The traditional in-store shopping experience still has its place in the hearts of some as it is better to see, touch or try on products for size.

E-commerce was the business lifeline during Covid and whilst businesses were raising their E-commerce game, brands and consumers were also enjoying other tech enhancements which streamlined the digital, multi-device and multi-platform user journey. In this omnichannel retail era, AI chatbots and virtual assistants are ideally placed to bridge the online and in-store shopping experience gap by making it a more personalised and interactive experience.

Digital technology is continuously revolutionising the world of brick-and-mortar and online retail. According to Tovie AI, the future of e-commerce is conversational. While 29% of retailers say delivering consistent shopping experiences across online and offline channels is a challenge, bridging the physical-digital divide between online and in-store shopping experiences is the trend that will dominate e-commerce and retail in the next few years.

Commenting on the personalised shopping experience trend, Alex Lartey, Chief Business Development Officer of Tovie AI, said: “Digitalisation is touching every aspect of retail. Brick-and-mortar stores are working to integrate AI technologies to help streamline the in-store experiences as 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalised experiences. Today, more than a billion people interact with businesses using text or voice conversation tools.  Therefore, chatbots or voice assistants become an accessible customer-communication channel and empower self-service.”

Commenting on the in-store digital shopping experience, Joshua Kaiser, CEO at Tovie AI, started: “To create interactive experiences where customers can get individualised information or individual product recommendations without the need to interact with the sales assistant, businesses can pair with other technologies such as NFC tags, QR codes, and Bluetooth beacons. From there, businesses can also scale the expertise of their in-store sales staff.”

Tovie AI has shared its formula for the future growth of the retail industry. With most companies going digital, customers want their interaction with businesses to be quick and flawless. This is where virtual agents and conversational interfaces come into play to provide a better customer experience. The Tovie AI team aims to create solutions and tools to make conversational experiences smooth.