AI in Retail Cannot Operate in a Vacuum

Artificial intelligence has become one of retail’s top priorities. Retailers are deploying AI to strengthen security, improve operations and boost margins. However, the technology is only as valuable as the insights it provides and how effectively those insights can be put into action, and that can’t happen without humans in the loop.

AI shouldn't operate in a silo; instead, it should empower frontline associates to better serve customers, respond to security risks, and protect store profitability.

Security AI Delivers the Greatest Value When it Supports People

Today’s retailers are confronting sophisticated organized retail crime, "shelf sweeping" thefts, and growing incidents of verbal abuse and violence directed at store associates. According to recent research by VoCoVo titled In-store Intelligence: AI’s Role in Retail’s Human Touch, 84 percent of shoppers report witnessing verbal abuse toward retail staff, and 22.8 percent have seen physical altercations. While the AI-based security technologies can help identify suspicious behavior long before a person can, detection alone isn't enough.

These insights need to be delivered directly to the associates and security teams who can act on them in the moment. Too often, retailers deploy technologies that operate independently, each generating separate notifications. Rather than helping associates, these disconnected systems can overwhelm them with alerts and confuse them. Integrating AI-powered security with communication platforms allows retailers to coordinate and close loops faster.

When associates can communicate discreetly and receive timely updates without disrupting customers or escalating situations, they're better equipped to respond confidently to security incidents. With a connected system, associates receive relevant information in real time and security teams can respond faster and keep everyone safe.

This is important as associate safety becomes an increasingly significant concern across retail. The effects of these incidents extend beyond employees and directly shape how customers perceive the store environment. The previously mentioned report also noted that 17.2 percent of consumers abandoned their shopping entirely after an incident, while 32.9 percent continued but felt deeply uncomfortable. When shoppers feel unsafe or distressed, visits become shorter, purchases are interrupted, and return rates suffer.

Better Communication is Better Customer Service

On the flip side, employees who feel supported and safe are more confident engaging with customers, handling unexpected situations, and delivering the level of service shoppers expect. Investments that improve communication strengthen the customer experience.

Today’s retail associates are expected to do more. They help customers find products, fulfill online orders, manage inventory, monitor store conditions, and keep shelves stocked, all while trying to deliver exceptional service. From the consumer perspective, 62 percent of shoppers seek staff support when they cannot find an item, and 53 percent say poor or unhelpful service is the top factor that prevents them from returning to a store. AI should make the responsibilities of an associate easier.

When associates receive the right information at the right moment, they spend less time searching across multiple systems and more time helping customers. Whether identifying available inventory, responding to changing store conditions, or receiving operational guidance in real time, AI allows associates to make faster, more informed decisions.

AI is most powerful when it empowers the people using it. This means retailers need to invest in smarter ways to support the frontline teams who shape every customer experience. By doing so, they can create stores that are not only safer and more efficient, but also better equipped to adapt and thrive in the future.

Paul Birkin is chief technology and product officer at VoCoVo, a retail communications specialist.