The last four years have been a roller coaster for the retail industry. Dominant themes that have both rankled and engendered creativity include the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued movement to the cloud, the maturation of next-level AI technology, and dramatic geopolitical upheaval. Each component has presented both significant challenges and opportunities.

The contact center industry has been leveraging AI for years across all segments. This has greatly accelerated since 2022, first with conversational AI, then generative AI (GenAI), and now agentic AI. The use of AI is essential in retail, with variations based on specific use cases. AI is primarily used for generating content. In contrast, the primary purpose of agentic AI is reasoning, not content creation. Agentic AI results are driven by achieving goals. It can carry out a complex series of activities, including reasoning to create its own workflows and evolve based on feedback. With this subtle difference, solution providers and retailers are learning when to apply which type to further operational and CX goals.

• How can retail contact centers leverage conversational AI, GenAI, and agentic AI to enhance onboarding, performance management, and self-service?
• In what ways can agentic AI’s goal-driven workflows create new opportunities in retail CX?
• What best practices can help retail contact centers implement interaction channels, applications, and solutions to drive growth?