The One Thing AI Still Can’t Do (And You Do Every Day)

ByAmyFay Chandler

A computer program made more money in 30 days than most people see in a decade. Not because it was smarter — because it was faster at math.

I read that this morning and had to sit with it for a minute.

Speed and math. That’s the whole trick. And there are a lot of things in business that are just math — reorders, social captions, crunching numbers on what sold last quarter.

But it can’t walk your floor and notice that the candle display by the register outsells the one in the back corner three to one. It doesn’t know that Mrs. Henderson needs four hostess gifts every December and appreciates a phone call when something new comes in. It can’t look at a line sheet and just know — from years of watching what your people reach for — that this one’s going to move and that one isn’t worth the shelf space.

That knowing is yours. And the more automated everything else gets, the more valuable it becomes.

Quick note on the world this morning: a ceasefire between the US and Iran has the Strait of Hormuz reopening, and oil dropped 13% overnight. If it holds, shipping costs and gas prices should ease — but supply chains take weeks to unwind, so don’t count on relief on your next freight bill quite yet. Worth watching.

xoxo ❤️ AmyFay

What’s happening in the world. What it means for your store. Monday through Thursday, from AmyFay Chandler — with Friday Retail Tidbits delivered every Friday morning.

I’m AmyFay Chandler, a Knoxville-based wholesale sales rep serving independent retailers in Tennessee and Kentucky through Tango Showroom. I also represent Sweet Tree Jewelry and Caroline B Cook nationwide. Before I became a rep, I built two T-shirt lines, ran my own retail business, bought home and gift for Elder’s Ace Hardware, and worked with Werner Frank. I have been the maker, buyer, retailer, rep, and person at the register, so I evaluate every line from the store floor first.

I write the Morning Retail Tidbit and Friday Retail Tidbits to help local retailers buy smarter, merchandise with intention, and keep their stores valuable.

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