Marks & Spencer has announced customers can use its new Wine Finder tool powered by AI technology to help them select the right bottle of wine for their palate. Available online for more than 500 stores and on point-of-sale marketing in 20 Foodhalls, the new tool asks a few quick questions about personal preferences before offering tailored recommendations of wines ranged in the chosen store.

The retailer is trialling the tool to help customers shop a category that can be confusing. The Wine Worries research*, conducted on behalf of M&S, found that nearly a quarter of shoppers spend more than 10 minutes deliberating in the wine aisle.

The tool is supported by the M&S Food digital catalogue, which provides customers with live stock information across its more than 1,000 stores. Available through the M&S app, millions of customers are using the digital catalogue to better plan their shop as the retailer aims to become more of a shopping list retailer. Customers can see what’s in stock at their local store and add items to a digital shopping list. The Wine Finder can access the catalogue to make personalised recommendations which are stocked in the relevant store for customers.

The technology is powered by Preferabli, the leading AI-driven, product discovery and recommendation software in wine, spirits and food, and it’s the first time it’s being integrated by a grocery retailer in the UK. Built by PhDs and the largest group of Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers in the world, the recommendations are powered by Preferabli’s proprietary database, using hundreds of characteristics for each wine.

Caroline Thompson-Hill, Head of Beers, Wine and Spirits at M&S Food, said:

“We know Wine can be a difficult category to shop and it’s important that we find new ways to support our customers when shopping our incredible range in store. By utilising AI, the Wine Finder tool helps encourage customers to try different regions, grapes and bottles they’ve not considered before. By suggesting wines to try, we’ll help customers make decisions in stores and hopefully find some new favourites.”