Equadis and PepsiCo recently took part in Tech & Co on BFM Business, France’s leading television and radio channel dedicated to business, technology, and economic news. They explained how artificial intelligence is transforming product data management in retail. This discussion highlights a key issue: product data has become a strategic lever, and optimizing it requires both advanced technology and strong operational execution. AI is no longer a luxury but a necessity to improve efficiency, compliance, and commercial performance.
The new challenges of product data for brands and retailers
Product data is now a key issue, with volumes exploding and expectations rising among both retailers and consumers.
Among the main challenges identified are:
- a rapidly expanding volume of data, with up to 800 product fields to be filled in depending on the market and retailer
- increased demands for transparency, traceability, and integrity of the information provided
- higher consumer expectations regarding the quality of nutritional data, composition, origin, and CSR commitments
- omnichannel retailing has become the norm, with the need for consistent content across e-commerce, apps, marketplaces, drive-throughs, and other digital channels
In this context, brands must digitize their product data management. Automating some tasks is becoming essential to maintain quality and respond more quickly to market demands.
How Equadis’ AI addresses these challenges
Equadis presented concrete uses of AI applied to product data management. Its role: to automate repetitive tasks, ensure data quality, and accelerate data distribution.
The technologies highlighted:
- Automatic extraction of information from packaging, images, and artwork.
- Enrichment and standardization of product sheets to ensure consistency.
- Accelerated multilingual translation.
- Quality and consistency checks according to the specific rules of each market and distributor.
The goal is always the same: to reduce the operational burden on low-value-added tasks, provide reliable product information that is perfectly aligned with retail standards, and accelerate time-to-market cycles.
PepsiCo: measurable operational feedback
PepsiCo demonstrated in very concrete terms how the integration of Equadis AI is transforming its daily operations. Thanks to the automation offered by Equadis, PepsiCo can now manage its product data more efficiently, maintain omnichannel consistency, and ensure that information complies with regulations and market expectations. This approach is fully in line with PepsiCo’s desire to accelerate data, AI, and innovation initiatives that benefit consumers.
Pepsico’s impressive results thanks to Equadis’ AI
PepsiCo has shared several key indicators that demonstrate the concrete impact of Equadis’ AI on its organization:
- Up to 15 days of time-to-market saved per product sheet.
- 22% reduction in market launch times.
- Massive automation of non-strategic tasks.
- More consistent data across all digital channels.
Clémence Souche, Digital Product Manager at PepsiCo, also highlights a key point: these gains free up time for teams, who can focus on collaborating with retailers, analysis, and continuous improvement. These gains demonstrate that product data is not just a technical issue. It is a lever for commercial performance.
A shared vision: towards a continuous data optimization loop
L’interview a également permis de présenter la prochaine étape clé portée par Equadis : la Closed-loop, ou “boucle fermée” – un cycle d’optimisation continue de la donnée. L’objectif est de passer d’une gestion linéaire de l’information produit à un cycle complet d’amélioration permanente. Concrètement, cela consiste à :
- analyzing the performance of product information directly on retailers websites,
- measuring its impact on conversion and visibility,
- automating feedback,
- feeding internal systems to continuously optimize product data.
This analysis is based in particular on the Digital Shelf Analytics solution offered by Equadis.
Artificial intelligence: a transformative force for retail
L’intervention Equadis x PepsiCo sur BFM Business met en lumière une tendance forte : l’IA et la donnée produit sont devenues des piliers de performance dans le retail. Les entreprises qui automatisent, fiabilisent et enrichissent leurs données disposent aujourd’hui d’avantages décisifs :
The Equadis x PepsiCo interview on BFM Business highlights a strong trend: AI and product data have become pillars of performance in retail. Companies that automate, improve the reliability of, and enrich their data now have decisive advantages:
- faster time-to-market
- increased productivity
- a better consumer experience
- boosted commercial performance
“With these technologies that will eliminate all low-value-added human tasks, you will be able to bring your products to market faster. And that translates into better commercial performance. If a product is available a month earlier, that automatically means a twelfth of the revenue becomes available a month earlier.” – Pascal LAIK, CEO of Equadis
Equadis and PepsiCo show that this transformation is already underway and accelerating, driven by AI and a shared vision of smarter, more reliable, and more strategic product data.
