AI will be your friend, writes David Gilroy. It was my own fault, and I should have known better. In my defence no one could have predicted such a hostile reaction. My friend Sweet Violet (not sweet at all) is a long-serving butcher at Smithfield Market. Time served and highly skilled. The Market closes for good in 2028 and we were discussing future plans – not looking good. Violet has no interest whatsoever in technology, so I have no idea how the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) came up. I ventured to suggest that one day AI and robotics could conceivably replace butchers…. and boom! Violet transformed into Alien on Earth. Trust me – beyond scary. Took a while to talk her down. AI seems to be one of those polarising subjects. Exciting, frightening, enraging, coma-inducing (are you still there?). There’s no escaping its pervasive and invasive presence. So best to lean in and embrace it.
Chipmaker Nvidia is the world’s most valuable company. It recently set a new sales record in the past three months beating Wall Street expectations for its artificial intelligence chips. Sales in the July quarter hit $46.7 billion, up 56% on the previous year. Worldwide spend on AI infrastructure is projected at between $3trn to $4trn by the end of the decade and Nvidia is by far the biggest chip provider for AI. These numbers are beyond eye-watering and reflect the AI growth expectations. This is fine but how could AI benefit the world of wholesaling? We need to start with “swarms”. Artificial intelligence has evolved dramatically over the last two decades. What started with isolated, rule-based systems has grown into a vast ecosystem of machine learning models, generative AI, and autonomous agents. A particularly promising and intriguing frontier is the development of AI agent swarms, large groups of autonomous, lightweight AI entities that coordinate to solve problems collectively. Inspired by biological swarms such as ants, bees, or flocks of birds, these systems promise to transform how we approach complex challenges, from logistics and finance to defence and scientific discovery.
There are three clear applications for our industry; telesales, marketing, and compliance management – although this list is by no means exhaustive. One obvious benefit for wholesalers is in the call centre environment. For decades, customer service and inbound order taking have relied heavily on human telesales agents. Call centres filled with rows of representatives answering phones became the backbone of industries ranging from retail and food delivery to banking and telecommunications. But now, a new era is dawning. AI-powered voice agents are emerging as a powerful alternative, capable of handling calls, processing orders, answering questions, and even upselling products. The rise of these agents is not just a matter of efficiency or cost reduction; it represents a profound transformation in how businesses interact with customers.
In traditional call centres, telesales agents manage thousands of inbound calls daily. These agents confirm orders, recommend products, answer frequently asked questions, and handle customer complaints. While humans excel in empathy and nuanced problem-solving, they are also limited by fatigue, training costs, high turnover, and inconsistency. AI voice agents aim to address these challenges. Unlike humans, they can operate 24/7, never lose patience, and maintain a consistent tone and quality across every interaction. For straightforward tasks such as taking food orders, booking reservations, reordering supplies, or answering account questions AI voice agents are already proving highly effective. Rob Mannion, Managing Director of B2B Proconnect has told me that his business has the capability to deploy multi-lingual voice agents in customer service and ordering in 100 languages across 1,000 concurrent calls. I was invited to test his products in a wholesale setting and was impressed with the outcomes.
In marketing AI agents are reshaping how businesses connect with customers on WhatsApp and related channels. By combining automation, personalisation, and real-time interaction, they deliver marketing experiences that feel conversational and customer centric. For businesses, the benefits are clear: lower costs, faster execution, higher engagement, and measurable ROI. For customers, the result is timely, relevant, and often helpful communication that fits seamlessly into the messaging apps they already use every day. As AI grows more capable, businesses that embrace these intelligent agents will lead the way in creating the next generation of marketing: smart, conversational, and always-on. WhatsApp is the battleground with over 2 billion active users worldwide and it is increasingly being used for business communication. Through WhatsApp Business API, companies can send notifications, promotional offers, and transactional messages directly to customers. Unlike email, which often gets ignored, or traditional ads, which feel impersonal, WhatsApp offers a direct, trusted, and conversational channel. AI agents amplify this power by making interactions scalable and intelligent: best time to message, adapting tone based on previous learnings and instant response. In essence, WhatsApp plus AI marketing agents combine the intimacy of human conversation with the scalability of digital automation.
Compliance is a management drag anchor. It is costly but must be implemented without fail otherwise businesses can lose millions in fines and reputational damage. Warehouse and store audits covering implementation of health & safety, accuracy of labelling, promotion set up, point of sale material, choice, range, stock availability checks et al. Traditionally conducted by human auditors and compliance officers. But with the rapid rise of AI agents, a new paradigm is emerging, one in which autonomous systems take on the bulk of compliance responsibilities, leaving humans to focus on exceptions and oversight. This shift is not just about cost savings; it is about scalability, consistency, and real-time monitoring in a world where supply chains are complex and regulations are ever evolving. Unlike static rule-based systems, modern AI compliance agents learn from data and adapt to new regulations or operational changes, making them highly flexible in dynamic retail environments. AI agents are redefining compliance in retail and wholesale. By automating routine audits, monitoring supply chains, analysing documents, and predicting risks, they offer businesses a powerful way to stay compliant in a fast-changing regulatory environment.
There is no doubting that AI will play a big part in our industry. Much of the technology covered in this article exists now. Significant beneficial change is coming.
David Gilroy, Store Excel
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