Marks & Spencer has introduced a new Wine Finder tool powered by AI technology to help its customers select the right bottle of wine for their palate.
Available online for more than 500 stores and on point-of-sale marketing in 20 Foodhalls, the new tool asks a few quick questions about personal preferences before offering tailored recommendations of wines ranged in the chosen store.
The retailer is trialling the tool to help customers who find the category confusing. Research conducted for M&S found that nearly a quarter of shoppers spend more than 10 minutes deliberating in the wine aisle.
The tool’s technology is powered by Preferabli, a leading AI-driven, product discovery and recommendation software in wine, spirits and food. It is the first time it has been integrated by a grocery retailer in the UK. Built by PhDs and the largest group of Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers in the world, the recommendations are powered by Preferabli’s proprietary database, using hundreds of characteristics for each wine.
Caroline Thompson-Hill, Head of Beers, Wine and Spirits at M&S Food, said: “We know Wine can be a difficult category to shop, and it’s important that we find new ways to support our customers when shopping our incredible range in store. By utilising AI, the Wine Finder tool helps encourage customers to try different regions, grapes and bottles they’ve not considered before. By suggesting wines to try, we’ll help customers make decisions in stores and hopefully find some new favourites.”
