Google and German Retail Association Launch AI Training Initiative

The programme aims to provide orientation in the complex world of artificial intelligence and help retailers apply the technology in their daily operations, Lebensmittelpraxis reports.

The initiative includes several key components. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will receive licenses for Google Career Certificates, allowing them to gain practical AI skills, such as prompting.

HDE will also launch a new subpage on its “Handel 4.0” website dedicated to AI training opportunities and will direct retailers to Google’s “Zukunftswerkstatt” (Future Workshop), a free digital training platform.

The programme will begin by analysing regional needs in North Rhine-Westphalia and later expand further.

“AI skills are no longer a question of the future – they have become a matter of survival,” said HDE CEO Stefan Genth. Jannika Bock, Managing Director Retail at Google, added: “With this new initiative, we are continuing our commitment to supporting AI training in the German retail sector.”

Several major retailers in Germany are already using AI solutions. For instance, Otto relies on Google AI for performance marketing, while Rewe uses Google Cloud to power its customer data platform for personalised offers. Fressnapf automates marketing processes with AI, and Media-Saturn promotes high-value products through a cloud-based AI platform.

The initiative builds on Google’s Zukunftswerkstatt, which has trained nearly two million people in Germany on digital topics over the past decade. The new programme was officially presented on June 23 at a parliamentary evening event in Berlin, with participants including Digital Affairs Minister Karsten Wildberger and Google VP Philipp Justus.