Coles Boosts Retail with AI and OpenAI Partnership
▼ Summary
– Coles is deploying ChatGPT Enterprise across its corporate workforce to help teams accelerate research, reduce administrative tasks, and generate ideas.
– The company plans a full workforce rollout by February 2026, with customized training to build AI skills and capabilities.
– Coles is exploring how AI can reshape the shopping experience by making it more personalized, convenient, and connected for customers.
– AI is already used at Coles for tasks like supply chain optimization, rostering, and monitoring fresh produce stock levels.
– The article questions whether these AI investments will lead to lower prices for consumers, as this outcome is not explicitly promised.
Coles has taken a significant step forward in the retail sector by becoming the first major Australian supermarket chain to implement ChatGPT Enterprise at scale through a new partnership with OpenAI. This initiative aims to equip corporate teams with powerful generative AI tools, accelerating research, cutting down on administrative work, and uncovering valuable data insights. The collaboration is set to explore innovative ways to reshape customer interactions, making shopping more personalized and connected.
Internally, Coles is deploying the GPT-5 model to help staff with compliance, idea generation, and operational tasks. Customized training programs are currently underway to build AI proficiency across the organization, with a full workforce rollout anticipated by February 2026. The company emphasizes that this move is part of a broader strategy to embed advanced AI into everyday workflows, promising to transform both employee efficiency and the overall customer journey.
Caroline O’Brien, General Manager of Data & AI at Coles, highlighted that retail is entering a new phase of AI-driven innovation. She stated, “Customer experiences and operational efficiencies are the driving forces behind the exponential growth of AI, shaping the future of Australian retail.” O’Brien also pointed out that AI is already delivering tangible benefits, from task-specific generative chatbots for employees to computer vision systems that monitor fresh produce stock levels and optimize supply chains.
Coles has actually been leveraging artificial intelligence for over ten years, applying it to areas like staff rostering, inventory replenishment, and tailoring product assortments to individual store needs. More recently, AI has become integral to the company’s automated distribution and customer fulfillment centers, improving how inventory moves through the supply chain and enhancing the online home delivery experience.
Oliver Jay, OpenAI’s Managing Director for International markets, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. He remarked, “We are delighted to work with Coles to bring advanced AI solutions to their teams, empowering them to unlock new levels of productivity and innovation. By integrating robust AI tools across their operations, Coles is positioning itself to drive continued growth and set a new standard for competitive advantage in the retail sector.”
The company assures that all AI activities will follow a framework for responsible use, focusing on ethical and secure implementations that support their teams. While the potential for these technologies to streamline operations is clear, it remains to be seen whether the investment in OpenAI’s enterprise-level tools will ultimately lead to lower prices for shoppers. The press release detailing the partnership highlights numerous benefits, from improved decision-making to new growth opportunities, but does not make specific commitments regarding price reductions for consumers.
Looking ahead, the integration of AI is expected to bring even more visible changes, such as AI-powered robots managing shelf stock with high precision. As these technologies become more embedded in daily retail operations, their impact on both workforce dynamics and the shopping experience will undoubtedly continue to evolve.
(Source: ITWire Australia)