Alteryx, Inc., an AI platform for enterprise analytics, has revealed that over nine in ten (93 per cent) of data analysts working in the retail sector have seen an increase in the strategic impact of their role in the past year, as investments in AI and analytics automation have reshaped the industry.
Alteryx’s “2025 State of the Data Analyst” report, which surveyed 280 global analysts working in retail or consumer goods, highlighted how 89 per cent have experienced improved job satisfaction over the past year thanks to AI and, similarly, 86 per cent said their role has been boosted by analytics automation, reflecting how these technologies are helping retailers stay competitive.
Over a third (39 per cent) of data analysts in retail say using AI has surpassed their expectations. Half (53 per cent) say AI saves time, freeing them up to focus on new ideas, and almost all (92 per cent) view learning AI and analytics automation as key to career growth-an encouraging sign for an industry increasingly reliant on data to optimise performance.
Data complexity strengthens the case for more efficiency
While retail data analysts are optimistic about their roles, the time spent preparing data is slowing progress and limiting the full value of AI and automation. Three-quarters (77 per cent) still rely on spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets) to clean and prepare complex data, a task that takes between six to ten hours per week for 39 per cent of analysts.
The continued reliance on spreadsheets is a significant bottleneck in an industry where speed matters. Nearly half (48 per cent) of analysts say faster problem-solving is critical, yet the time lost to manual preparation undermines this goal. Ultimately, time sunk into data cleaning and preparation reduces the agility retailers need to respond to market demands and ever-evolving customer expectations.
The survey also identified how widespread use of disparate analytics software risks hampering the ability of retail organisations to inject pace into projects to prepare and integrate data for AI and automation use cases. Over three-quarters (78 per cent) of retail data analysts use between three and ten disparate tools and platforms for regular data preparation and analysis in their role. Interestingly, 69 per cent would prefer to cut this tech stack to one to four tools.
“PwC estimates that retail technology spending is set to grow by 10 per cent each year to 2028, a significant increase compared to previous years. With so much of this increased spend being channelled into AI, retail leaders can’t afford to ignore these findings,” commented Ben Canning, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx. “Data analysts are emerging as pivotal team members, using AI and automation to build the highly personalised journeys that customers love. However, friction from outdated data processes risks undermining this progress and making it harder for retail organisations to realise the full benefits of AI and automation. Retailers that modernise how data is processed and managed will be best positioned to unlock AI’s full potential and gain a critical edge in an increasingly competitive market”.
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