Marks & Spencer has launched a new artificial intelligence-powered tool aimed at helping customers select the perfect bottle of wine based on their preferences.

The Wine Finder tool, which asks customers a short series of questions about their taste preferences before providing tailored recommendations, is now available online for more than 500 stores and via in-store hubs in 20 M&S Foodhalls across the UK.

The technology has been developed in partnership with Preferabli, marking the first time the AI firm's wine discovery and recommendation software has been integrated by a British grocery retailer.

According to M&S research conducted in June 2024, shoppers waste significant time when selecting wine, with nearly a quarter spending more than 10 minutes deliberating in the wine aisle, and one in six people aged 25 or under typically spending more than 15 minutes trying to choose a bottle.

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."

The recommendations are powered by Preferabli's proprietary database, which uses hundreds of characteristics for each wine and has been built by PhDs and what M&S describes as "the largest group of Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers in the world."

M&S offers more than 400 wines across its full range, and the company's research found that 40 per cent of people stick to buying the same wines they already know, with only one in six regularly purchasing wines they have not tried before.

After making their selection, shoppers can check if their local store has their chosen bottle in stock, integrating with the M&S Food digital catalogue which provides customers with live stock information across its more than 1,000 stores.

The 20 stores featuring in-store Wine Finder hubs include locations in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.

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