THE TRANSFORMATION OF RETAIL SPACES DRIVEN BY AI: GLOBAL TRENDS AND HOW THEY ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED IN THE UKRAINIAN RETAIL SECTOR

Abstract

Introduction. The development of artificial intelligence and the digitalisation of consumer behaviour are structural factors driving the need to rethink the functions and format of physical retail spaces in today’s retail sector. The traditional retail outlet is ceasing to be merely a place for transactions (buying and selling), transforming into a complex, high-tech hub integrated into the brand’s digital ecosystem. Under these conditions, there is a pressing need to investigate how global AI trends are influencing the transformation of physical retail space and to what extent Ukrainian retail is integrating into these processes.

Purpose. The aim of this article is to examine the key directions of the transformation of the physical retail space in the context of artificial intelligence development and to identify the characteristics of the implementation of global AI trends in Ukrainian retail practice.

Materials and methods. The research materials include: analytical reports from international consulting firms; open data and strategic communications from Ukrainian retail chains; statistical and analytical materials on the development of global and Ukrainian retail, digitalisation and the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies; works by domestic and foreign authors on the subject of AI-driven retail and the transformation of retail.

A combination of general scientific and specialised methods was employed in the research process. The method of theoretical generalisation and systematisation (to examine contemporary approaches to the transformation of physical retail space under the influence of artificial intelligence technologies); comparative analysis (to compare global practices in AI-driven retail and the specific features of their implementation in Ukrainian retail); the method of structural-functional analysis (to determine the changing role of the physical store in the omnichannel retail ecosystem and to identify the relationship between the fragmentation of formats and the transformation of retail space); the method of logical generalisation (to draw conclusions and determine the prospects for the development of physical retail in the context of AI transformation).

Results. The main factors determining the future of physical retail and driving the changing role of the shop and its space in global retail are examined. The factors determining the strategic priorities of Ukrainian retail companies regarding the transformation of shop formats and their spatial organisation in the AI era have been identified. The directions for implementing global practices of spatial optimisation in accordance with target shopping missions in the Ukrainian retail sector have been investigated. A comparative analysis of the spatial strategies of leading Ukrainian chains has been conducted in the context of global trends, taking into account specific wartime factors. It is argued that Ukrainian retailers are developing within the framework of global AI trends, yet this process is driven by the logic of anti-crisis survival and adaptation. Priority areas for adapting retail space to the new consumer reality have been identified.

Discussion. The store remains a critical asset for a retail company, but its value is now determined by its ability to integrate into the AI-driven digital customer journey. The mechanisms of such integration and the criteria for assessing its effectiveness require further scientific research.