Retailers are more and more turning to AI brokers to remain aggressive in a fast-evolving market, in response to Salesforce’s sixth Related Consumers Report. The report reveals that 75% of retail decision-makers consider AI brokers will probably be important to beat the competitors inside the subsequent 12 months.
Salesforce’s findings are based mostly on twin surveys of 8,350 buyers and 1,700 retail trade leaders. The info factors to a shifting panorama marked by rising buyer acquisition prices, rising returns, and altering shopper behaviors that require a brand new strategy to retail operations.
AI and Unified Commerce Emerge as Strategic Priorities
To handle rising complexities throughout digital and bodily retail channels, retailers are prioritizing AI and unified commerce. These approaches are aimed toward creating seamless buyer experiences whereas controlling operational prices. “When retailers join their gross sales channels, buyer information, and operations in a single platform, they create seamless buying experiences each on-line and in-store,” mentioned Michelle Grant, Director of Retail Technique and Insights at Salesforce. “This unified strategy boosts productiveness and drives development all through the enterprise.”
The report reveals that 76% of shops plan to extend funding in AI inside the subsequent 12 months. Customer support is at the moment the highest use case for AI brokers, the place they’re used to reply to inquiries, monitor orders, and deal with returns across the clock.
Velia Carboni, CIO of SharkNinja, highlighted the function of Agentforce — Salesforce’s agentic AI layer — in bettering buyer loyalty. Carboni described Agentforce as “key to serving to us construct a group that retains customers coming again.”
Retailers Broaden AI Agent Functions
Past customer support, retailers foresee AI brokers taking part in a broader function in optimizing web sites, advertising, stock administration, and worker coaching. “AI brokers symbolize the subsequent wave of retail AI innovation — digital labor that guarantees to reshape how retailers scale their workforces, serve and market to clients, and streamline operations,” Grant mentioned.
Obstacles and Progress Towards Unified Commerce
Efficient AI implementation requires integration throughout techniques, but many retailers nonetheless function with disconnected platforms. In keeping with the report, 81% of shops say inefficient processes and know-how cut back retailer affiliate productiveness. Moreover, 49% of buyers have deserted purchases because of friction within the ordering course of.
To deal with these challenges, 86% of shops are pursuing unified commerce initiatives. By linking cross-channel and departmental operations, unified commerce improves effectivity, enhances the buying expertise, and permits AI techniques to carry out extra successfully.
Customers Present Rising Curiosity in AI Brokers
The shift towards AI brokers will not be restricted to retailers. The report notes that 39% of all buyers — and 54% of Gen Z — already use AI for product discovery. Gen Z customers are 10 instances extra possible than child boomers to report frequent AI use in buying.
Consumers expressed robust curiosity in utilizing AI brokers for managing loyalty factors, dealing with returns, and offering customer support — aligning with retailers’ focus areas. Amongst Gen Z buyers, 63% are open to brokers making purchases on their behalf.
Nevertheless, shopper belief stays important. The highest components influencing belief in AI brokers embrace information privateness, on/off controls, approval necessities earlier than purchases, information transparency, and entry to human customer support.
“The info is obvious: retailers and buyers are each shifting towards an AI agent future,” mentioned Grant. “However success is dependent upon addressing either side of the equation — constructing the linked know-how basis retailers want whereas delivering the belief and transparency buyers demand.”
Picture: Salesforce
