Retail Scalability Issues in 2025: Automating to Meet the Challenges

In 2025, retail faces scalability problems that directly affect its ability to grow and adapt. The increase in operational complexity, the pressure to reduce costs and the need to respond in real time to consumer behavior demand agile solutions.

Therefore, the automation of manual processes ceases to be an option and becomes an urgent necessity. The best time to automate is when your operations start to limit your potential.

Discover in this article how to face the main market challenges and how Ailetoffers solutions with artificial intelligence that transform the way sales teams capture data, execute promotions and make better decisions.

The Main Scalability Problems in 2025 for Retail, CPG and Retailers

Scalability problems do not appear overnight. They are the result of manual processes that become obsolete in the face of business growth and increased operational complexity.

In 2025, both mass consumer brands (CPG) and traditional retailers are facing very specific challenges. These affect your ability to operate efficiently, scale your operations and respond with agility to market demand. The main scalability problems for the Retail, CPG and retail sector include:

Lack of automation in key processes
Many retailers still rely on manual processes for audits, stock control and in-store execution, limiting the ability to scale operations efficiently.

Fragmentation of data and systems
The absence of an integrated technological infrastructure hinders real-time visibility, predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making. 

Inefficient management of equipment in the field
The lack of connected tools makes it difficult to plan, monitor and optimize the performance of trade marketing or trade execution teams.

Availability problems in gondola (OOS)
The lack of automated control over the stock at the point of sale causes stock failures and loss of sales, especially in promotional campaigns.

To overcome these scalability challenges in 2025, companies in the retail and CPG sector need to rely on intelligent technology; solutions such as Ailet allow automating audits, improving in-store execution and making decisions based on real-time data, facilitating efficient and sustainable growth.

Understanding what these problems are is the first step to solving them with the right technology and a strategic vision.

Why manual processes limit your growth

Manual processes are prone to errors, slowness and lack of consistency. These limitations affect the ability of companies to scale their operations efficiently.

“According to a survey conducted by Censuswide of scale-ups business leaders in Europe, 87% of respondents attribute responsibility for hindering growth to data silos and manual processes, considering them a weak point in their business.”

The automation of manual processes allows for greater precision and speed, facilitating expansion and adaptation to new market demands. In addition, it frees teams from repetitive and operational tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic activities that really add value.

With automated tools, such as Ailet solutions, it is possible to detect errors in real time, reduce operational costs, improve execution at the point of sale and make decisions based on reliable data. This not only optimizes current performance, but also creates a solid foundation for scaling efficiently, without the need to duplicate efforts and resources as the business grows.

Errors in Manual Data Collection Processes

Manual data collection in stores may result in inaccurate or incomplete information. These mistakes affect decision-making and strategic planning. These are the most common failures that affect the accuracy and usefulness of data:

Outdated or inconsistent data - Decisions based on outdated information, leading to stockouts or excess inventory.
Unclear photos or without context - Impossible to validate compliance or identify causes of poor performance.
Lack of standardization - Each auditor uses different formats or criteria. Incomparable data between stores or regions.

Ailet employs image recognition technology and real-time analytics to capture accurate data directly from the point of sale. This guarantees immediate and reliable information, eliminating the inefficiencies, delays and common errors of manual processes. As a result, brands can make more agile decisions, improve in-store execution and maximize the impact on the consumer.

Increase in the operating costs of the commercial area

Manual processes at the point of sale, such as audits, planogram verification and price control, require a high investment of time and human resources, which significantly increases operating costs. In addition, they are subject to human errors and lack of standardization.

By automating these tasks using artificial intelligence-based solutions, such as those from Ailet, the need for manual intervention in repetitive activities is drastically reduced. This not only allows a significant cost reduction, but also frees the sales team to focus on strategic activities, such as negotiation, planning and optimization of the point of sale.

As a result, companies achieve a more efficient, precise and scalable operation, improving their profitability and ability to adapt to the market.

Failures in the execution of promotions and price at the points of sale

The lack of precision and control in the execution of promotions and prices in store, can translate into loss of sales opportunities, breakage of promotional stock, and a negative experience for the consumer, directly affecting the perception of the brand. How can we control that our campaign is executed with maximum efficiency?

Use image recognition technology to visually verify the correct implementation of promotions and prices at the point of sale.
Automate data collection and analysis, reducing the margin of human error and speeding up decision making.
Measure key performance indicators (KPIs) related to promotional execution, compliance with planograms and pricing.
Implement real-time reporting, which provides immediate visibility on the execution status in each store.

Currently, real-time reporting and automatic data analysis are key tactical processes when making decisions for the commercial growth of a product.

With solutions such as those of Ailet, it is possible to instantly monitor the price compliance, promotions and POP materials, detecting deviations and activating alerts so that field teams can correct in record time. This ensures more effective campaigns, higher return on promotional investment and a consistent shopping experience for the customer.

Drop in sales or physical points of sale

Operational inefficiency and lack of adaptation to new technologies can result in decreased sales in physical stores. In this scenario, it would be risky to expand towards a future failure.

Faced with this last problem, operational planning, and the updating of operational processes in favor of efficiency and expansion, are elements that go hand in hand with automation, and allows retailers to obtain detailed insights on the performance of each store, identify areas for improvement and make the most of each point of sale.

A drop in sales or physical points of sale is a common challenge when there is no visibility on what is really happening on the ground. Is your strategy being executed correctly? Are the products available and well located? Are the promotions active?

With smart solutions like Ailet's, it is possible to:

Quickly detect points of sale with low performance and understand their causes (stock outages, poor execution, incorrect prices, etc.).
Digitally audit the execution in store, ensuring that the guidelines are met even without constant physical visits.

Advantages in the Automation of Manual Processes to achieve Sustainable Scalability in Sales

The automation of manual processes not only solves operational bottlenecks, but also drives sustainable and controlled growth. When you adopt technologies like those of Ailet, you optimize key tasks and strengthen your ability to respond to the market with agility.

Let's see some of the most relevant advantages that this transformation can bring to your business strategy:

Sales forecast based on real data

One of the biggest mistakes in business planning occurs when decisions are made based on outdated or inaccurate data.

With automated tools such as those of Ailet, you can collect information directly from the point of sale through the recognition of images of the shelves.

With the use of artificial intelligence, Ailet's tools generate accurate projections based on real patterns of behavior and execution. This not only improves planning, but also reduces production and distribution errors.

Reduction of manual costs that can be digitized

The cost reduction through the digitalization of manual processes is not only a financial advantage; it is also in terms of efficiency. Shelf inspections, price control, validation of promotions: everything can be automated with image recognition technology.Ailet enables intelligent expansion through automated shelf insights, real-time compliance tracking and empowerment of field teams:

Scale with unified price monitoring – Apply consistent and up-to-date pricing strategies across all channels and regions to drive profitable growth.
Drive regional growth with smart in-store execution Implement strategies that ensure visibility, availability and compliance at scale.
Increase productivity and maximize revenue – Optimize the productivity and performance of your team by automating key processes that directly impact the results.

Scalability and expansion of the brand

When it is automated, a solid foundation for growth is created and the operating costs generated by manual processes are reduced. This facilitates scalability, as it allows the company to grow without the need to multiply human teams to open more points of sale or manage new channels.

“The technology applied to automation turns repetitive tasks into strategic opportunities to scale and optimize the business operation”.

Ailet, allows you to maintain control of the commercial execution, no matter how many stores or regions you cover, thanks to its automation tools powered by artificial intelligence.

Centralization and processing of business information

Another great benefit of automation is the ability to centralize information. You no longer rely on multiple spreadsheets or isolated reports that do not communicate with each other.

With a centralized platform, you can have a 360° view of commercial performance, from gondola execution to promotional effectiveness.

Ailet is the online tool for strategic sales management

Ailet is designed to be the strategic partner of brands and retailers looking to overcome their scalability problems. Our platform combines artificial intelligence, image recognition and data analysis to offer you a complete view of in-store execution.

From prices and promotions to the availability of the product in gondola, everything is monitored and managed from a single interface. This allows you to make more informed decisions, react quickly to deviations and stay competitive.

Examples of Automation for Cost Reduction at the Point of Sale

One of the most representative examples in retail is the case of Nestlé Argentina, a company that decided to transform its audits in stores with the Ailettechnological solution and managed to increase its operational efficiency by 50%.

Nestlé Argentina faced the challenge of scaling its business operations efficiently, ensuring the correct execution at the points of sale without proportionally increasing its operating costs. It was then that he incorporated Ailet's technology to transform his trade marketing strategy and in-store execution.

1. Automated audits of shelves and products in real time

Today, thanks to image recognition, it is possible to scan a shelf in seconds and obtain automatic insights on product availability, facing, prices and stock breaks. This reduces the time in store, improves the frequency of control and ensures consistent data.

Nestle Argentina integrated a solution of automated audit based on image recognition and as a result, achieved a reduction of up to 20% in audit costs per store.

2. Automated Price Control

Outdated prices are one of the most common and costly mistakes at points of sale. Automating the price control ensures that each product has the correct label, which prevents margin losses, improves the customer experience and strengthens the brand image.

“Scalability problems are not solved by growing, but by automating: digitalize your processes and break down the barriers to growth”.

Nestlé can now perform automated price control using image analysis and tag detection. This ensures that the prices reflected on the shelf coincide with the active promotions.

3. Compliance with the planogram

A well-executed planogram can significantly increase sales. However, their manual compliance is often inefficient.

Ailet's solution allowed Nestlé to validate the compliance of the planogram automatically with an accuracy of 95%, thus avoiding distributor penalties or losses due to poor product visibility.

4. Optimization of Routes and manual Tasks of the field team

Automation can also optimize personnel planning in the field. The Nestlé field team now conducts its visits more efficiently. The platform tells them exactly which zones to audit, which products to check and which deviations to correct.

This has resulted in a clear optimization of routes, a lower investment in commuting and a marked improvement in productivity.

5. Integration of KPIs in the same platform

Centralizing the key performance indicators (KPIs) in a single tool, as Ailet allows, is key to maintaining control without increasing the operational burden. This made it easier for Nestlé to make data-driven decisions and allowed it to scale operations without losing visibility. Being essential to face the scalability problems in a strategic way.

Conclusion

Scalability problems are not solved with more human effort, but with operational intelligence. The automation of manual processes is the natural and necessary step for those who want to stay current in the retail of 2025.

At Ailet, we accompany our clients in this transformation process. We offer them tools designed to improve their efficiency, achieve true cost reduction and accelerate their growth capacity.

If you feel that your manual processes are holding you back, this is the ideal time to take the next step. Automating doesn't just make you more competitive: it prepares you for the future. Request a demo right now.

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