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.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 22, 2026

Ulta teases future AI use cases

Executives from the beauty retailer hinted at building agents and utilizing AI to improve personalization for loyalty members.

By Dani James • Jan. 21, 2026

3 retailers on their role in agentic AI experiences

Executives from Home Depot, URBN and Wayfair discussed during NRF how companies remain the “merchant of record" by maintaining brand voice and handling customer service and other tasks.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 20, 2026

Contact center technology trends shaping 2026

The contact center trends shaping 2026—and what it takes to make them work.

Jan. 20, 2026

The customer experience reset after the AI rush

AI promises speed, but 600+ consumers report more loops, frustration and declining trust.

Jan. 20, 2026

Walmart: This year, AI tinkering ‘becomes transformation’

A year from now, customers will look back and realize just how much has changed about the shopping experience, Walmart’s Daniel Danker predicts.

By Cara Salpini • Jan. 16, 2026

Kroger taps Google Gemini, announces more key AI moves

The expanded partnership with Google Cloud includes the launch of an AI-powered personal shopping assistant for customers and builds on the grocer’s growing fleet of AI capabilities.

By Peyton Bigora • Jan. 14, 2026

Walmart teams up with Google’s Gemini for AI-assisted shopping

Incoming CEO John Furner said the company is rewriting the retail playbook, in part with new agentic AI capabilities.

By Dani James • Jan. 13, 2026

How Home Depot, Wayfair executives are preparing for an agentic AI future

The technology is redefining how customers interact with brands, but at least some parts of shopping will remain a human experience, executives said Sunday at NRF.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 12, 2026

Google Cloud wants to help brands build their own agentic AI bots

With Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, companies can create shopping and customer service agents that support contact center operations.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 11, 2026

California law gives food delivery customers right to talk to a human

The legislation puts guardrails around how food delivery companies handle service issues and to what extent it can rely on automation.

By Kristen Doerer • Jan. 9, 2026

How agentic AI will lure shoppers

It’s likely to be through a gradual process of trust-building and smaller purchases, a payments executive predicts.

By Justin Bachman • Jan. 9, 2026

Consumers want price monitoring, 24/7 support from AI agents, survey finds

Customers are embracing AI for product discovery and customer service, but trust remains a barrier to wider adoption, IBM Institute for Business Value and National Retail Federation found.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 9, 2026

FTC nixes order against AI startup, citing Trump directive

The FTC had previously alleged that Rytr engaged in an “unfair business practice” by offering a service that was likely to “pollute the marketplace with a glut of fake reviews.”

By Alexei Alexis • Jan. 7, 2026

Shoppers embraced AI customer service during holiday rush

The technology drove 20% of holiday sales, and shoppers chose AI and agentic customer service options more than twice as often as they did in the prior two months, according to Salesforce.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 6, 2026

6 customer experience trends to watch in 2026

In the year ahead, CX leaders will face persistent challenges, from economic anxiety to AI transforming support.

By Kristen Doerer , Bryan Wassel • Jan. 6, 2026

Amazon rolls out dedicated website that brings Alexa+ online

The site can help customers research topics, take action on their behalf, and continue conversations with an Alexa device from where they left off.

By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 5, 2026

How to train CX professionals for AI

Employees need clear guidance, role-specific training and a “safe space” to practice.

By Michael Brady • Dec. 23, 2025

3 predictions on how AI will transform CX in 2026

The technology has advanced rapidly, but will hurdles, from bad data to federal directives, hamper adoption?

By Kristen Doerer • Dec. 22, 2025

DoorDash tests AI-powered restaurant discovery app

The delivery giant’s technology chief said Zesty, now in testing in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, improves local restaurant visibility.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 19, 2025

What CX leaders need to know about AI security

"If something doesn't go the way the customer wants, the customer is not going to be mad at Zendesk or Qualtrics. They're going to be mad at you,” one expert said.

By Michael Brady • Dec. 19, 2025

Most consumers interacted with AI customer service during holiday shopping

Consumers’ response to AI and automation is largely positive, but a majority still say humans provide better support, a Liveops survey found.

By Bryan Wassel • Dec. 17, 2025

Retailers band together to maintain customer relationships as third-party AI grows

As more consumers turn to third-party AI tools in their shopping journeys, who owns that experience?

By Kristen Doerer • Dec. 9, 2025

Stitch Fix stems active client losses as attention turns to personalization

Recent launches like Stitch Fix Vision and AI Style Assistant are attracting clients who stay with the company longer and spend more, CEO Matt Baer said.

By Bryan Wassel • Dec. 8, 2025

Ashley offers AI-powered shopping experience

The partnership with Perplexity and PayPal allows customers to ask for product recommendations, add items to cart and complete payment in a single step.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 8, 2025