Empowering Frontline Retail Workers with AI

The AI Agent Will See You Now

Retail has long been a dynamic ecosystem, constantly evolving to meet the expectations of increasingly connected and discerning customers. In ‘Omni-Chaos to Omni-Cohesion: Crafting a Customer-Centric Multichannel Strategy,’ we discussed the challenges of aligning physical and digital channels to deliver seamless experiences. Back then, retailers were grappling with the complexities of omnichannel operations: siloed data, fragmented customer journeys and the ever-present tension between efficiency and personalization.

The good news? Breakthroughs in AI can become that layer of connectivity missing from omni experiences of the past. Forget dropdown menus and chatbot pop-ups. We’re entering a world where generative, agentic AI doesn’t just respond—it advises. It shadows your digital behavior across devices, anticipates intent and surfaces the next best thing before you even think to ask.

This isn’t automation. It’s cohesion. A connective intelligence that makes today’s disjointed digital experiences feel prehistoric. And yet, as online channels get sharper, faster and frictionless, the quality of the in-store experience becomes even more critical. But luckily, AI can help here, too.

Consider the evolving nature of trust in an AI-mediated world. Customers increasingly rely on digital tools for convenience, but they still crave the human touch when it comes to empathy, creativity and nuanced problem-solving. This yearning for more emotional, empathetic digital experiences is explored in frog’s article, ‘Future Sounds.’ This makes the role of retail employees more critical than ever.

How might we harness AI to amplify retail employees’ ability to understand customer needs to create a more empathetic, emotionally attuned frontline force?

Don’t Replace Your Associates, Supercharge Them

We recently wrote about the rise of AI-powered spatial experiences in retail. But for the time being, most retail transactions still happen in person. And in the store, the experience lives or dies with one person: the associate.

But here’s the dirty secret of omnichannel: While customers expect a seamless journey, associates are stuck in their own version of “omni-chaos,” bouncing between inventory systems, order platforms and printed cheat sheets to answer the simplest questions. Associates today are overwhelmed, and with frequent turnover, they lack the ability to provide customers with thoughtful and personalized service.

Now flip the script. Imagine if every store associate was the best version of your brand. Supercharged associates can instantly surface product availability, analyze customer sentiment, suggest recommendations and even recall a customer’s style or preferences from a past visit, just like the most seasoned associate would. This isn’t sci-fi. This is agentic AI at the service of one of your most valued assets: Your employees. An agentic experience layer trained not just to serve customers directly but to amplify employees. We believe this is one of the most underutilized opportunities in retail today.

In an agent-driven future, employees will work alongside AI co-pilots and co-thinker agents (see the HBR Guide to Generative AI for Managers by our parent company at Capgemini) that support them across every aspect of the customer journey, from real-time recommendations to backend logistics. This doesn’t replace the associate. It amplifies them. It lets them focus on what they do best: Building trust, solving problems and representing your brand with emotion and empathy. If you’re a retailer and you’re not building AI tools for your people, you’re already behind.

Four Ways AI Can Level Up Your Frontline Now

From Line Cook to Experience Architect

In quick-service restaurants, speed matters, but so does consistency. Imagine an agent that helps a kitchen staffer prioritize prep based on current orders and forecasted demand. Meanwhile, a cashier’s agent preloads loyalty data, suggests upsells and drafts a personalized thank-you message for repeat customers.

The result? Faster lines, more memorable service and higher ticket value.

Real-Time Clientelling in Luxury Retail

A very important client walks into a flagship luxury store for their appointment. Before the associate even says hello, their connected glasses sync with the client’s profile, flagging loyalty status, recent purchases, favorite colors and browsing behavior online. As the client admires a collection of handbags, the associate receives subtle, real-time prompts visible only to them, suggesting a limited-edition piece that matches the client’s favorite shade of emerald green.

The experience feels effortless, but behind the scenes, it’s an AI-enhanced performance that maintains the white-glove exclusivity experience required in the luxury world.

AI as the Assistant Hotel GM

A hotel store manager starts their shift with a voice prompt: “What should I know for today?” Their AI assistant summarizes staffing gaps, predicts inventory needs based on weather and booking data and flags a potential delivery delay on a key product line. While walking the floor, the manager chats with their AI to reprioritize tasks. In the background, their staffing agent is autonomously backfilling a role for a sick employee.

This is what operational calm looks like in the middle of complexity.

Scenario-Based Learning That Sticks

Traditional retail training is rigid, forgettable and often delivered in a format not adapted to a floor employee. AI enables dynamic, gamified simulations that adapt to each employee’s strengths and gaps. An associate wears a VR headset to be immersed into a digital twin of the store. They are guided with queues to familiarize themselves with store layout, product placement and product information. The associate experiences immersive modules interacting with difficult customers, receiving real-time feedback and guidance. Once the associate is floor-ready, the program connects to their AI-enabled device for continued real-time assistance.

The result? Employees who are not just trained but ready, with confidence and enhanced Emotional Intelligence (EQ) that translates into better service and higher retention. With AI already meeting the demand for enhanced connected products, it’s only logical for AI to also level up experiences on either side of the market.

Your People are the Strategy

Retailers are racing to embed AI into customer-facing tools. But the employee experience must evolve in parallel. Empowered employees don’t just deliver better outcomes. They are your competitive advantage.

At frog, we believe the future of customer experience starts behind the counter. Our Experience Everywhere offer is designed to ensure that innovation touches every part of the employee journey. We help clients:

• Design intuitive, AI-augmented workflows that reduce friction alleviate operational burden to refocus time on customer facing interactions
• Build clientelling and coaching tools that enhance soft skills and EQ and ultimately deliver performance as well as greater personalization
• Create gamified learning platforms that accelerate growth and bottle up the expertise of your best frontline staff

Most importantly, we build with your teams—not for them.

That means co-creating solutions that fit your organization’s DNA, culture and ambition.

It also means designing solutions with your employees at the core, so that however we augment these individuals, the solutions feels like a natural extension of them, not a distraction.

Because at the end of the day, even the smartest AI can’t replicate the warmth, care and connection of a great associate. But it can help more employees become one.

Ready to future-proof your in-store experience?