In retail, the GS1 Global Product Classification (GPC) system is widely adopted as the trusted framework for ensuring consistency, interoperability, and compliance across the retail supply chain. From procurement and merchandising to e-commerce and logistics, GPC helps create a common language for product information.
But even with a strong standard in place, retailers often face a hidden problem: the sheer complexity of keeping product data correctly classified at scale.
Why GPC Classification Remains a Challenge
Recently, a major European retailer approached AICA Data with the task of classifying over 50,000 product items under GPC standards. This isn’t unusual. Retailers worldwide are dealing with sprawling assortments that evolve daily, new products are added, existing SKUs are updated, and item descriptions are inconsistent across vendors and suppliers.
Several challenges often stand in the way:
- Volume and Velocity: Tens of thousands of products require continuous updates.
- Inconsistent Data: Item descriptions differ across regions, suppliers, and systems.
- Manual Bottlenecks: Many retailers still rely on manual or semi-automated methods that can’t keep up with demand.
- System Gaps: Legacy tools, even when linked to GS1 standards, fall short in speed and scalability.
The result? Retailers risk data silos, inefficiencies in procurement, compliance delays, and poor customer experiences online and offline.
AICA’s Agentic AI: A World First in GPC Classification
This is where AICA’s Agentic AI changes the game. Our platform is the first globally to deliver a fully AI-driven solution purpose-built for GPC classification at retail scale.
Instead of relying solely on manual labor or generic AI models, our system leverages:
- Domain-specific algorithms trained on retail and product data.
- Real-time enrichment and cleansing alongside classification.
- AI + human verification for a balance of speed and accuracy.
With this approach, we’re able to classify tens of thousands of SKUs with exceptional accuracy and speed, reducing errors and ensuring compliance with GS1 GPC standards.
A Smarter Way to Manage Retail Product Data
Even for retailers who already have GS1 frameworks in place, AICA provides a vital upgrade:
- Consistency at Scale: Products are classified uniformly across systems and suppliers.
- Operational Efficiency: Teams spend less time on manual data handling.
- Future-Proofing: Retailers can adapt faster to new categories, regulatory changes, and market demands.
In short, AICA makes GPC classification one less worry for retailers, freeing them to focus on what matters most: serving customers, optimising operations, and driving growth.
Final Thoughts
The GS1 GPC system has long been a cornerstone of retail data management, but keeping it up to date is a different challenge altogether. With product assortments growing more complex, the future of retail requires smarter, faster, and more accurate classification methods.
At AICA, we’re proud to lead this shift with Agentic AI, the first solution built specifically to handle the scale and complexity of retail GPC classification.
To learn more about how AICA can transform your retail product data and streamline GPC classification, visit our website today.
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