Bealls Expands Use of Artificial Intelligence to Boost Retail Performance
Bradenton-based Bealls, one of the nation’s largest privately held retailers with more than 660 stores across the United States, has introduced a new artificial intelligence platform to enhance decision-making in areas such as merchandise planning and inventory optimization.
The system, called Profitmind, was developed in 2024 and utilizes continuous data analysis to identify the most impactful opportunities, recommend strategies, and, in some cases, directly execute actions aligned with business goals. Bealls first piloted the platform and reported a 20% improvement in plan accuracy while adopting 80% of the system’s recommendations.
The AI-driven tool is designed to track weekly profit drivers and provide real-time insights into the financial effects of merchandising and inventory choices. By streamlining these processes, Bealls expects to accelerate planning cycles, boost forecast accuracy, and maximize inventory productivity. Company leaders said the technology will also allow employees to spend less time on routine data tasks and more time on creative, forward-looking initiatives.
Profitmind functions by deploying specialized “AI agents” to assess competitive activity, pricing strategies, promotional planning, inventory levels, and assortment strategy. This agent-based model enables retailers to scale expert-level decision-making across complex operations.
Bealls, which reported more than $1.9 billion in revenue in 2024, is among several national retailers turning to Profitmind. Other adopters include Kirkland’s and Batteries Plus. The platform is marketed as delivering a rapid return on investment, with users seeing revenue growth averaging 21% and profit gains of 14%. Implementation typically takes one to two months.
While Bealls has not disclosed its investment in the technology, Profitmind has reported that the financial benefits for users often reach into the multimillion-dollar range, with payback achieved within the first month.
The move positions Bealls as an early adopter of agent-based artificial intelligence in the retail sector, a step the company expects will strengthen its competitive edge in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
