Global Convention Vision Group (GCVG) has released its latest vision report, “Everyday AI: AI Applications in Practical AI Applications.” This examines how artificial intelligence provides real business value to deliver real business value through anti-theft, operational efficiency, and improved customer experience in convenient retail.
The latest GCVG Quarterly Virtual Meeting, held on July 22, 2025, was facilitated by Christian Warning, founder and managing partner of Retail Marketers. At the meeting, guest speakers Joerg Heilingbrunner, CEO of Scheidt & Bachmann, presented the “power of AI in energy retail” and discussed generator AI focusing on practical applied use cases.
The Vision report explores how AI implements AI as a daily problem solver, address privacy and ethical considerations, and examines the transformation of the workforce in the age of artificial intelligence.
Important takeaways from the report include:
- The Real Focus of AI: This conference emphasized that beyond AI it will move as merely a buzzword to focus on practical applications that provide authentic business value in convenience and mobility retail. “My message today is very simple. AI is a daily problem solver. It can be used for everything,” said Joerg Heilingbrunner, CEO of Scheidt & Bachmann.
- The path to AI, privacy and responsible use: Companies need to navigate strict data privacy regulations and ethical considerations when implementing AI solutions, particularly regarding energy consumption and sustainability goals. “One concern… the ethical use of AI is actually at the top of the agenda, especially in teams at C level. It requires a huge amount of energy, especially if you are learning large-scale language model-based solutions,” says Zsuzsa Hordai, Head of Strategic Projects at Spar International.
- The action of AI: Fighting theft, Increased efficiency: AI-powered systems have been successfully deployed for theft prevention, fraud detection and operational efficiency, but costs remain a barrier for small operators. “For a small company like us, my concern with AI is that I can't afford it. I can't afford this, especially when I have to look at the overheads that are killing us,” said Claudio Reboredo, partner/owner of FGC Fuels Marketing.
- AI for Marketing and Customer Experience: Retailers are leveraging AI for loyalty programs, retail media networks and content creation, but this challenge is creating authentic customer connections rather than just discount programs. “We have a loyalty program. If we need to keep it going, we first need to make sure it's profitable. Secondly, it stands out because everyone is doing something, said JesperØstergaard, CEO of Denmark.
- The change in the workforce in the age of AI: Organizations adopt both formal and informal approaches to AI integration, recognizing that AI is essential to future competitiveness without necessarily replacing human workers. “Our approach to innovation is not limited to purchasing technology, but is based on integrating it into our business model, culture and customer-centric structure,” shares Mert Dunder, Head of Operations Technology for the Petrol Ofisi Group.
- Global Convention Vision Group (GCVG) brings together convenience retailers from around the world for their quarterly virtual meetings. During these sessions, members will identify trends, challenges and disruptions in the retail industry and present possible solutions and opportunities. The group is committed to sharing opinions and perspectives to promote convenience retail and mobility industries globally. GCVG is a retail marketer's initiative and is part of the Vision Group Network.
Download the report here
