According to a B1 study, 42% of Russian retailers plan to cut personnel costs using AI within the next year. This figure rises to 50% for companies specializing in food, home goods, and electronics, as businesses seek to counter declining profitability.
Retailers are leveraging automation to boost efficiency. Magnit reported a 15% increase in employee productivity and a six-fold acceleration in product development. Meanwhile, Fix Price uses AI to screen up to 50% of candidates for linear roles, while also utilizing algorithms for inventory management and marketing.
AI implementation extends to operational tasks such as smart scales that save cashiers 60 minutes daily, and automated shelf monitoring, which can increase turnover by approximately 1%. Yandex Lavka uses AI to generate product descriptions and names for its online catalog.
Financial projections from McKinsey and EuroCommerce suggest that AI adoption can increase EBITDA by 4 to 10 percentage points. In 2026, 74% of retailers identified digitalization as a primary investment area, marking a 22 percentage point increase compared to the previous year.
Experts note that cost reduction does not necessarily imply mass layoffs. Companies may manage staff levels by not replacing employees who leave, as AI reduces the human labor required per operation. This strategy allows businesses to scale without increasing headcount.
