GS Retail partners with 5 startups to drive field-focused AI transformation

GS Retail announced Monday that it has formally launched a field-focused AI transformation project in partnership with AI startups to tackle operational challenges on the ground.

The company held the fourth cohort meetup of its open innovation program "The GS Challenge Future Retail" at GS Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday, kicking off AI-based proof-of-concept projects with five selected startups.

The fourth cohort operates on a model in which business divisions first identify the challenges they need solved, then recruit startups with the right technology and execution capabilities to address them. GS Retail has defined three core focus areas: data and AI intelligence, autonomous operations optimization, and digital engagement innovation.

GS Retail's business divisions and the startups will carry out a range of proof-of-concept projects through mid-November. Key tasks include analyzing customer behavior and purchase patterns at fresh-food stores using vision AI, optimizing search visibility in response to AI-driven changes in search environments, and automating customer relationship management with AI. The company will also pursue projects to identify trending products using SNS data and to cultivate brands based on influencer and fandom data.

GS Retail narrowed this year's cohort to five companies to deepen the quality of collaboration. The selection process was also strengthened, with business divisions and startups holding preliminary meetings to verify task fit and technical feasibility upfront. The company plans to increase support for some projects by linking them to government-backed programs.

"The core of AX innovation with startups is connecting superior technology to tangible customer value and business results," said Lee Seong-hwa, GS Retail's head of new growth. "Through this fourth cohort, we will advance Future Retail into an open innovation platform that bridges on-site challenges with real business application."