How Can AI Take the Burden Off Retail Staff?

Behind every seamless retail transaction is a team of staff working hard to make it happen. As customer expectations grow and staff shortages continue to be a persistent problem, retailers must find a sustainable solution that allows brands to meet consumer demands despite labor shortages.

From managing inventory to assisting customers and keeping shelves stocked, there are plenty of manual tasks that consume a significant portion of staff time. However, if these repetitive tasks can be automated, streamlined, and optimized, the burden on staff can ease, instead allowing them to focus on providing valuable shopping experiences. Artificial intelligence (AI) can deliver the antidote, not to replace human staff, but to empower them. Enabling employees to work smarter, AI can significantly reduce the burden on in-store associates, and help staff cater to evolving customer demands seamlessly.

In this blog, we’ll dive into 3 ways AI can take the burden off retail associates…

1. Removing the stress of repetitive tasks: AI-powered automation

One of the major elements contributing to the increased burden on staff is the daily repetitive, time-consuming tasks that can significantly disrupt the flow of in-store operations. This ranges from manually checking stock levels, forecasting upcoming inventory needs, and creating discounts and promotions on items selling slow.

How does AI solve this problem? By leveraging AI-powered inventory solutions, retailers can enable automated inventory tracking in real-time. This allows them to keep track of stock counts in real-time, predict inventory requirements, and even create discounts on low-selling items. This can significantly free up the burden on staff of manual inventory-related tasks, allowing them to focus on more valuable jobs with ease. Meanwhile, AI-enabled systems can also trigger reorders or transfers from warehouse to store automatically based on dynamic stock thresholds, reducing staff oversight.

2. Letting AI take over routine query handling

Day-to-day generic customer queries often consume staff time, adding to their workload. AI-powered chatbots can help staff manage customer queries. Both online and in physical stores via kiosks or mobile apps, AI-powered chatbots can answer general customer queries.

Teamwork Commerce is working with Google Cloud to integrate generative AI into its mobile point of sale (POS). The mobile POS will include a generative AI assistant specifically trained to help with inventory questions, allowing staff to quickly check backroom stock or other locations for specific customer requests, reducing burden.

Additionally, AI-enabled smart dressing rooms can make meaningful suggestions for customers related to alternative sizes, styles, or complementary products based on what the shopper tries on. Managing day-to-day queries and manual operations, AI allows human staff to focus on meaningful interactions such as building relationships, resolving complex issues, and creating memorable shopping experiences.

3. Simplifying personalization

AI tools can make it easy for staff to personalize shopping experiences for customers, reducing the need to spend hours manually trying to understand what is suitable for whom. AI tools can analyze customer behavior, preferences, and purchase history to instantly generate personalized product suggestions without manual input from staff. This allows associates to easily tailor customer shopping experiences without adding any extra burden.

In fact, AI tools can also serve as virtual personal shoppers, helping customers choose the right product based on inputs like style, size, and previous purchases. This minimises the need for human intervention, allowing associates to focus more on valuable tasks.

Begin to act now

There’s no denying that human connection plays a critical role in retail success. However, that connection thrives when staff aren’t bogged down by manual and time-consuming processes. By enabling retailers to automate time consuming tasks, support floor associates, and optimize planning and strategies, AI eases the burden on human workforce and offers employees the breathing room they need to focus on customer satisfaction. Instead of using AI to replace human workforce, brands who leverage AI to empower their staff will likely thrive in the near future.

Looking to navigate how tech can empower your staff? Get in touch.