AI can boost general trade sales revenues by 15-20%: Report

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help companies globally increase revenue from general trade sales channels by 15 to 20 per cent, a new report has said.

The report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said AI-powered firms use cases in sales planning, execution, and operations including AI-powered sales companion and 24/7 digital sales agent to boost sales. AI can integrate structured data such as billing records and loyalty data with unstructured inputs including store images, handwritten notes and sales conversations, the report said.

Analysis of these inputs can help organisations generate insights and recommendations to support sales planning, store-level execution and operational decision-making. AI analyses location data, footfall patterns, and store profiles to identify high-potential micro-markets, prioritise the right outlets, and tailor product mix and trade decisions for each individual store, the report said.

A smartphone-based AI-powered sales assistant can help sales staff plan their daily routes. It will pull up summaries of past retailer conversations, and recommend what to pitch at each store. An AI-led 24/7 digital sales agent can engage retailers around the clock — capturing orders through voice calls in local languages, resolving queries, and sending payment reminders, which helps salespeople to focus on higher-value interactions, the firm said. It urged automated back-end operations, with AI taking over billing, scheme settlement, financial reconciliation, and query resolution.