Salesforce is set to release two new artificial intelligence-powered tools for retailers.
One tool will make it easier for retailers to build AI agents, while the other will provide a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system to help with online and offline shopping, the company said in a Friday (Jan. 10) press release.
Components of these tools are scheduled to be rolled out from February to April, according to the release.
“Together, AI-fueled digital labor and a modern POS can unlock a new scale of operational capacity for retailers,” Nitin Mangtani, senior vice president and general manager of retail at Salesforce, said in the release.
Agentforce for Retail will offer a new library of pre-built agent skills that will help retailers automate things like order management, guided shopping, appointment scheduling and loyalty promotion creation, according to the release. They will complement the skills Salesforce already offers for merchandisers, marketers and customer service reps.
Retail Cloud with Modern POS will help retailers serve customers online and offline with features like mobile POS, clienteling, endless aisle, mixed cart and omnichannel fulfillment, and inventory management, per the release.
“With these latest Agentforce skills for retail and a cloud-based, intuitive POS system, Salesforce is helping retailers deliver seamless, unified shopping experiences across both the physical and digital realms of retail that drive productivity advancements and business growth across their entire enterprise,” Mangtani said in the release.
Salesforce is among the software giants that have placed AI agents at the core of their AI plans. While AI copilots have flourished following the popularity of ChatGPT, AI agents are designed to take things further by performing tasks or providing services autonomously.
On Thursday (Jan. 9), Talkdesk introduced AI Agents for Retail that can perform tasks like customer identification and authentication, real-time order status, tracking and updates, shipping address modifications and connecting customers with in-store specialists.
On the same day, Zebra Technologies debuted a new set of AI tools for frontline retail workers and said it will add a new suite of AI agents in the second quarter. The suite will include things like a knowledge agent that will give workers the information they need, when they need it, and a sales agent that will help with product-related questions.
For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More