Humans vs. machines. What does it mean in retail?

Last month I took part in a debate on the'future of technology in retail and whether technology could replace humans....' Subsequently, I've pulled together some thoughts for Inside Retail (also published here). For the past decade, advancements in technology have been disrupting what seems like most facets of the human experience. And with what feels like monthly advances in technology, it's no surprise the retail industry is accelerating globally in innovation and experimentation. According to Gartner, worldwide retail-tech spending will increase by 3.6% to $203.6 billion in 2019, surpassing most other industries with regard to technology spend. With customer support now on instant, 24-hour demand, voice and chat assistants have quickly taken the place of most traditional online help platforms and traditional services.