Beyond the GPU: How NVIDIA is Redefining Retail
Azita Martin on AI’s role in reshaping e-commerce, supply chains, and stores
Previous edition: “How Danone is addressing one of the largest shifts in American consumers"
From California, we bring you a conversation with Azita Martin, Vice President & General Manager of AI for Retail, CPG & QSR at NVIDIA. At the center of the world’s most valuable company’s retail initiatives, Azita is helping shape how artificial intelligence will power the future of shopping, from supply chains to the store floor.
She shares her perspective on the next frontier of AI: how e-commerce is being reinvented with intelligent search and shopping assistants, why supply chain optimization is becoming the ultimate battleground, and what “Physical AI” could mean for retail by 2026. Along the way, she brings real-world examples, offering a clear picture of how innovation is moving from vision to execution.
In this edition:
1. About the business
2. About the guest
3. Our episode highlights
4. Where can you watch and listen
5. Next week
About the business
Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem, NVIDIA began with the ambition of bringing 3D graphics to gaming and multimedia. Just a few years later, the company invented the GPU, sparking a technological shift that would redefine computing as we know it.
“I joined Nvidia about seven years ago, and people said, “You're the gaming company”. And at the time, seven years ago, I was in the machine learning space. And I said, “This AI stuff is going to take off, and I know who's going to be leading it, it's going to be Nvidia.”
Three decades on, NVIDIA stands at the center of the AI revolution. Its accelerated computing platforms now extend across 19 industries, from robotics and smart cities to healthcare, retail, CPG, and quick service restaurants. In retail specifically, the company is building a future around intelligent supply chains, intelligent stores, and seamless omnichannel experiences.
The scale of adoption is remarkable: according to NVIDIA’s 2025 “State of AI in Retail” survey, 89% of retail and CPG executives are already deploying or testing AI projects (up from 82% in 2023), and 87% report a direct positive impact on revenue.
About the guest
With more than 30 years of experience in technology and business leadership, Azita Martin has dedicated her career to helping organizations deploy innovation. Over the past seven years at NVIDIA, she has led the company’s AI strategy for retail and CPG, guiding global brands on how to adopt high-impact AI solutions while developing the company’s retail solution stack and partner ecosystem.
“I think the key thing is that you always have to be learning. I've always kind of had this interest in like, what's new in technology? I think in many ways, I've been reading more stuff around technology versus reading magazines for fun.”
Before joining NVIDIA, Azita served as Chief Marketing Officer at several startups and held leadership roles in product marketing at Salesforce, Siebel, and Silicon Graphics. She began her career as a Senior Consultant, later earning a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA from the University of Southern California.
Our Episode Highlights
Here are four key takeaways from our conversation with Azita:
1. AI Shopping Assistants & E-commerce: Artificial intelligence is transforming e-commerce, replacing traditional search with AI shopping assistants. These tools personalize recommendations and optimize the shopping experience, redefining how consumers find and acquire products online.
2. Computer Vision & Digital Twins in Retail: Computer vision is crucial for loss prevention in retail and for optimizing checkout. Digital twins of stores and products allow for simulating configurations and planograms, enabling data-driven decisions for store layouts and product placement.
3. Physical AI: The Future of Interaction: Physical AI, combining digital twins, computer vision, robotics, and generative AI, will be the main theme for 2026. This AI understands physics and interacts with the physical world, promising transformative advancements in supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution.
4. Agentic AI & Supply Chain Optimization: Agentic AI, with multiple autonomous agents working together, will revolutionize supply chain management. These agents perceive, reason, plan, and execute tasks independently, making processes like inventory management and order fulfillment more efficient.
Where can you watch and listen
Find the full conversation and valuable insights on our YouTube channel, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Choose your favorite podcast provider below:
1. YouTube:
2. Spotify:
3. Apple Podcasts:
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Next Week
On Tuesday, September 23rd, 7:00 AM GMT, our host, Paula Macaggi, will join Danielle Sporkin, SVP of Media and Marketing Services at Ferrero.
Also, on October 2 nd, we’ll launch our series “Retail Intelligence in Action” in partnership with Ometria, presented by Retail icon Ron Thurston and amazing guests.
Great things are coming! Follow us to stay ahead in the retail world; all our social links and podcast platforms are right here.