RetailWire

Noting that while the promise of AI call centers and chatbots is enticing for many operations looking to slash costs, deflection — rather than resolution — is often a part of the game as it stands, with customer satisfaction often being the metric left behind. “I hate AI customer service chatbots,” said Californian shopper Carmen Smith, as quoted by journalist Kevin Williams. “It seems that no matter what, they all will either point you to some type of FAQs list or repeat information you’ve already tried and found lacking,” Smith said. “I hate dealing with them, but a lot of companies use them nowadays, alas. I’d rather speak to a human being.” Members of RetailWire's BrainTrust panel had a lot to say, with some commentary excerpted below. "Moving beyond the easy FAQs, into the ability for an agent to reason and decide when to bring in the human in the loop, is what will define success for me in the future." (Alexandros Siskos) "Whether it’s due to poor data, bad training or other issues or all these issues, AI customer service is poor. We did a deep dive on a couple examples and it wasn’t pretty." (John Hennessy) "The friction we feel today is because companies are trying to force AI to do human type tasks (handling nuance) to save a buck." (Mohamed Amer, Ph.D.)

Target is changing its dress code for store workers — limiting their working wardrobes to only plain red shirts with blue jeans or khakis — as part of its push to elevate the in-store experience. There's more to it, of course, and our RW BrainTrust panelists wanted to share their thoughts. Some are found below, excerpted. "It’s about time. Target’s dress code was so loose that anything with a hint of red qualified, making it harder for customers to easily identify associates." (Georganne Bender) "Sure, have a dress code, but not because it’s a current problem or because, by itself, it will move the sales needle even a millimeter." (Jeff Sward) "The actual impact on customer experience will likely be marginal compared to fundamentals like staffing, in-stock availability, and store execution." (Sandeep Dang)

If you run an e-commerce brand, this is worth your time. Join Chase Binnie, CEO of RetailWire and Jared Poole, W/ECOM expert from SHOPLINE for a live session where real stores get reviewed with honest, practical feedback. You’ll see: • What’s driving (or killing) conversions • Where customers get confused • Quick wins to increase trust and sales A few stores will be reviewed live (you can even submit yours), but even if you’re just watching, you’ll walk away with a clear checklist to improve your site fast. Register to attend below.

At least at c-stores, familiarity breeds loyalty, according to a new survey. The national survey of over 600 U.S. drivers from Vontier, a provider of automation technologies, found the 24% who stop multiple times a week — described as “Super-Users” — aren’t heading to c-stores primarily for discounts. The most loyal c-stores customers are returning “because the store feels familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm.” #cstores #conveniencestores #retail #gas Here's what members of RetailWire's BrainTrust panel had to say, excerpted. Full commentary linked below! "C-store owners talk about the joy of serving 3 generations from the same families. Making true connection with their customers removes them from just being another store." (Kevin Graff) "At the end of the day, everything is a people business. If you take care of the experience in a genuine, human way, loyalty tends to follow naturally." (Jeff Hall) "No argument that the human factor is important in any retail setting. But for C-stores, isn't the overwhelming factor convenience? Also meaning proximity?" (Jeff Sward)

Insights from our coverage at Shoptalk!

American Eagle’s Aerie banner has recruited former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson to broadcast the lifestyle brand’s pledge to “always keep it 100% real: no AI-generated bodies, no AI-generated people. Ever.” A wider discussion emerged among our RetailWire BrainTrust panelists, exerpts shown below. The entire discussion linked BELOW! "AI only amplifies the already unrealistic standards pushed upon women by the fashion industry, magazines, and advertising. Good for you, Aerie." (Georganne Bender) "The beginning of the backlash against ‘fake?' A noble pledge." (Robert Amster) "Aerie has built its business model on using real models and refusing to airbrush or enhance images. That stance has secured the loyalty of many consumers." (Neil Saunders)

I’m looking forward to moderating our RetailWire private mastermind tomorrow. Our focus tomorrow? Moving beyond the hype of "AI tools" to address the real challenge: rethinking how the people within organizations work, make decisions, and serve customers. Based on our recent interviews and dicussions, we’ll be dissecting: 1) Mindset vs. Tools: Are you just plugging in AI, or redesigning how you operate? 2) The Trust Factor: Should AI be treated as a teammate to be trained, tested, and trusted? 3) Decision Agility: Moving from static knowledge to real-time, cross-functional collaboration. 4) Culture over Hierarchy: Is curiosity-led experimentation is the only way to scale? If you're a retail or brand leader and you'd like to be invited to attend tomorrow, find out how here: https://lnkd.in/eyE9FwAw In the meantime, I'm sharing some insights from my recent interviews with retail and tech leaders here. Would love to hear your take.

Costco is opening its first standalone gas stations that are only accessible to the warehouse club members amid a spike in gas prices tied to the Iran war. #costco #gas #gasprices #retail Our BrainTrust panelists weighed in with comments (excerpted). Full link below! "I think it’s a great idea, and the timing couldn’t be better. This may attract new customers who will convert to shopping in the stores, who may not have otherwise." (Pamela Kaplan) "A fair proportion of Costco visitors are there just for gas. It makes sense, therefore, to have stand-alone stations in select areas for traffic and convenience reasons." (Neil Saunders) "This is a terrific idea. These stand-alone Costco fuel depots might conceivably allow Costco to develop a C-store business model." (Richard George)

AI has been creeping into commerce for a while, but it feels like we’ve just hit a real turning point. I recently sat down with Tarek Müller, Co-Founder & CEO of ABOUT YOU and SCAYLE Commerce Engine on the RetailWire podcast to talk through what’s actually changing, and what it means for retailers. We got into everything from how product discovery is shifting beyond Google, to what happens when AI assistants don’t just recommend products but handle the entire purchase. We also talked about where platforms like Amazon and Google might be heading, why brand websites still matter, and how AI is already reshaping day-to-day work inside retail organizations. It’s a broad conversation, but an important one if you’re trying to make sense of where commerce is going next. Take a listen here now: https://lnkd.in/eGDrYenP