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There’ s no denying how important technology is to the beverage alcohol ecosystem. Between accepting payments, websites, e-commerce capabilities, customer data and more, retailers rely on a lot to keep their business up and running.

Especially with the rise in Artificial Intelligence( AI), we seem to be becoming more dependent on technology.

According to Stanford University’ s 2025 AI Index Report, in 2024, U. S. private AI investment grew to $ 109.1 billion— nearly 12 times China’ s $ 9.3 billion and 24 times the U. K.’ s $ 4.5 billion. Generative AI saw particularly strong momentum, attracting $ 33.9 billion globally in private investment— an 18.7 % increase from 2023.

Additionally, the report found that AI business usage is also accelerating: 78 % of organizations reported using AI in 2024, up from 55 % the year before. Meanwhile, a growing body of research confirms that AI boosts productivity and, in most cases, helps narrow skill gaps across the workforce.

If you think AI isn’ t right for your liquor store, think again. From chatbots to predictive analytics, AI-based liquor store technologies can enhance customer service and optimize business operations.

AI-powered chatbots are great website additions to allow for 24 / 7 customer service. AI also works wonders for analyzing sales and customer data to predict future trends. It can even generate personalized product recommendations for your customers based on their purchase history, ultimately improving their shopping experience.

With so much technological evolution taking place, how do you keep up with it all?

For one thing, the companies you work with most likely contact you every time they release a new software or system. But if you’ re on the hunt for new technologies that you’ ve never tried before, that’ s where our 2025 Technology Guide comes in handy.

Jam packed with different offerings ranging from POS systems and mobile payment options to e-commerce capabilities and digital delivery apps, we have all the latest technologies listed in this annual guide. So peruse at your leisure and see which technologies could really help your store.

4 HOW COMPANIES ARE UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO OFFSET TARIFF DISRUPTION by Krystina Skibo

7 THE 2025 TECHNOLOGY BUYER’ S GUIDE A list of some of the best tech companies by Krystina Skibo

Krystina Skibo Trade Managing Editor

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