South Africa: Township retail and millennial consumers fast-food buying patterns in industry 4 0 and 5.0

And plumbing items may be placed closer to the front of the store for leaks that require emergency attention during harsh and unpredictable seasons. An agentic AI agent evaluates the occurrence and responds appropriately by flagging the pattern and proposing a new checkout flow. The change is reviewed, approved and learned to be deployed system-wide just hours later.

Those who predict the future shape it and in retail technology, the LEAFIO AI Retail Platform is at the forefront, offering AI-powered solutions that streamline inventory management, automate replenishment, and optimize shelf space.
The above-mentioned factors should be considered as many South Africans habitually shop online and enjoy Serve Direct-To-Consumer experiences with e-commerce platforms.
Let’s explore how AI-powered HR can create more engaged, motivated, and fulfilled employees.

#2. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Retail Solutions: Powering Global Commerce

At International Supermarket News, we view retail as a powerful indicator of economic health. When retail thrives, it reflects consumer confidence, employment stability, and robust economic activity. From high street spending to supply chain movement, the retail sector offers real-time insight into the state of a nation’s economy. Our team of seasoned analysts, with decades of combined experience in global retail markets, closely monitors these trends to provide accurate, timely analysis. We believe that by understanding retail, we gain a deeper understanding of the economy as a whole. In South Africa, several technologies in the fast-food market are applied using AI tools such as gamification, display kiosks, cashless digital graphics and chatbots to name a few.

With the rise of cashier-less stores and automated warehouses, Zebra’s IoT and RFID solutions are paving the way for the next generation of retail automation. International Supermarket News was born alongside the rise of globalisation, inspired by the early signs of a rapidly integrating retail world. Hanson Dodge is a full-service advertising agency that specializes in blending effective strategy and creative ideas to inspire consumers and transform brands.

This way, retailers and HR contribute to a more inclusive and empowering environment for individuals of all working styles and needs, aided by AI. And when employees feel seen and supported, they’re more likely to remain engaged and motivated. Treating employees like individuals makes them feel more respected and engaged in the workplace. This approach transforms workplace engagement into a meaningful and employee-focused experience, rather than a mere tick-box exercise.

All driven by latest shifts in manufacturing practices brought by industry 5.0 to optimise productivity with machine-based operations aimed at amplifying value. Such trends would greatly appeal to techno savvy fast-food patrons, including the millennial consumer cohort. We deliver the latest in retail news, FMCG trends, technology updates, and exclusive interviews.

Research from Honeywell, a multinational conglomerate, found that 80% of retailers will acquire AI systems over the coming months to better understand customers, create a more efficient shopping experience, and improve worker productivity. Chandhu Nair, the senior vice president of data, AI, and innovation at Lowe’s, told Business Insider that the technology is allowing the store chain to create more immersive shopping experiences that are also easy and quick to navigate. With over 100,000 retail customers worldwide, AWS enables brands to tap into machine learning, IoT, and big data analytics, optimizing customer experiences and backend operations alike. Those who predict the future shape it and in retail technology, the LEAFIO AI Retail Platform is at the forefront, offering AI-powered solutions that streamline inventory management, automate replenishment, and optimize shelf space. With its cutting-edge AI demand forecasting and AI-based empty shelf recognition function, retailers can ensure product availability, reducing out-of-stocks and boosting sales.

Interview: Riad Beladi, Analyst & Editor at International Supermarket News, in Conversation…

In this way, AI helps bridge the generational divide by enhancing human-led learning with modern, scalable tools. In-store personalization is often a one-size-fits-all initiative in a world where tailored experiences are the foundation of customer loyalty. SVP Innovation and Incubation at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Yevgeni drives innovation and delivers cutting-edge retail technologies. DMNews (Direct Message News) helps readers cut through the noise with clear, meaningful insights on mindset, relationships, digital life, and more. Every article is built around The Direct Message, our unique approach to delivering clarity and purpose in a distracted world.

From garage startups to global brands, Shopify Plus has become the go-to e-commerce platform for scalable and flexible online retail.
Of course, as retailers like Lowe’s become more reliant on AI to improve efficiencies, concerns are growing that the technology could wipe out millions of blue-collar jobs in the next few years.
From smart barcode scanners to real-time analytics dashboards, Zebra is helping retailers reduce shrinkage by up to 50% while enhancing efficiency.
SVP Innovation and Incubation at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Yevgeni drives innovation and delivers cutting-edge retail technologies.

Now, generative AI tools are making inroads into transforming the employee experience, particularly for neurodiverse employees. For example, real-time transcription and AI-generated summaries of long documents can make training, recruitment and onboarding processes easier and less overwhelming. By empowering systems to detect, decide and evolve autonomously, retailers gain the ability to act with speed, precision and agility at every touchpoint.

In unparalleled fashion, AI-powered tools provide a means of personalising, automating, and elevating the above. HR professionals in retail now need to consider how AI can be used to create and foster employee engagement. Of course, as retailers like Lowe’s become more reliant on AI to improve efficiencies, concerns are growing that the technology could wipe out millions of blue-collar jobs in the next few years. That said, Nair emphasized that Lowe’s approach is to augment staff and not put them out of work; using AI for store-layout optimization requires “human creativity,” he said, in addition to “data-powered insights” and “efficient technology.” In the future, agentic AI systems, which are designed to make decisions independent of humans, could disrupt the retail sector even further.

That’s the goal of Paris-based AI startup Veesion, which has developed an algorithm that can recognize gestures to predict potential retail theft incidents. Those who chase trend cycles will wake up to find the competitive gap has quietly widened, one small model decision at a time. AI will not rescue retail; disciplined retailers will rescue AI—by treating it as a systems upgrade that starts with culture, not code. A June 2025 Statistics Canada survey found only 12.2% of businesses actively used AI in the prior 12 months; most reported “no change” in headcount afterward.

Retailers that leverage AI, automation, and data-driven insights will be best positioned to take on these challenges and maintain their competitive edge. Get insights and exclusive content from the world of business and finance that you can trust, delivered to your inbox. Impel said the strongest safeguards in all industries require models that not only reject out-of-domain and adversarial requests, but also understand the workflows and risks unique to the industry they serve. “General-purpose AI can’t meet the demands of a high-stakes, high-context industry like automotive,” Impel co-founder and CEO Devin Daly said. “This research is not just a technical milestone, it’s a signal that purpose-built vertical AI is essential to doing business in complex industries.

Although many of Lowe’s AI projects are still in their infancy, Nair is optimistic about their role in the century-old retailer’s future. He said his team will continue to “get better at connecting insights and predictions” to “adapt stores even faster” and create “smarter and more personal” experiences for its loyal customers. Salesforce Commerce Cloud empowers retailers with AI-driven insights to craft hyper-personalized shopping journeys.