AI in Retail: How Galvia Is Helping Medium-Sized Retailers Unlock the Power of Their Data

Artificial intelligence is transforming retail, but not in the way many expect. While much attention focuses on AI applications at enterprise giants like Amazon, a quiet revolution is happening among medium-sized retailers. John Clancy, CEO of Galvia and winner of a lifetime achievement award at the Digital Transformation Awards, is leading this charge from his base in Galway and Manchester.

In this episode of Chatting GPT, host Mary Rose Lyons speaks with Clancy about how his company deploys machine learning and generative AI as "AI plumbing" for retailers, and why Ireland urgently needs bolder AI investment and policy reform.

The AI Plumbing Approach

Galvia's core insight is that most medium-sized retailers already have the data they need—they just cannot access it effectively. These businesses run on a patchwork of systems: Shopify for e-commerce, Klaviyo for email marketing, point-of-sale systems for in-store transactions, and various inventory management tools. Each system holds valuable data, but they rarely connect.

"We deploy machine learning and generative AI as AI plumbing," Clancy explains. The goal is not to replace existing platforms but to connect them, creating a unified view of customer behaviour, inventory, and sales patterns.

This approach is particularly valuable for retailers with 5–20 stores and 100–300 staff. These businesses are large enough to generate substantial data but small enough that enterprise AI solutions are prohibitively expensive and complex.

Real-World Impact: The Manchester Café Example

Clancy shares a striking example of AI's impact. A Manchester outdoor-living retailer with an in-store café discovered through basket analysis that only 1% of 1,800 café visitors made in-store purchases. This insight was invisible before Galvia's system connected the café's data with the retail operation.

Armed with this knowledge, the retailer could take targeted action—perhaps offering café visitors special promotions, improving signage, or training staff to engage café visitors with retail offerings. The result was hundreds of thousands in additional revenue from a single data connection.

This example illustrates a broader principle: the value of AI in retail often lies not in complex predictions but in revealing patterns that are obvious in hindsight but invisible in fragmented systems.

Ireland's AI Ambition Gap

Beyond his work at Galvia, Clancy serves as an adviser to the Irish government on AI policy. He is passionate about Ireland's potential in the AI space but concerned about the gap between ambition and reality.

"What's our ambition as a nation?" Clancy asks. "I really feel it's lacking from a technical point of view and an understanding." He points to two critical issues: the investment ecosystem and policy coordination.

Ireland's startup investment ecosystem, Clancy argues, is broken when it comes to AI. He cites a $5-to-$1 disparity in AI investment versus the US, meaning American startups receive five times the investment per capita. This gap makes it difficult for Irish AI companies to compete for talent and scale their operations.

Clancy calls for EIS tax reform to incentivise AI investment and, more radically, a dedicated AI minister with cross-departmental remit. Currently, AI policy is fragmented across multiple departments, slowing decision-making and reducing impact.

The Human Element of AI Adoption

Despite his focus on technology, Clancy emphasises that successful AI adoption depends on human factors. Staff curiosity and data confidence are essential prerequisites. Without buy-in from the people who will use AI tools daily, even the most sophisticated systems fail.

This insight has implications for how retailers approach AI. Technical implementation is only half the challenge; the other half is building organisational capability and confidence. Training, change management, and clear communication about AI's role are not optional extras—they are core requirements.

Looking Forward

For retailers in Ireland and the UK, the message is clear: AI is accessible now, not in some distant future. The technology to connect systems and reveal insights is available and affordable for medium-sized businesses. The question is not whether to adopt AI but how quickly organisations can build the data confidence and staff curiosity needed to use it effectively.

For Ireland as a nation, Clancy's message is equally urgent. Without bolder investment, policy reform, and coordinated leadership, Ireland risks missing the AI wave that is reshaping global commerce.

Want the full conversation? Watch the Chatting GPT episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwHWow4nZ0s