Dennis Award (2014)—add weight to Apollo Silver’s leadership bench at a time when credibility is as critical as capital.

The Bigger Picture

The move underscores a balancing act playing out across the mining industry: companies must not only prove the geological potential of their assets but also market themselves as investable stories. With digital communication strategies blurring lines between mining IR and mainstream brand marketing, the question is no longer whether a junior miner needs a marketing plan—but how fast they can adapt one.

Apollo Silver’s partnership with Capital Analytica, paired with its boardroom update, signals a company preparing for both operational and reputational growth. The market will now be watching to see whether investor engagement follows suit.

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Netwatch, known for its AI-enabled proactive video monitoring, has partnered with 3Si Security Systems to integrate its service with 3Si’s DirectToDispatch™ (DTD) platform. The goal: deliver verified video and location intelligence directly to law enforcement in real time, trimming down response lag and boosting officer safety.

In practical terms, that means dispatchers and first responders won’t just get a call about “a break-in.” They’ll see validated video, paired with precise location data, before they even arrive at the scene.

Smarter, Faster, Safer

“This partnership is about giving first responders the information they need when every second matters,” said Netwatch CEO Kurt Takahashi. By combining visuals with geolocation, officers can walk into a situation already knowing what to expect — a huge leap from traditional “blind” dispatching.

For 3Si customers, the deal also unlocks access to Netwatch’s live intervention monitoring, where trained operators detect and deter suspicious activity in real time. The joint solution aims to mitigate threats, reduce theft, and improve operational control for businesses, while providing law enforcement with clearer, faster intel.

Meeting Modern Policing Challenges

The timing isn’t accidental. Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. face shrinking budgets, staff shortages, and increasingly complex threats. “Access to real-time, verified intelligence is more essential than ever,” said 3Si CEO Matt Kushner. By streamlining how intelligence flows to dispatchers, the companies argue they’re helping agencies do more with less while keeping officers safer.

Industry Context

The partnership reflects a growing trend: security tech companies are moving beyond prevention and into intelligence-sharing ecosystems. With AI-driven monitoring, automated alerts, and direct-to-dispatch integrations, the security industry is increasingly bridging the gap between private systems and public response. Rivals like Motorola Solutions and Axon have been pushing similar integrations — and now, Netwatch and 3Si are signaling they don’t plan to be left behind.

If the collaboration delivers, it could reshape expectations for how private security providers support law enforcement, particularly in high-risk environments where seconds matter.

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The data integrity giant is making it easier for enterprises to operationalize “AI-ready” data — and it’s betting natural language and LLM flexibility are the keys.

Data quality has long been the unsung hero (and sometimes the Achilles’ heel) of enterprise AI projects. Precisely, a global leader in data integrity, is rolling out new AI-driven upgrades to its Data Integrity Suite that aim to finally make high-quality, AI-ready data accessible at scale.

The release introduces a set of features designed to shrink the gap between business and technical teams, reduce deployment time, and give enterprises more freedom in how they use AI. The big promise? Faster, more reliable data pipelines without the usual manual bottlenecks.

What’s New: Natural Language Meets Data Quality

At the core of the upgrade is a push toward natural language interfaces. Instead of coding data quality tasks line by line, users can now describe what they need in plain English — and the system will automatically generate the custom code.

Other highlights include:

• AI-powered rule and description generation: Automating the creation of rules and documentation, slashing hours of manual work.

• AI-generated sample data: Automatically producing test datasets to validate logic and accelerate deployments.

• LLM integration in pipelines: Bringing large language models directly into transformation workflows, with support for “bring your own LLM” to ensure enterprises aren’t locked into a single provider.

Why It Matters

The updates come at a moment when AI adoption is skyrocketing, but many organizations are stalling out on poor data quality. According to multiple industry surveys, over 70% of enterprise AI projects struggle to scale due to messy, incomplete, or siloed data.

By blending AI automation with its trusted governance framework, Precisely is positioning itself as the bridge between cutting-edge AI ambitions and the practical realities of enterprise data management.

“Organizations don’t just need AI — they need reliable AI,” noted Chris Hall, Chief Product Officer at Precisely. “This release is about making high-quality data faster, more accessible, and more flexible than ever.”

The Bigger Picture

This move also reflects a broader industry trend: data management vendors racing to embed AI in their toolkits. Collibra, Informatica, and Talend have all announced AI-powered data governance enhancements this year. Precisely’s differentiator is its emphasis on choice and control — letting customers plug in their own LLMs while staying within a secure, governed framework.

For enterprises, that could mean avoiding vendor lock-in while still accelerating AI initiatives. And with data integrity now a make-or-break factor for digital transformation, Precisely is clearly aiming to stay ahead of rivals by blending automation with flexibility.

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Alison Simpson’s tenure has transformed CMA into a future-focused hub for Canadian marketers, setting the stage for continued leadership in the sector.

The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) today announced that President and CEO Alison Simpson will retire in May 2026, concluding a transformative period marked by innovation, growth, and industry leadership. Simpson, who assumed the role in November 2022, leaves behind a legacy of measurable impact on Canadian marketing professionals, brands, and the broader economy.

A Career Defined by Modernization and Growth

During her leadership, Simpson spearheaded initiatives designed to future-proof the profession, expanding membership, professional development, and industry advocacy. Among her most notable contributions:

• AI and digital resources for marketers navigating emerging technologies.

• Modernized Chartered Marketer (CM) program, aligning Canada’s only professional marketing designation with evolving industry needs.

• CMA Marketing Week, launched in 2024, which has rapidly become a marquee event attracting thousands of marketers nationwide.

• Digital Marketing Skills Canada (DMSC) program, upskilling 1,800+ marketers from underrepresented groups and supporting 700 SMEs within its first 18 months.

• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) initiatives, including an annual national survey and workplace discussion guides to drive sector-wide inclusion.

Under Simpson, CMA membership surpassed 450 organizations, welcoming 100 new members since 2023. The number of Chartered Marketers more than doubled, and member satisfaction reached record highs. The association also played a leading role in national advocacy, addressing digital sales tax and interprovincial trade barriers affecting SMEs.

Leadership Transition

The CMA Board of Directors has launched a search for Simpson’s successor with Boyden Canada, led by Vice Chair Meghan Nameth. The board emphasized that Simpson’s vision and strong team culture leave the CMA well-positioned for continued success.

“Alison has made a lasting impact on the CMA and Canada’s marketing community,” said CMA Board Chair Alan Depencier. “Her leadership has strengthened the Association and positioned it for continued success. We are grateful for her dedication and commitment to a smooth transition.”

Simpson, reflecting on her tenure, said:

“Leading the CMA has been the high point of my career. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and confident the CMA will continue to thrive.”

Simpson plans to devote more time to board work and advisory roles within the marketing industry following her retirement, marking the next chapter in a career spanning over two decades in senior marketing leadership.

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AI-powered engagement earns Braze a third consecutive year at the top of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant.

Customer engagement platform Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE) has been recognized as a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs, marking the third consecutive year the company has earned the distinction. The evaluation assessed both Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute, highlighting Braze’s AI-driven personalization capabilities and scalable engagement solutions.

“This recognition underscores our commitment to help brands turn action into interaction,” said Bill Magnuson, cofounder and CEO of Braze. “As a Leader, we’re passionate about advancing the customer engagement industry by offering intelligent, adaptable, and composable personalization solutions that deliver strong business outcomes.”

AI and Innovation at the Core

Braze has doubled down on product innovation, integrating AI throughout its platform with tools like BrazeAI™ and the OfferFit acquisition, which enable marketers to ideate, test, and optimize campaigns more efficiently. Other enhancements include:

• Native support for new channels like RCS messaging and banners.

• Braze Data Platform, providing greater data agility and integration capabilities.

• Expanded reporting and analytics, giving marketers deeper insights into customer journeys and engagement performance.

By combining AI-powered personalization with multichannel delivery, Braze allows marketers to engage consumers at scale while maintaining relevance, timeliness, and context. The platform’s emphasis on composable solutions means brands can tailor campaigns to specific audiences without being locked into rigid workflows.

Why It Matters

Gartner’s Magic Quadrant offers a market-wide snapshot of technology providers, grouping them as Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries, or Niche Players. Being placed as a Leader signals that Braze not only executes well today but also has a strong vision for future customer engagement innovation.

The recognition positions Braze alongside other top-tier platforms in an increasingly competitive landscape, where AI, real-time analytics, and multichannel orchestration are no longer optional—they’re expected. For marketers navigating digital transformation and rising consumer expectations, platforms like Braze provide both scale and intelligence to drive measurable results.

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