Plan and prepare for Microsoft Cloud for Retail in 2025 release wave 1
Important
The 2025 release wave 1 plan covers all new functionalities planned to be delivered to market from April 2025 to September 2025. In this article, you'll find the product overview and what's new and planned for Microsoft Cloud for Retail.
Overview
The retail industry is undergoing significant transformations driven by advancements in Data and AI technologies. In the retail sector, predictive AI continues to be widely adopted for traditional workloads. However, generative AI is emerging as a transformative technology, enhancing customer experiences through multimodal shopping advisors, personalized product recommendations, and adaptive advertising. In line with these trends, we are doubling down on our investments in generative AI-based copilot solutions for personalized shopping and store operations.
Despite the increased adoption of AI, challenges such as data silos and concerns about data privacy and protection remain major barriers. To address these issues, teams across the retail industry are making concerted investments in security-related features. We are also enhancing our data solutions with industry-specific templates and improved data models to drive standardization and interoperability, thereby reducing adoption barriers.
Investment areas
Personalized Shopping Agent
Often, shoppers begin their shopping journey without a clear idea of what they're looking for. They may spend a lot of time browsing without finding the perfect item or feeling confident in their choices. However, the emergence of large language models is revolutionizing this experience. Shoppers can now engage with a copilot which acts as an expert shopping assistant, to help them discover and purchase exactly what they desire. The Personalized Shopping Agent allows any retailer to effortlessly incorporate this interactive shopping experience into their website, mobile app, or in-store kiosk. This comprehensive solution can be implemented by retailers with minimal AI knowledge, serving as a foundation for a more customized solution. It integrates with existing product catalogs and vast media libraries and can be tailored to reflect each retailer's unique tone and brand values.
Store Operations Agent
Retail workforce management aims to enhance store operations and improve customer experience. The features under this workstream provide store associates with insights, information and tools to manage store tasks and customer interactions more efficiently. Additionally, AI-enabled data driven insights help store managers monitor operations,ensure compliance with HQ standards, and improve overall store efficiency. These features help create a seamless and productive environment for both store employees and customers.
To learn more about the entire set of capabilities being delivered during this release wave, check out the release plan for Microsoft Cloud for Retail below: