The Latest

  • The Vitamin Shoppe's innovation store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of The Vitamin Shoppe
    Image attribution tooltip

    The Vitamin Shoppe opens AI-enabled store in NYC

    The location debuts the company’s Shoppe Advisor, an AI-powered discovery tool that focuses on in-store education, engagement and personalization. 

  • agentic AI commerce AI retailers digital shopping online retail
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Does upselling boost sales or lead to customer regret and distrust?

    “Upselling only helps the business when it helps the customer maintain confidence and control,” EY’s Patricia Camden said.

  • A woman checks her phone in front of a window.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    FedEx launches AI tools to answer customers’ last-mile questions

    The tools automatically answer common queries such as “Where is my order?” and “Where is my refund?”

  • Mockups of Just Salad's Rewards program
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Just Salad
    Image attribution tooltip

    Just Salad launches ‘instant gratification’ rewards system

    While many restaurant chains are shifting to points-based programs, the salad brand is leaning into gamified mystery rewards on every order above $12.

  • Meeting, business woman and presentation in conference room for leadership
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What CX leaders need to consider as the AI regulatory landscape evolves

    Despite the prospect of a more unified regulatory framework following the Trump administration’s executive order on AI, experts warn against treating the directive as a signal to relax AI oversight.

  • Panel with two white men on stage and a blue background that reads 'NRF'
    Image attribution tooltip
    Peyton Bigora/CX Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Sprouts gamifies employee training

    Swapping out longer learning modules for “bite-sized” games has improved associate performance, the grocer shared at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show.

  • The signage on the exterior of a Verizon store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Verizon plans to fight churn with better end-to-end experience

    CEO Dan Schulman said the company will deploy AI at scale to help it reduce complexity, anticipate customer pain points and personalize interactions.

  • People in the background of the lobby of a building. A person is seen in profile sitting at a desk facing the entrance.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from PhotoMIX Company from Pexels.
    Image attribution tooltip

    The customer experience outlook for 2026

    Inflation and economic uncertainty are leading companies to court wealthy customers with premium experiences, while AI could upend digital customer journeys.

  • Southwest aircraft on a runway at an airport in Baltimore Maryland on Oct. 11, 2021.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Southwest expects loyalty program benefits from switch to assigned seating

    The airline completed its shift from open to assigned seating Tuesday, which creates the opportunity to offer loyalty members extra benefits, such as choosing a seat or checking bags for free.

  • A smiling white woman with a Starbucks cup.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Starbucks
    Image attribution tooltip

    Starbucks Rewards moves to a tiered structure

    The chain is not changing the core points-for-dollar mechanism behind its Rewards system, but some consumers will earn points more quickly.

  • A woman talks on her phone while using a computer.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    As agentic AI ascends, companies are grappling with control

    The rise of AI agents could put up barriers between customers and brands, leaving leaders to ponder how they can build loyalty and collect customer data in a new environment.

  • People sit in a coffee shop.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Adam Gray via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Starbucks sees customers outside of its loyalty program as vital, too

    The company recorded increases for both Starbucks Rewards and non-Rewards transactions for the first time in years as loyalty membership reached a record high.

  • An American Airlines plane takes off from the Miami International Airport on July 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle / Staff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    American Airlines sets its sights on premium customers in 2026

    The carrier will lean into the strength of its premium business by adding double the number of those seats compared to the main cabin.

  • Exterior of grocery store
    Image attribution tooltip
    Jeff Wells/CX Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Amazon to halt palm payments

    The online retailer said all Amazon One palm readers will be removed from physical stores by June 3.

  • A photo of the forecourt and exterior of a convenience store. A red and white sign on the store says Weigel's.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Weigel's
    Image attribution tooltip

    3 c-stores pushing the envelope in loyalty innovation

    Gas N’ Wash, Weigel’s and 7-Eleven are taking the traditional tools of a loyalty program and creating something bigger.

  • A customer browses an e-commerce site on their phone.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Retailers are getting personalization wrong, survey finds

    Most consumers are still receiving generic shopping experiences or irrelevant, untimely or overly aggressive outreach from brands, Amperity found. 

  • Sign in shopping mall
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sam Silverstein/CX Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Is buy now, pay later a boon or a risk to CX?

    The payment option has become more popular with merchants and consumers alike, but experts say companies aren’t considering the risks to the overall customer experience.

  • A close-up shot of an unrecognizable man browsing for sneakers on his laptop while sitting on his couch.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Customer satisfaction with online retail stabilizes

    Disciplined, value-focused customers are rewarding brands that deliver smooth experiences, ACSI’s Forrest Morgeson said.

  • Outside storefront image of The Home Depot
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of The Home Depot
    Image attribution tooltip

    Home Depot’s key to great AI experiences? Ensure it remains an authority

    The retailer started early and will continue to evolve its AI efforts “so that the brand voice shows up the way we want it to,” CIO Angie Brown said.

  • Man standing on a red platform, facing a holographic digital twin of himself.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Digital twins of the customer are ‘no silver bullet,’ experts say

    While they can be more efficient than traditional customer research methods, many organizations are overly focused on cost and time savings.

  • A beige building with a green sign and white lettering that says "Panera Bread."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Panera pilots points-based rewards program

    The fast-casual chain will test its latest iteration of MyPanera at 216 cafes across various markets, with a plan for a nationwide rollout later this year.

  • an employee looks into a screen showing a chatbot interface
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Clean, accurate data grows in importance as agentic AI gains momentum

    “I’m sorry, you've heard this 100 times, but you’ve got to get your data right,” The Vitamin Shoppe’s Andrew Laudato said at the NRF Big Show.

  • A woman uses a phone sitting on the couch.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Personal bios for customer service agents can boost satisfaction

    When customers see a real person's face and bio rather than a corporate logo, they perceive agents as friendlier and better able to solve their problems, according to academic researchers.

  • A United Airlines aircraft lifts off the tarmac.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    United reports record monthly NPS in November despite flight disruptions

    The high NPS score despite industrywide turbulence following the government shutdown “is a testament to our customer focus,” President Brett Hart said during an earnings call.

  • Rear view wide shot of a woman sitting working at a computer in an office in Newcastle Upon Tyne, North East England. She has her hands behind her head as she stretches, looking at the screen.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SolStock via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Customers aren’t overwhelmed by options. They’re trying to avoid risk.

    Customers walk away not because they’re confused, but because too many experiences ask them to manage risk before trust exists.