Amazon, Intersport and New Balance discuss AI’s role in sports retail

Executives from Amazon, Intersport and New Balance told the ISPO Summit in Amsterdam that AI would reshape sports shopping without replacing physical stores or human expertise any time soon, according to FashionUnited. The discussion highlighted continuing demand for personal service, particularly for expensive, emotionally driven purchases.

Avi Samtani, managing director and Europe GM at Amazon Sports, said general-purpose shopping agents currently struggle to provide accurate prices and inventory information, while retailers’ own agents perform better. He expects agents to handle repetitive replenishment purchases and help shoppers gather information, rather than take over product discovery.

Intersport International Corporation CEO Tom Foley said the retailer continues to open stores successfully and that shoppers still seek human validation. New Balance VP sales EMEA Ger Wright said brands could improve AI-assisted shopping by sharing richer data, helping consumers identify products and prices before visiting stores.

Wright also outlined potential uses in buying operations, including forecasting, planning and, potentially, assortment creation. Samtani said operational savings from AI could be reinvested in customer connections, including physical retail experiences.

Why it matters For sports brands and retailers, the discussion links AI development to product data and buying knowledge while retaining a role for store staff. Wright’s proposed applications extend beyond consumer-facing tools to the forecasting and planning work behind retail assortments.