Artificial intelligence is moving beyond the experimental stage to become a tool with a direct impact on the retail business. This was one of the key conclusions of the 41st AECOC Consumer Goods Congress, held in Seville and attended by more than 1,300 executives from leading industry and retail companies.
During the event, Lisa Martínez, Head of AI GTM Iberia and MENAT at Google Cloud, highlighted the speed at which AI is transforming the relationship between consumers and retailers. According to the data presented, 89% of retailers already using the technology are increasing their revenues, while 95% are reducing operating costs and time.
AI is changing the purchasing journey
Martínez noted that the market is moving from artificial intelligence that simply responds to technology that can take action. In Spain, one in three consumers already uses AI to shop, while traffic to retailers’ websites generated through this technology increased by 393% in the first quarter of 2026.
In addition, visits generated through AI recorded a conversion rate 42% higher than conventional traffic. According to Martínez, this evolution means that technology can influence the purchasing process even before consumers reach the point of sale: “The conversation with AI does not replace the shelf. It decides who gets there.”
Spain is ahead of the European Union average in AI adoption, at 61% compared with 54% across the EU. However, adoption does not always translate into deep integration within organisations. Only 17% of companies are using AI autonomously in critical processes.
The gap is also significant between digital companies and traditional businesses. While 74% of digital-native businesses are prepared to operate with autonomous agents, the figure falls to 16% among traditional companies. This is compounded by a structural challenge: 40% of Spanish retailers acknowledge that they are not prepared because of fragmented data.
Against this backdrop, Martínez called for business functions to take a leading role in technology adoption. She also stressed that data governance must go hand in hand with consumer trust.
Social impact as a business strategy
Innovation was not the only focus of the Congress. Rosario Bazán, founder and president of Danper, highlighted the role of companies in generating social impact and argued that inclusion can form part of a competitive business strategy.
The Peruvian company combines technology, diversification and precision agriculture and operates more than 10,000 hectares and 10 processing plants, with a workforce of 14,000 employees, 50% of whom are women.
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Danper also works with more than 700 small-scale farmers and has a reported gender pay gap of 2.3%, compared with a national average of 28% in Peru, according to the data presented at the Congress.
Bazán argued that business viability should be linked to the development of the communities where companies operate, and that investment in inclusion can also translate into improvements in productivity, efficiency and competitiveness.
From efficiency to resilience
Geopolitics also featured prominently at the event. Marco Vicenzino, geopolitical analyst and international strategist, warned that companies need to incorporate the new international landscape into their strategic decision-making.
The expert argued that the transformation of global supply chains is forcing businesses to reconsider a model based primarily on efficiency. The priority, according to his analysis, should shift towards resilience, taking into account factors such as legal certainty, transparency and the stability of the countries where operations are located.
A changing business environment
In this context, Vicenzino called for greater attention to production and supply from countries considered allies, and also urged European governments to adopt a more strategic understanding of the new international landscape.
The 41st AECOC Consumer Goods Congress concluded with an agenda shaped by three major transformations directly affecting industry and retail: the integration of artificial intelligence into business, the need to combine competitiveness with social impact, and the adaptation of supply chains to an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
