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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