AIToday
Large Language ModelsJapan Times TechPublished: Jul 2, 2026, 16:00 JST1 min read

Cotswold Company prepares for AI shopping bots as chatbot use grows

Cotswold Company prepares for AI shopping bots as chatbot use grows

Key takeaway

  • The Cotswold Company, a premium English furniture retailer that generates 80% of its £123 million ($163 million(約260億円)) in revenue online, is preparing for an era in which artificial intelligence and AI shopping agents reshape how customers browse and buy.

  • More than a third of consumers in the U.S., U.K., and France now use AI chatbots for product research, prompting the company's leadership to prioritize readiness for this shift.

3 Key Points

  1. What happened

    The Cotswold Company, an upscale English furniture maker, is preparing its business for a future in which artificial intelligence—including agentic AI that could act as a personal shopper—shapes how customers discover and buy products. The company did 80% of its £123 million ($163 million(約260億円)) in sales online in its latest fiscal year.

  2. Why it matters

    More than a third of consumers in the U.S., U.K. and France already use tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft's Copilot for product ideas or comparisons. For a business that has tracked the shift from catalogs to websites, AI-powered shopping assistants represent a new frontier—and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Tucker stresses the importance of being there and excelling at it to keep pace with where customers go.

  3. What to watch

    The company is in the early stages of AI readiness. Tucker, who joined in 2020, frames this as a first-mover opportunity, suggesting that businesses which adapt quickly to agentic AI may gain a competitive edge in customer engagement.

Ask the AI about this article →

FAQ

What percentage of Cotswold Company's sales come from online channels?
The company did 80% of its £123 million ($163 million(約260億円)) in sales online in its latest fiscal year.
How many consumers currently use AI chatbots for shopping?
More than a third of consumers in the U.S., U.K. and France use tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft's Copilot for product ideas or comparisons.
Japan Times TechRead Original Article

Get the latest Large Language Models news every morning

For example, today's edition would include:

  • Visko raises $10M, launches live AI video model OrbisSiliconANGLE AI · 13m ago
  • Runway unveils Solaris, an AI that generates app interfaces in real timeTHE DECODER · 13m ago
  • Google AI Search flags Facebook users as dangerTHE DECODER · 13m ago

AI-summarized, only the topics you pick — one digest a day via Email, Slack, or Discord.

Free · takes 30 seconds · unsubscribe anytimeWhat is AIToday? →

Ask AI

Ask AI anything about this article. Q&As are published on this page for other readers too.

Related Articles

Next articleAI World Fair debate: agents in the loop, but humans must steer