2026 will be the year of agentic AI

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Retail experts share predictions of retail CX tech and trends arriving in 2026.

AI foundational factor in retail

January 20, 2026

Artificial intelligence has moved out of the experimental phase and is now foundational, according to Solink's "State of AI in Retail" report.

AI spurring smarter business growth, claims IBM study

January 19, 2026

Companies have high expectations from AI efforts with productivity gains predicted to grow by 42% and with 67% of companies expecting the technology to…

AI use is mainstream among consumers

January 13, 2026

A hefty number of consumers, 70%, are using AI in their personal lives and nearly half, 45%, are using it daily compared to half that just nine months ago.

Retail AI Council debuts protocol to boost customer relationships

January 6, 2026

The Retail AI Council, a retailer-led organization dedicated to helping retailers embrace the transformative potential of AI, has formed the Shopper Context…

How agentic AI is powering operational agility in retail

by Padmanabhan Venkatesan — Senior Corporate Vice President - Consumer Tech, Persistent

Looking ahead, agentic AI will power a new wave of adaptive retail where D2C, social and just-in-time commerce converge. These models close the gap between…

Retail AI 2026 predictions: Retailers, consumers driving big growth

by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media

Artificial intelligence is taking retail by storm. All one needs to do is scan retail customer experience headlines this past year and experts predict there’s…

Shoppers will turn to AI in 2026

December 15, 2025

Shoppers will turn to AI companions in 2026 and embrace relevant innovation in the new year.

Albertsons drives digital transformation with AI tech

December 10, 2025

Albertsons Companies has launched an AI-powered planning and shopping assistant which it claims can cut down shopping time to as little as four minutes.

Bots, AI agents and IVRs: Why responsible AI is the next CX differentiator

by Mark Frumkin — Director of Customer Success, Modulate

The future of AI in retail voice channels will be defined by who earns and keeps customer trust.

Smarter data, happier shoppers: Why good customer experience starts with AI

by David Greschler — Co-Founder & CEO, NomadGo

When evaluating new technologies, it’s easy to get caught up in the promises and flashy buzzwords. However, the best solutions should prioritize accuracy…

Levi Strauss teams with Microsoft on agentic AI platform, super agent

December 5, 2025

Levi Strauss & Co. is partnering with Microsoft to develop an integrated agentic AI platform to automate workflows and AI tools to improve store and online…

The AI winter is coming and retailers need a plan

by Erik Nieves — Founder and CEO at Plus One Robotics, Plus One Robotics

To navigate the AI winter and emerge stronger, retailers should invest in automation that has already proven operational value. This is a time to prioritize…

Agentic AI may disrupt retail yet consumer caution in play

November 27, 2025

Agentic AI is poised to disrupt retail yet 50% of consumer remain cautious of fully autonomous purchasing.

Ethical AI applications in retail: Building trust through responsible data use

by Jean-Matthieu Schertzer — Chief AI Officer, Eagle AI

Retailers that embrace sound data management and collection principles position themselves for long-term success in an AI-driven marketplace.

Target debuts app experience in ChatGPT

November 24, 2025

Target has launched a conversational, curated shopping experience in ChatGPT.

Rally House earns excellence award for AI in talent acquisition

November 18, 2025

Rally House, which operates nearly 300 stores across 22 states, has earned the Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for excellence in the best use of AI for talent…

Target debuts AI-powered holiday shopping experience

November 18, 2025

Target aims to make holiday shopping easier, smarter and more fun and has debuted AI-powered tools to make that happen.

AI That Knows Your Order: Behind the Tech in Everyday Stops

AI is transforming convenience retail by predicting customer preferences and streamlining every interaction. This blog explores how intelligent systems…

Let's Talk Retail Episode 5: How Produce Recognition Tech is Revolutionizing Self-Checkout

This episode of Let’s Talk Retail explores how AI-powered produce recognition is transforming grocery checkout. Toshiba’s Johanna Hinkle explains how smart…