Heineken, one of the largest brewers in the world, announced the launch of its first global GenAI lab in Singapore to advance growth, productivity, and customer engagement across its global operations.
The brewer established the lab in collaboration with research group AI Singapore. As part of Heineken’s digital transformation drive, the lab aims to develop scalable GenAI offerings across vital business areas.
“GenAI will play an increasingly important role in understanding consumer needs, enhancing customer engagement, and improving productivity throughout the company,” said Ronald Den Elzen, chief digital and technology officer at Heineken, at the announcement.
These advancements include sophisticated agentic systems that can autonomously solve complex problems. The brewer plans to create automated marketing content, intelligent financial reporting, and next-generation customer support and knowledge management systems.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 report, Global Powers of Retailing, GenAI’s impact on the retail sector is accelerating and has become an integral feature of retail maneuvers as AI-enabled products and services, which will be crucial for capturing consumer attention.
Also, GenAI pricing offerings and dynamic ranging will optimize real-time pricing and promotional strategies, maximizing profitability. The technology also can create innovative new product recommendations for forecasting consumer preferences and behaviors.
This capability has a dual function in expanding the range of available purchase options and encouraging consumers to explore products they might not have encountered.
“As retailers continue to invest in Generative AI to enhance online shopping experiences, some of the largest players in the industry are beginning to implement similar features in their physical stores to gain a competitive advantage,” the report said.
GenAI can also forecast industry changes, enabling proactive decisions by retail buyers. Initiatives are in place where what is forecasted at the store level is projected to suppliers, especially exclusive providers. It’s an area with significant investment in the retail sector. A January 2024 survey conducted by GPU-manufacturer NVIDIA found that nearly 98% of retailers were about to invest in GenAI over the following 18 months. It was also found that over 72% of retailers had reduced their operating costs using AI.
