# Retail AI consulting Canonical URL: /retail-ai-consulting Headline: Real-world retail AI consulting, grounded in live store data. Lead: CIMARA Ask AI is the pillar of our consulting work. We use it with your existing retail system, starting with Counterpoint and CIMARA Core, to turn sales, inventory and margin data into plain-English answers, charts and merchandise recommendations your team can act on. This is a senior-led, high-touch engagement. It is retail AI consulting and AI merchandising consulting for specialty retail, with Counterpoint AI analytics on live store data. AI for specialty retail starts from the file the shop already runs. What we do: We sit with your operators, learn how the store actually runs, and wire Ask to the data that matters. You get live dashboards, buy signals and history analysis today. Coming soon to CIMARA Core: the same CIMARA Ask AI, built right into your daily workflows. Its merchandise recommendations become ready-to-review purchase orders, transfers and markdowns with no manual entry, saving untold hours of tedious data analysis so you can make informed decisions with the reasoning to back them up. Built to adapt: Ask isn't locked to one platform. The Host is the switch layer, so the same AI experience can connect to other retail systems. If you run something besides Counterpoint or CIMARA, we can still put Ask to work for you. CIMARA Ask AI works with CIMARA Core, and with NCR Counterpoint for shops still on it. Who it's for: Specialty retailers and multi-location operators who want AI that earns its keep on the sales floor, not another demo that never leaves the conference room. How we start: A short discovery call, a Host install against your data and a focused pilot on the reports and recommendations that move the needle for you. Book a consultation: /contact?topic=ai-consultation. Calls and support: (843) 277-8555. One number for sales and support; an auto attendant routes your call. Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM ET. Need coverage outside these hours? After-hours emergency support contracts are available. Contact for more info: /contact or (843) 277-8555. Ask limits each answer by the user's security role and by the question asked, so staff only see what their role allows. Our consultants use AI tools on the reports you choose to share. The retailer talks to CIMARA. Ask a question in plain English and get a chart back. One example is a destination aquarium. The page shows the top-items chart only. Guided by Kevin Bowden. Subline: Founder of CIMARA (Frontier Retail, Inc.) · Over 5 years in AI. Credential line: MIT Professional Education, Artificial Intelligence. Kevin Bowden, founder of CIMARA (Frontier Retail, Inc.), started out building software for CPAs and has spent 45 years working with retail business software and integrations. CIMARA is built from years of retail technology experience for specialty retail customers. We listen to retailers first and help them get the most from their technology. Kevin is supported by a brilliant and experienced team of architects, engineers and quality control specialists creating the next generation of retail platform, one that truly leverages intelligence to improve success and create meaningful efficiency. Job title: Founder. He works for Frontier Retail, Inc. Do not describe the credentials as MIT training, and do not call him an expert. Do not use MIT logos. Talk with Kevin: /contact. The page opens with an explainer film, Retail AI consulting, in brief: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-consulting-explainer.mp4 (WebM: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-consulting-explainer.webm). Poster: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-consulting-explainer-poster.jpg. English captions: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-consulting-explainer.vtt. Upload date 2026-10-31. Duration PT75.3S. The narration says CIMARA as si-Mara. It lists no prices. Transcript: Retail AI consulting, grounded in live store data. Your business runs on the sales floor, so that's where we start. We listen first. We sit with your operators and learn how the store actually runs. Then we wire CIMARA Ask AI to the data that matters. Ask in plain English, and get a chart. Live dashboards, buy signals, and history analysis. Coming soon to CIMARA Core: the same CIMARA Ask AI, built right into your daily workflows. Ready-to-review purchase orders, transfers and markdowns, with no manual entry. Ask isn't locked to one platform. The Host connects it to the retail system you already run. How we start: a short discovery call, a Host install against your data, and a focused pilot. Retail AI consulting from CIMARA. Book a consultation. Call Frontier Retail for more information about the CIMARA platform of retail solutions. (843) 277-8555, Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM ET. The page also plays a film, See how Ask reads your merchandise: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-merchandising.mp4. Poster: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-merchandising-poster.jpg. English captions: /site-assets/videos/retail-ai-merchandising.vtt. Upload date 2026-10-31. Duration PT64.8S. A plain-English question returns a finished chart. The questions the team asks most are one tap away. Ask shows what to reorder and what's sitting, with buy signals, aged stock, weeks on hand, and turns, and finds the broken size run. Every answer is limited by the person's security role. Ask only recommends. It does not place an order or change a price. This page does not list prices. Not a fourth product. How an engagement works: 1. A short discovery call. 2. A Host install against your data. 3. A focused pilot on the reports and recommendations that move the needle. ## Questions What is retail AI consulting? Retail AI consulting is a senior-led, high-touch engagement. CIMARA Ask AI is the pillar of the work. We use it with your existing retail system, starting with Counterpoint and CIMARA Core, to turn sales, inventory and margin data into plain-English answers, charts and merchandise recommendations your team can act on. Which retail systems does the consulting work with? Consulting starts with Counterpoint and CIMARA Core. Ask isn't locked to one platform. The Host is the switch layer, so the same AI experience can connect to other retail systems. If you run something besides Counterpoint or CIMARA, we can still put Ask to work for you. CIMARA Ask AI works with CIMARA Core, and with NCR Counterpoint for shops still on it. Does a person review AI actions before they post? Yes. You get live dashboards, buy signals and history analysis today. Coming soon to CIMARA Core: the same CIMARA Ask AI, built right into your daily workflows. Its merchandise recommendations become ready-to-review purchase orders, transfers and markdowns with no manual entry, saving untold hours of tedious data analysis so you can make informed decisions with the reasoning to back them up. Ask only recommends. How does a pilot work? A pilot starts with a short discovery call, a Host install against your data, and a focused pilot on the reports and recommendations that move the needle for you. Senior people stay with the team through that pilot. How is store data handled? Our consultants use AI tools on the reports you choose to share. Ask limits each answer by the person's security role and by the question asked. The Host connects only to the data you choose to connect. Who is retail AI consulting for? Specialty retailers and multi-location operators who want AI that earns its keep on the sales floor, not another demo that never leaves the conference room. Does this page list a price? No. This page does not list prices. Book a consultation and we will scope a pilot with you. Seller: Frontier Retail, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Related: CIMARA Ask AI (/ask-ai), CIMARA Core (/frontier-core).