CHICAGO – VoCoVo, the retail in-store team communications specialists, today announced findings from its upcoming report, The State of AI in Food & Grocery Retail 2026, which explores how food and grocery retailers are leveraging artificial intelligence to address some of the industry's most pressing operational challenges, including theft, self-checkout losses, employee safety, and workforce productivity.
Based on a survey of industry leaders, the research highlights growing confidence in AI's ability to improve store operations while helping retailers navigate rising security concerns and workforce challenges.
Among the report's key findings:
● AI is viewed as essential to the future of retail, with every food retailer surveyed and more than 97% of grocery retailers saying the technology is critical to the future of brick-and-mortar stores.
● Retail theft continues to rise, with food retailers reporting a nearly 62% increase in shoplifting since the introduction of self-checkout, while grocery retailers reported an increase of almost 59%.
● Employee abuse remains a significant concern, as more than half of food retailers surveyed said employees have quit because of customer abuse. Nearly one-third of grocery retailers reported the same issue.
● Investment in AI is accelerating, particularly in areas focused on reducing theft, strengthening communication, improving employee training, and providing greater support to frontline teams.
The findings underscore how retailers are increasingly turning to AI-powered technologies not only to improve efficiency, but also to create safer and more productive store environments for employees and shoppers alike.
"AI is going to unlock productivity and customer service over the next few years, especially when integrated into a retail workers day. It needs to be simple and easy to use, and voice interaction with AI ensures simplicity and adoption," said Paul Birkin, Chief Technology & Product Officer at VoCoVo. "We are seeing productivity as the biggest growth area at the moment, but retailers are now exploring how to increase the customer experience by supporting staff with AI and voice.."
The State of AI in Food & Grocery Retail 2026 report provides insights into where AI investments are generating measurable operational benefits today and identifies the technologies retailers believe will see the fastest adoption over the next 12 months.
VoCoVo is a voice technology innovator, dedicated to meeting the current and future needs of the global retail industry, while championing the people working within it. From independent convenience stores to the world’s biggest retail organisations, VoCoVo’s suite of solutions - which include lightweight Headsets and Call Points, enables team members within any retail environment to actively contribute to their store’s success.
For more information, visit https://www.vocovo.com/
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