AI in retail: understand the customer first, sell to them later

Of everything I consume on LinkedIn, what I read the most is probably AI + retail.
And lately something has really caught my attention:

Everyone wants AI in retail.
For whatever reason: convenience, because it's finally within reach, because it's trendy, because they realized it's genuinely, ridiculously useful... but a lot of the time I feel like the conversation starts backwards.

I see tons of AI designed to sell more, personalize better, recommend better, push conversion...

and a lot less conversation about using AI for something that, to me, should come first:

Understanding the customer better inside the store.

Understanding what they look at.
Where they stop.
Which areas spark interest.
Where doubt shows up.
Which spaces attract... but don't convert.

Because there's a huge difference there.

Using AI to try to sell someone more is one thing.
Using AI to better understand their behavior before stepping in is something else entirely.

And honestly, I feel like much of retail today is more obsessed with the first than committed to the second.

To me, the most valuable AI for retail isn't just the one that pushes the purchase.

It's the one that helps you stop guessing about the customer.

And why understanding the customer before trying to sell them more should matter so much to us...
That's a whole other post.
(Or several )