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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