How many live roles in the retail sector involve AI?
125 of 1,087 live roles in the retail sector involve AI. 11.5% · of live roles that involve AI · live specs · week ending 2 October 2026.
Across 1,087 live retail specs from 23 employers, week ending 2 October 2026. Retail advertises roles in five of the seven named markets. Each role is read on whether it involves AI, whether AI sits at the centre of the work, and whether the role is accountable for what the model produces.
Every figure on this page is for the retail sector in all markets unless a market is named. A market cell publishes where the sector has 10 or more employers in that market; under that it is held.
How many retail specifications involve AI
Involved: 125 of 1,087 live roles in the retail sector involve AI, 11.5% of live roles that involve AI (live specs, week ending 2 October 2026).
Central: of those 125 roles that involve AI, 60 have AI at the centre of the work, 48.0% of roles that involve AI where AI sits at the centre of the work.
Accountable: of those 60 AI-central roles, 9 are accountable for what the model produces, 15.0% of AI-central roles accountable for what the model produces.
Beside the three measures, as context and not as a measure, on the base of all live roles: 60 of 1,087 (5.5%) live roles in the retail sector are AI-central.
How retail compares across markets
In each market where retail has 10 or more employers, week ending 2 October 2026: Australia, 29 of 367 (7.9%) live roles involve AI, and of those 9 of 29 have AI at the centre of the work.
Held, with fewer than 10 retail employers in the market: UK, US, Ireland.
The remaining 21 live retail specs come from employers in two other markets and count toward the sector total.
Where AI lands by seniority in retail
Entry level: 2 of 370 (0.5%) live roles in the retail sector involve AI; of those, 1 of 2 have AI at the centre of the work.
Director and above: 15 of 78 (19.2%) live roles in the retail sector involve AI; of those, 7 of 15 have AI at the centre of the work.
Week ending 2 October 2026.
The pathway, across marketsHow AI-central retail roles read on the four tests
Every AI-central role is then read on four tests. Accountable is one of them.
Of 60 AI-central roles in the retail sector, week ending 2 October 2026, each test on its own: works with the model, 3 of 60 (5.0%); can overrule it, 4 of 60 (6.7%); is accountable for what it produces, 9 of 60 (15.0%); keeps decisions over it, 16 of 60 (26.7%).
Beside the four tests, as context: 44 of 60 meet none of the four tests (73.3%).
Beside the four tests: 44 of 60 meet none of the four tests (73.3%).
How this is measured
Live specs. Employers are never named against a figure. Each role is read on whether it involves AI, whether AI sits at the centre of the work, and whether the role is accountable for what the model produces. Each measure's share is on the measure before it. A page publishes at 150 or more live specs. A cell under 30 prints its counts and no share; under 150 its count and base print beside its share. A sector cell inside a market publishes with 10 or more employers in it, and is held under that.
Full method at /method