Generative AI Transforms Store Associate Roles

Investing in frontline workers is a priority. My first job in retail was folding jeans at my local Gap store in 1986. When I think about my role as a store associate then, it was nowhere near as complex as today. In the post - pandemic world of 2023, which has seen the “great resignation” and higher shopper expectations, retailers are now realizing the investments they need to make in this critical customer facing role. And they are taking action! Starting with better pay and also by providing new tools and technology, such as generative AI, to make store associates’ jobs easier, boost satisfaction and increase retention. Retail is one of the largest private employers in the world and its largest employee population is the frontline. It makes sense to invest in store associates, and in 2023 it has finally started to happen. As someone who got their start as a store associate, I am elated to see this new focus and investment on this critical role.

Keith Mercier

General Manager, Microsoft

Empowering Store Associates