Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Agentic AI Will Transform CX — But Only if Brands Unify Their Data
April 29, 2026 at 7:56 am

Today’s marketers are integrating generative artificial intelligence solutions across workflows, automating key components of campaign creation and orchestration. And they're seeing results in record time. However, the next era of AI-enabled marketing strategies will not be centered on automation. Tomorrow’s marketing leaders will be focused on building agentic AI solutions that can handle complex workflows…

AI Shopping Creates an Opportunity for Retailers to Reimagine the New Storefront
April 29, 2026 at 7:52 am

Something strange is happening in e-commerce. Consumer spending is up. Online time is up. Yet traffic to major retail websites is declining. The answer is actually quite simple: shoppers are changing how they research and where they buy. Their starting point, which used to be about discovery, is now where they're making decisions. Many may…

Ace Hardware Launches AI Assistant to Strengthen In-Store Service
April 28, 2026 at 3:12 pm

Ace Hardware, the world's largest hardware cooperative, has launched Hey ARMA, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant designed to support its nationwide in-store associates with real-time information and guidance. Operated through a handheld device, Hey ARMA provides associates with quick access to product knowledge, project advice, and recommendations, helping them to focus on solving customer problems and…

Closing the Retail AI ROI Gap With Connected Process Chains
April 28, 2026 at 7:30 am

Retailers are moving fast on artificial intelligence. Research from Eversheds Sutherland and Retail Economics suggests that around nine in 10 retail decision-makers are exploring AI agents, and roughly a third are already deploying them in areas like chatbots, forecasting, and personalization. Yet the majority of leaders still report limited returns from those efforts. The issue…

When AI Shops for Us, What Do Brands Lose?
April 27, 2026 at 7:40 am

Google is turning Gemini into a storefront. By letting people shop and check out directly inside Gemini, partnering with giants like Walmart, Google has solved the convenience problem. For consumers it means fewer clicks and less friction between discovery and purchase. But for retailers this creates a massive blind spot. When artificial intelligence becomes the…

Voice is the New AI Interface: Why the Next Great UX Won't Feel Like Software
April 22, 2026 at 3:11 pm

Retail has always been about conversation. Long before artificial intelligence, the best store associates knew the real sale happened in the exchange — the “what are you looking for today?” that turned a browser into a buyer. Yet somehow, as the industry raced to digitize everything, that conversational instinct got lost and replaced with menus,…

As Agentic AI Usage Skyrockets, Retailers Face New Challenges and Risks
April 20, 2026 at 1:25 pm

Artificial intelligence-driven traffic to U.S. retail websites increased 4,700 percent in 2025. Retailers that have developed an agentic AI digital commerce space, or are exploring that possibility, are facing new challenges and risks as consumer use explodes. What is Agentic AI? Retailers have to meet current customer expectations by providing an omnichannel shopping experience that…

Shoe Retailer Allbirds Rebrands to Become AI Company
April 15, 2026 at 5:16 pm

Allbirds, known for its eco-friendly shoes before losing its valuation and closing all full-priced stores, announced this week it was pivoting to become an AI infrastructure business. The company announced Wednesday it had entered into an agreement with an unnamed institutional investor for $50 million and will change its name to NewBird AI, the Associated…

David's Bridal Partners With Shopify for Agentic Commerce
April 13, 2026 at 5:17 pm

David's Bridal has launched Shopify's Agentic Storefronts across ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, further cementing its reputation as the leading artificial intelligence-powered marketplace, media network, and planning ecosystem for life's most meaningful celebrations. The move unlocks a new, high-growth commerce channel where products are discovered, recommended, and purchased through AI conversations. David's is among the first…

AI is Accelerating Retail Development — and Exposing New Security Gaps
April 13, 2026 at 1:00 pm

Retail technology teams face a paradox: artificial intelligence is transforming how software gets built, yet the very tools that accelerate delivery are outpacing the security processes designed to protect it. For retailers competing on digital experience, faster development is essential. However, as the use of generative AI to create code and automate features becomes standard…