Artificial intelligence and automation has everyone scared for their jobs these days -- especially in retail. It's being used to predict demand, reduce inventory and automate decision making. Walmart is deploying robots to analyze shelving inventory and look for missing labels or prices. Kroger is implementing smart shelves that automatically update pricing. Amazon recently launched cashierless checkout with Amazon Go and is planning on opening more stores this year.

Just ask any retail worker about working during the holiday season: Often, they'll have horror stories about the days after Thanksgiving. It's no wonder that during these stressful times, employees of large retail stores don't often get the attention or help they need when they're so focused on serving customers. For this reason, the worker center Our Walmart released an Android app last Monday with the aim of providing commonly asked questions to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. employees that sent the discount retailer into a tizzy. It was an innovative app that worked too well, said the app's engineer Jason Van Anden, developer and president of Quadrant 2, to Forbes. "Our Walmart had reached out this past April and I was amazing a the sheer number of non-unionized employees," Van Anden told Forbes.