rs must adapt to the point of purchase itself. A shift in the in-store experience One of the most obvious ways that AI is disrupting the in-store experience is the humble price tag. Physical retailers have long been at a disadvantage compared to their online counterparts when it comes to offering real-time price information and savings in-store, but that is beginning to change.  Zyft is an AI-powered shopping platform offering real-time price comparisons and access to savings across thousands of retailers, including Amazon Australia, Big W and Adore Beauty. Its CEO Richard Stevens has seen an uptick in consumers using these tools during their offline shopping journeys. “We are seeing customers use both our AI-powered barcode scanner and browser extension in stores to check if they are really getting the best deal before spending, to unlock price transparency when they are already in a retail environment, ” Stevens told Inside Retail. “This new wave of highly informed consumers is resulting in other savings vehicles, like price matching, becoming more accessible.” With price pressure rising, Stevens sees AI-fuelled transparency as a competitive advantage for retailers who can react and convert instantaneously.  “With the ability to understand what truly makes a customer tick, AI technology can ensure retailers reach customers with the right deal at the right time to help drive conversion,” he said. In-store AI touchpoints are also being embraced in the burgeoning resale market. “Resale isn’t a niche anymore, it’s mainstream commerce. And just like payments had Stripe, trust in resale needs infrastructure too,” Lauren Kennedy, CEO and co-founder of Verity AI, told Inside Retail.  “We’re at a pivotal moment where AI-powered authentication is moving from being a backend feature to a visible trust signal across both online and offline retail,” she added.  For Kennedy, the next evolution of resale is happening at the store level through smart kiosks and self-serve authentication points that eliminate ambiguity at the moment of purchase or return. “Think: self-service authentication kiosks, instant return verification, or resale drop-off points where items are scanned, authenticated and listed in real time,” she said. Whether it’s in a livestream or a department store, Kennedy believes real-time authentication will soon be as familiar as scanning a barcode. “Imagine watching a live seller showcase a Zimmermann dress and seeing a real-time AI-authenticated badge pop up on-screen, or being able to scan a QR code that links to a digital certificate confirming the item’s authenticity. That’s not just useful, it’s going to become expected in video-driven retail,” she said. “This isn’t speculative, it’s already possible. The barrier isn’t the tech, it’s the integration mindset. Retailers who embed authentication into their omnichannel strategies will be the ones who build long-term loyalty,” she added.  The AI-augmented shop floor The implications of in-store AI stretch beyond resale. Barcode-based price validation and kiosk authentication signal a retail model where customer experience is increasingly automated, yet hyper-personalised. And as consumers grow used to intelligent, frictionless interactions online, they will expect the same in-store. “AI chatbots are grabbing the headlines because they’re great at inspiring shoppers, but when it comes to driving real conversions, AI-powered shopping tools designed specifically to elevate the shopping experience deliver more immediate value,” said Stevens. “Chatbots lack transaction search features, not offering the user reviews, pricing or filter functionalities, which shoppers need to make confident buying decisions,” he added.  However, AI that lives in the hands of the shopper, or in kiosks at the point of return, could come to define the interface between intention and purchase going forward. Evolving consumer expectations Retailers must also heed the evolving values and behaviours of new generations. According to Priya Kanniappan, marketing director at Easy Weddings, Gen Z shoppers consult 10 or more touchpoints before making a purchase, starting with TikTok and rapidly moving to peer reviews across Google, Reddit and Instagram. This demographic is budget-conscious and value-aligned, prioritising peer validation over traditional advertising, which they find increasingly untrustworthy. Kanniappan’s insights reinforce the necessity of AI tools for small businesses to streamline sales, build authenticity and meet rising expectations for personalised, transparent experiences in-store and online collectively.  As with all technological shifts, not all players are equally positioned, with generative AI platforms replicating the same visibility biases seen in traditional search, favouring dominant brands with stronger SEO and paid media presence. “Larger brands have more resources to provide Google AI with what is rewarded, while smaller retailers without dedicated technology and digital marketing teams face an uphill battle just to be discovered,” Stevens said.  “Just ask a chatbot for the ‘best running shoes,’ and it’ll typically highlight big global brands, even if local stores have better offers,” he added. The solution to this may be AI tools built on real-time metrics such as stock availability and price rather than ad dominance. Kennedy, meanwhile, sees visibility and trust as intertwined. In her view, once customers get used to real-time, in-store verification, they’ll expect nothing less. “The moment one platform makes authentication visible and instant, it becomes the customer expectation,” she said. “This isn’t just fraud prevention, it’s a conversion tool.” The store as the new interface Globally, brands are already pioneering the future of in-store AI touchpoints. Skechers recently unveiled Luna, an AI-powered retail assistant, at its new store in Singapore’s Punggol Coast Mall.  Through an interactive kiosk or Telegram chat, Luna offers personalised style advice and product recommendations by analysing customers’ preferences and real-time conversations. The future of AI in retail may not be written in code or prompted by chatbots; it may be experienced at the counter, in the fitting room and at the point of return.  From real-time price comparisons to self-serve authentication kiosks, the physical store is becoming a responsive and artificially intelligent environment. For retailers, the shop floor is changing, and those who build with AI whether visibly, seamlessly or strategically, will be the ones who stay seen.