January wrap-up: Turbocharging growth with AI ⚡
By Jon Taylor on January 31, 2025The UK Government recently announced plans to ‘turbocharge’ growth with AI.
Here’s the view of our CEO and co-founder, Richard Potter:
Having discussed AI’s potential with the Government last year, I’m glad to see they’ve listened and come forward with bold plans to increase AI adoption in the UK. From working with some of the UK’s best-known brands, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative AI can be.
The biggest opportunity lies with agentic AI, which can automate complex workflows and enhance decision making — Gartner predicts it will handle 15% of daily work decisions by 2028.
The plan is a positive step that signals recognition of AI’s incredible potential to drive economic growth. The UK already has the talent, expertise and innovative companies needed to become a global AI powerhouse — what we need now is active government support to turn homegrown businesses into the AI leaders of the future.
Industry spotlight
Retail
Boden partners with Peak for AI-enhanced merchandising
Boden has partnered with Peak to enhance merchandising capabilities using AI. By analyzing pricing and customer habits, Peak’s AI offers improved profitability during sales moments, optimizing markdown strategies. Boden plans to integrate Peak’s technology to support its broader modernization efforts.
Independent Amazon SMEs embrace AI to maximize Black Friday sales
Amazon research revealed SMEs leveraged AI and data tools to maximize Black Friday sales, tapping into customer insights and streamlining operations. This shift enabled businesses to compete effectively, boost profitability and prepare for a dynamic holiday shopping season, underscoring AI’s value for small business success.
Manufacturing
A new era for automotive manufacturing
Our eyes have been on the automotive industry this month, which saw a record number of electric cars sold in 2024. However, while new car registrations have grown in the past couple of years, they’re still below pre-pandemic levels. Manufacturers are faced with sustainability pressures, fluctuating demand and supply chain disruptions. Meeting these demands requires innovation and adaptability, with AI poised to play a crucial role in the industry’s future — our industry expert, Mark Perkins, has shared his thoughts.
Eurocell leverages AI for inventory management
Eurocell — the UK’s leading manufacturer, distributor and recycler of UPVC window, door, conservatory and roofline systems — has streamlined inventory management across its network of over 220 branches, maximizing revenue while enhancing efficiency and delivering superior customer satisfaction. Results include £1.86m in inventory released, 6.7% increase in product availability and £50 higher average order value.
Product news
Driving manufacturing efficiency with AI
Introducing Production Planning! A new capability within our Inventory AI product, it generates production plans determining exactly what to manufacture, how much and when. It allows businesses to optimize their production efficiency, recommending daily or weekly production quantities and providing product prioritization suggestions — all aimed at enabling manufacturers to meet customer demand while minimizing their stock holding costs.
Peak in the press
Using tech to meet demand in a cost-efficient way
Holly Clarke, Product Manager at Peak, explains how supply chain leaders and their teams can meet fluctuating demand in a cost-efficient way.
Read her thoughts in Supply Chain Digital
Is China’s DeepSeek an AI wake up call?
Richard Potter spoke to Prolific North to share his views on the rise of Chinese AI company DeepSeek across major markets.
On our radar
What’s caught our eye this month?
- Our VP Strategy, Chris Ashley, caught up with AI influencer Ronald van Loon to discuss the future of agentic AI and how it’s powering the future of transformation
- New physics sim trains robots 430,000 times faster than reality
- Nvidia’s new AI PC, built just for developers
- This LLM visualization from bbycroft
- Joe’s dance moves at Peak kick-off