ChatBots

Advanced search functions are now indispensable in helping shoppers find and choose what they want from the many millions of products now available to them online or in-app 24/7. There are now more than 268 million digital buyers in the U.S. — all expecting highly personalized experiences and super-fast, hyper-relevant product discovery. To do this…

Ever visited a grocery store, activated your mobile app, and received personalized item suggestions with prices and additional insights? Shoppers at supermarket chain Kroger have. Store sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) technology are enabling customized mid-purchase product recommendations to be expected by consumers. The question on small and mid-to-large store owners' minds now is how…

It’s rare that a new technology draws as much fevered interest as ChatGPT, but then again an OpenAI chatbot that speaks and writes full paragraphs, writes college essays, and de-bugs and explains code fixes doesn’t come along every day. Most conversational chatbots today aren’t as advanced as ChatGBT, even with its many limitations. Even so,…

It happens every year. In November and December, consumers who are overjoyed with the holidays spend more than they had planned. In fact, on Black Friday 2022, consumers spent a record $9.12 billion online. This excitement continues into January, as gift cards get spent and returns are made. Then, reality strikes as the post-holiday spending slump…

It's no secret that the retail market is ever-changing; six months ago, consumers had different interests and markets faced different headwinds. To better combat the turbulence, in everything from logistics to loyalty, retailers have been turning to automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to receive support in handling orders, managing market insights into customer demographics, and…

With economic uncertainty and the ongoing pandemic, many people — including retailers — were ready to leave 2022 to the history books. Looking ahead to this new year, retail trends that surged during the pandemic, like the rise of e-commerce, will continue. Recovery from the disruption caused by the pandemic will force retailers to get…

With unprecedented worker shortages coupled with a surplus of inventory, retailers are bracing for a challenging start to the new year. While Black Friday discounts (that seem to creep earlier and earlier before Thanksgiving every year) incentivize consumers to a certain extent, many retailers are finding themselves strapped for customer service and sales staff —…

While the holidays are a joyous season for most of us, they can feel like a lump of coal for retail contact center agents. Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas rush, retail contact centers are bombarded with calls from customers making returns, asking questions about products, or not-so-politely complaining. This spike in volume…

According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, in-store sales are anticipated to increase 7.9 percent this holiday shopping season, with an estimated 4.2 percent increase in online sales. A survey by Deloitte predicts an even stronger e-commerce increase of between 12.8 percent and 14.3 percent. This growth points to an expected increase in shoppers contacting retailers for different…

Digital interactions are increasing year after year, and a company's ability to interact with customers quickly, and in a way that satisfies their needs, will make or break the brand experience. To deliver VIP e-commerce experiences at scale — especially during the busy Black Friday/Cyber Monday season — brands need a customer experience strategy driven…