New York-based AI firm Preferabli is helping shoppers at UK retail chain Marks & Spencer (M&S) find the right bottle of wine.

Preferable has created AI-driven B2B2C product discovery and recommendation software for wine, spirits and food. M&S shoppers can now use this for personalised wine discovery.

Preferabli is changing the way shoppers discover the wines they will love by offering experiences rooted in individual taste preference, using the Preferabli Sensorial AI. The M&S wine experience includes rich content, guided recommendations and a showcase for wines with similar taste characteristics.

The partnership marks the first time such technology has been integrated into a highly curated collection on a grocery retailing platform in the UK. The experiences are being presented in store and through 570 ecommerce channels.

Available online for more than 500 stores and on point-of-sale marketing in 20 foodhalls, the 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. Research conducted on behalf of M&S found nearly a quarter of shoppers spend more than ten minutes deliberating in the wine aisle.

“We’re imagining a world driven by individual preferences, using machine intelligence with human touch,” said Pam Dillon, CEO of Preferabli. “Our software extends the bounds of what human beings can do to create true and lasting customer relationships by working at scale across the world.”

The experiences are powered by Preferabli’s proprietary database, using hundreds of characteristics for each wine.

“Our technology gives shoppers various ways to voice how to begin a journey of discovery,” said Andrew Sussman, CTO of Preferabli. “No other platform has our domain expertise or depth of quality data.”

M&S has invested over the years in developing digital and data capabilities to offer an omnichannel service to its shoppers. The partnership provides the opportunity to integrate technology into the M&S platform to create new, personalised experiences. Personalisation capabilities will cover all wine offerings at M&S.

“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,” said Caroline Thompson-Hill, head of beers, wine and spirits at M&S (www.marksandspencer.com). “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.”

The tool is supported by M&S’s digital catalogue, which provides customers with live stock information across its more than 1000 stores. Available through the M&S app, millions of customers are using the digital catalogue to 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 that are stocked in the relevant store. Details of the Wine Finder tool can be found at marksandspencer.hw.preferabli.com/?extid=onl_foodcat_preferabli_wine.

Preferabli software uses a novel form of machine learning protected by 12 patents. Preferabli (preferabli.com) was built by PhDs in physiology and applied mathematics, and masters of wine and master sommeliers. Preferabli products cover wine, spirits, beer, sake, craft cocktails, ready-to-drink beverages and food, including cheese. It has business and consumer users in 100 countries. Preferabli for consumers is available on iOS and Android.