AI/BOT: Is AI The Key To Retail's Survival? PYMNTS.com

Over the course of the last few years, eCommerce has sprung up and put the brick-and-mortar side of the retail industry on notice. A growing number of eCommerce-focused merchants like Amazon have gradually increased their footprint in the physical store space. With the opening of the Amazon Go grocery store and bookstore in Seattle, Amazon is breathing innovation into the stodgy brick-and-mortar experience. It is also changing the retail game by eliminating the need for checkout stations through its artificial intelligence (AI) infused checkout system in its Amazon Go grocery store. In combination with its recent $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods, it may be safe to assume that merchants in the retail space will follow Amazon's integration of more technology into the in-store experience.