Paul Tepfenhart

Paul Tepfenhart

Paul Tepfenhart is the global director of retail at Google. He was previously senior vice president of omnichannel retail and innovation at San Antonio-based H-E-B, and has also held roles at Walmart, Evenflo, and Procter & Gamble.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Technology, Brick-and-Mortar

The Agentic Shift: Why Retail’s AI Focus is Moving From Efficiency to Agility in 2026

February 2, 2026 at 1:37 pm

The retail industry is already steeped in the nonstop buzz of artificial intelligence. While hype is high, action is lagging. The time is now to accelerate or be left at the bus stop. Yet the question remains: Is there a real return on investment in AI? A recent Google study, ROI of AI, found that…

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Retail’s AI Bell Curve: Why Scaling Now is Critical

April 22, 2025 at 10:13 am

The buzz around artificial intelligence in retail has transcended mere novelty — it's a full-blown necessity. We’ve moved beyond the "Is AI relevant?" phase to "How fast can we scale it?" The numbers speak volumes: roughly 60 percent of retailers currently leverage AI, and a staggering 80 percent plan to boost their AI capabilities in…