AI meets aisle: how tech is changing the way drinks are sold
As brands compete for attention on ever more crowded shelves, AI is playing an increasingly important role in shaping packaging, understanding shopper behaviour, and delivering targeted messaging at the point of purchase.
The drinks industry is no stranger to innovation, but the use of artificial intelligence to shape consumer engagement at the packaging and retail level is still gathering pace. At PRS IN VIVO, a behavioural science research agency working with many of the world’s largest FMCG brands, technology is becoming a crucial tool for helping drinks companies refine their packaging before it ever reaches store shelves.
Patrick Young, managing director of PRS IN VIVO’s UK office, explains how the company uses its network of ‘Retail Labs’ – designed to replicate supermarket environments – to observe genuine shopper behaviour in real time.
“We fit the shopper with some eye tracking glasses,” he says. “They come in, they’re given a bit of a mission – here’s your shopping list, go and shop naturally – and then we see what happens.”
Within this test environment, researchers can test new packaging formats, label designs, and merchandising techniques, tracking what shoppers notice, pick up, put back, and ultimately buy.
“You’re looking to see – did they even notice it? Did they pick it up? Did they buy it?” Young explains. “You can also see the impact on overall brand performance – does it help grow the manufacturer’s portfolio spend?”
Speeding up the packaging process
While Retail Labs provide valuable real-world insights, AI is now being used upstream to make the design process faster and more efficient. PRS IN VIVO’s proprietary tool, AI Pack Sprint, screens packaging designs before they reach the lab. It draws on more than 30,000 records of behavioural consumer data to identify visual cues and formats most likely to succeed on-shelf.
This AI-driven approach helps brands identify strong pack designs earlier in the process, reducing time to market. “AI is being used to help speed up the design process and the testing of it as well,” says Young.
In parallel, the company’s Mobile Pack Screener allows brands to test packaging concepts with real respondents remotely – again, helping to streamline decision-making.
AI, Young adds, can also “help get out of a rut” creatively. While it may lack a deep understanding of brand history or emotional resonance, it can generate variations and highlight what is performing well elsewhere.
Evolving formats and sustainability
AI’s influence isn’t limited to graphic design. Young points to a number of physical packaging changes emerging in the drinks industry, often underpinned by analysis and modelling tools.
“Bailey’s has launched a metal bottle. Absolut recently trialled a paper bottle. Co-op have just launched thinner glass wine bottles. I think a lot of that is informed by analysis where no doubt AI or deep learning is coming into it.”
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Sustainability messaging is also under the spotlight, though Young notes that ensuring it connects with consumers at shelf level remains a challenge. “There’s a greater opportunity to have a point of marketing disruption close to the point of purchase,” he says.
At-shelf disruption and digital displays
That disruption is happening fast. “Retail media is the number one touchpoint now,” says Young, noting that it has overtaken traditional digital, TV and out-of-home channels in terms of marketing spend.
Supermarkets are exploring digital price tags, interactive shelf displays and even smart barcode replacements to engage shoppers in real time. “Some retailers are trialling QR codes instead of barcodes, which you can scan for more information,” Young says. “Digital screens and displays on glass fridges and doors could well be a new opportunity – especially if they can be responsive or personalised to shoppers.”
Still, there’s a practical limitation. “I’m not sure how many shoppers will want to stop and scan a bottle in the aisle,” he adds. “The use case or benefit is still needed to be worked out.”
Bridging tradition and innovation
While many drinks producers are leaning into tech, Young also points to examples where AI is being used subtly. Vivino’s (a platform for discovering wines by scanning labels on your phone) recommendation engine is driven by machine learning. Furthermore, AI tools are increasingly used in agriculture to analyse grape yields and weather data. “Would someone running a vineyard think they’re using AI when they’re using a weather platform? Maybe, maybe not.”
Smart pours and animated labels
Some consumer-facing applications are already turning heads. Young highlights Nina, a smart pourer device for spirits that enables remote-controlled or portion-limited pours. It can be used in bars, hotel rooms, events, and even for gifting remotely.
“It opens up new opportunities like buying a round for friends, even when you’re not there, or setting spirit limits at parties,” he explains.
Meanwhile, Treasury Wine Estates brand 19 Crimes is continuing to roll out its AR-enabled labels, which animate characters on the bottle when scanned with a smartphone. “This is a nice example of using AR to animate the faces on their bottles,” says Young. “And I believe there are plans to roll this out across their portfolio.”
Advice for smaller brands
While big players have the budget to adopt emerging tech, Young believes smaller drinks brands can also benefit. “What’s very effective is using AI as market analysis – to understand current players and spot opportunities,” he says.
New entrants are often better positioned to take risks and offer something distinctive. “Maybe AI can help them do it quicker,” Young adds. “But actually it’s about staying true to your idea of what the consumer wants.”
Ultimately, whether through AI, AR, or retail media, the goal remains the same: understanding real human behaviour. “Technology is the latest piece, but it’s about seeing how people behave,” says Young. In his position, he adds, “being the spokesperson for the shopper is quite a privileged position.”
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