Weeding out the AI hype
The artificial intelligence (AI) buzz is everywhere, but for most garden center owners, it feels like an invasive species: a fast-moving, confusing and hard-to-manage technology that is potentially disruptive.
As a lifelong advocate for smarter working habits, I lead the charge in translating complex technologies into practical concepts that retailers can understand and can apply to their business. Here, I answer some burning questions that are top of mind for garden retailers.
Many retailers are wondering: Is AI actually any different from the automation we’ve been using for years?
Automation and AI are actually two distinct technologies, but they work best when combined. Automation needs structured data and follows a set of rigid rules to execute a specific task. It doesn’t deviate from the task until you tell it to change. AI, on the other hand, doesn’t actually perform any tasks other than analyzing and synthesizing data from multiple information sources to come up with a logical conclusion.
Let me explain it using a sprinkler system analogy. Automation is like a mechanical timer you set to tell the sprinkler when to turn on and how long to run so it waters your plants at the same time each day, rain or shine. AI is like a smart moisture sensor that reads the environment and determines whether watering is actually necessary. When you combine the two, you no longer have to monitor the weather yourself or manually adjust the settings. You have a system that ensures your plants get water when they truly need it — and not a drop more.
That balance of precision and adaptability is exactly what makes AI so appealing for retail environments, where conditions are constantly changing and no two days look the same.
A common concern among many retailers is that their data is not ready. Is it true that AI needs perfect data to work?
Not at all. AI doesn’t need all your data in a single, perfectly formatted system the way automation does. As long as your information is digitally available in some form, AI can work with it. As a best practice, it’s important to use clean data to ensure that high-quality and accurate data is being fed into your AI, so that you avoid errors and inconsistencies.
You can share your spreadsheets, PDFs, videos and even scanned handwritten notes, and AI will be able to read, analyze and extract all relevant information to support its training and day-to-day decision making. It’s similar to when you hire a new employee. On the first day, your new hire can only work with what you taught them. But over time, as they learn more about your business, customers and products, they become more valuable to your business. AI is the same; with every piece of information, it gets sharper and yields better results.
We cannot speak of data without talking about privacy. If a retailer uploads their business and customer information into an AI tool, are they essentially sharing the information with the open internet?
That depends on the type of AI you use. If you’re using one of the many free, public AI tools that are available on the market today, you are potentially exposing your valuable data and creating security risks for your business and your customers. Such tools can use any information you input into the AI model and resurface it in other chats. You should avoid sharing any proprietary, personal or confidential information with such tools if you’re concerned about privacy.
But when you work with business-grade AI tools, especially those built directly into your existing professional retail management systems, it’s a completely different story. These systems usually have robust security safeguards in place because they are already handling your data in some form. The same security standards would also apply to their AI features, so your information will remain with you and your business only.
This is a critical distinction that all retailers should know about before moving forward with any AI solution. Ask your vendors point-blank about how they ensure your data stays safe and confirm your data is not used to train their broader model. In-application data typically works like a one-way street — it enables retailers to gather data from internal sources and get input from publicly available data; it doesn’t, however, share your data out. That’s why working with data in an application that’s secure and data-responsible is your best bet.
We’re approaching the most critical season for garden retailers. What can AI do to support retailers during the busy spring season?
Spring is the most fruitful, but also the most stressful season for garden retailers. They are dealing with increased foot traffic, a surge of new inventory and a wave of seasonal employees who are still getting comfortable with your new tools and systems.
The pressure to get these employees up and running is real. It’s important to have an easy onboarding path available in your retail solution, but it still can’t substitute for experience, and they might run into a situation that they don’t feel comfortable handling. And the last thing you want on a busy Saturday is a panicked employee leaving the register area to find an answer while there is a line of frustrated customers waiting to be checked out.
This is a perfect spot to leverage AI within a mobile device. Let’s say an employee gets stuck because they forgot how to perform a price override or process a contractor discount. Instead of consulting manuals or pulling another experienced employee off the floor for assistance, they can use an AI assistant feature that’s built into your P.O.S. system. They simply type in their question using the same words as if they’d asked a coworker, and AI provides them with clear, step-by-step instructions in seconds.
Because AI understands natural language, employees don’t need to remember specific terminology or know exactly where to look; they just ask. And the AI knows what they mean.
Now, you’ve turned a high-stress situation into a 15-second fix. That’s a meaningful difference that not only improves customer experience but also improves your staff’s confidence and morale. Knowing that there is a safety net they can tap into any time will help your staff feel more comfortable and become more productive.
As the business owner, this simple use of AI as a support system for new hires translates to lower turnover and more time for things that grow your business, like interacting with customers, managing inventory and nurturing relationships.
Many retailers might not be ready to switch to AI quite yet. But is there anything they can start doing today to prepare themselves for AI down the road?
Absolutely, and the best part is that the steps that you’re taking to prepare will also make your business run better right away, even before you add AI.
The two most important things that you can do today are to partner with a technology solution that helps you automate as many processes as needed for your business and transition to digital documentation. If your important business information still lives in paper files or someone’s memory, it’s not accessible to AI and probably also not easily accessible to your broader staff. Getting your information digitized is a foundational element that will pay off quickly. Building the foundation includes ensuring your data can freely flow as needed with connected processes.
Once you’re ready to add AI, these steps will make implementation faster, the learning curve shorter and seeing ROI on your investment quicker.
I also recommend having a candid conversation with your current software and technology vendors. Ask them how they can support your automation and digitization initiatives, what their AI roadmap looks like and how they plan to support your growth plans over the next few years. If they can’t help you automate your core process or help provide data visibility across your operations, it might be worth exploring vendors who can.
Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Start where you are, build toward where you want to go and choose partners that can grow with you. The retailers who are laying the groundwork today will be in a much better position to take full advantage of AI when they’re ready.
Videos
