PetSmart used AI-powered decisioning built on Databricks and Hightouch to drive a 22% lift in incremental salon bookings, according to Bradley Breuer, SVP of Marketing. The technology tested thousands of combinations of subject lines, offers, timing and creative to find what resonated with each pet parent. PetSmart’s marketing team sets objectives, guardrails and creative, while AI evaluates customer signals in real time and picks the next best action, freeing marketers to focus on strategy and analysis. First-party data from more than 80 million Treats Rewards members provides the foundation to combine known customer behavior with predictive models and personalize at scale. Breuer told Retail TouchPoints that while there are internal productivity applications, one of the biggest opportunities is using AI to make every customer interaction more relevant, timely and helpful. To grow its in-store grooming salon visitors, the team used AI to identify pet parents most likely to be interested in grooming services and determine which messages, offers and timing would be most effective in encouraging them to book an appointment. The result was a 22% increase in incremental salon bookings. Breuer emphasized that AI enhances decision-making, allowing marketers to analyze more customer signals, optimize campaigns more effectively and spend more time on strategy and creativity. He believes the strongest marketing outcomes still depend on human expertise.