Retailers are more and more turning to AI brokers to remain aggressive in a fast-evolving market, in line with Salesforce’s sixth Related Customers Report. The report reveals that 75% of retail decision-makers consider AI brokers will likely be important to beat the competitors inside the subsequent yr.
Salesforce’s findings are based mostly on twin surveys of 8,350 buyers and 1,700 retail business leaders. The info factors to a shifting panorama marked by rising buyer acquisition prices, growing returns, and altering client behaviors that require a brand new method 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 geared toward creating seamless buyer experiences whereas controlling operational prices. “When retailers join their gross sales channels, buyer knowledge, and operations in a single platform, they create seamless buying experiences each on-line and in-store,” stated Michelle Grant, Director of Retail Technique and Insights at Salesforce. “This unified method boosts productiveness and drives development all through the enterprise.”
The report exhibits that 76% of shops plan to extend funding in AI inside the subsequent yr. Customer support is presently the highest use case for AI brokers, the place they’re used to reply to inquiries, observe orders, and deal with returns across the clock.
Velia Carboni, CIO of SharkNinja, highlighted the function of Agentforce — Salesforce’s agentic AI layer — in enhancing buyer loyalty. Carboni described Agentforce as “key to serving to us construct a neighborhood that retains customers coming again.”
Retailers Broaden AI Agent Purposes
Past customer support, retailers foresee AI brokers enjoying a broader function in optimizing web sites, advertising, stock administration, and worker coaching. “AI brokers characterize the subsequent wave of retail AI innovation — digital labor that guarantees to reshape how retailers scale their workforces, serve and market to prospects, and streamline operations,” Grant stated.
Obstacles and Progress Towards Unified Commerce
Efficient AI implementation requires integration throughout methods, but many retailers nonetheless function with disconnected platforms. In keeping with the report, 81% of shops say inefficient processes and know-how scale back retailer affiliate productiveness. Moreover, 49% of buyers have deserted purchases as a result of friction within the ordering course of.
To handle 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 methods to carry out extra successfully.
Shoppers Present Rising Curiosity in AI Brokers
The shift towards AI brokers just isn’t 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 occasions extra doubtless than child boomers to report frequent AI use in buying.
Customers 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.
Nonetheless, shopper belief stays important. The highest components influencing belief in AI brokers embrace knowledge privateness, on/off controls, approval necessities earlier than purchases, knowledge transparency, and entry to human customer support.
“The info is evident: retailers and buyers are each transferring towards an AI agent future,” stated Grant. “However success will depend on addressing each side of the equation — constructing the related know-how basis retailers want whereas delivering the belief and transparency buyers demand.”
Picture: Salesforce
