Retail
January 23, 2020
AI can free up sales associates' time to better serve consumers. Image credit: Printemps
By Sarah Jones
Almost three-quarters of consumers say that personalized service from frontline staff plays an integral role in shaping their decisions of which retailer to do business with, pointing to the continued importance of human help amid an increasingly independent retail environment.
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