Walmart debuts Sparky, its generative AI assistant for customers

Joining Wally, an AI assistant for merchants, Sparky will summarize reviews for customers and help shoppers plan purchases.

By Xanayra Marin-Lopez • June 11, 2025

Businesses look to streamline tech stacks to better understand customers

Integrating customer relationship management software, surveys and other tools and technologies remains a challenge, a Twilio survey found.

By Michael Brady • June 10, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Technology

In this Trendline, CX Dive explores what technology businesses are investing in to improve CX and examples of successful rollouts.

By CX Dive staff

Generative AI enters ‘recommendation era’ as search falls to the wayside

“It used to be you could search for a brand or a product, or you could search for a price," Accenture's Jill Standish said. "But could you ask for advice?”

By Bryan Wassel • June 9, 2025

Costco calls scan-and-go pilot ‘extremely successful’

The scan-and-go tests are part of the retailer's efforts to move customers through the store faster, improve checkout and reduce crowding.

By Kristen Doerer • June 3, 2025

Best Buy wants AI to offer customers fewer — but more relevant — search results

The enhanced search experience will build on the electronics retailer’s e-commerce success, which was a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster quarter.

By Bryan Wassel • May 29, 2025

Google is turning AI into a personal shopping assistant

The technology company debuted AI Mode, the ability for shoppers to use agentic capabilities to set up price tracking and make purchases on their behalf.

By Xanayra Marin-Lopez • May 27, 2025

TikTok Live remains top live shopping platform

Though roughly 60% of U.S. adults say they watch live shopping in general, only half of them are making purchases, a recent survey shows.

By Xanayra Marin-Lopez • May 16, 2025

Airbnb overhauls app with an emphasis on travel experiences

Customers can now book services and excursions, ranging from photo shoots to gallery tours, in a redesigned app.

By Bryan Wassel • May 15, 2025

Pinterest pins its future to visual search experiences

Investments in visual exploration are helping the company deliver more relevant ads while improving the browsing experience, CEO Bill Ready said.

By Bryan Wassel • May 9, 2025

Sonos puts faith in software updates to restore trust

“My view here is simple: Our software must be responsive, reliable and intuitive. No exceptions,” interim CEO Tom Conrad said during an earnings call.

By Bryan Wassel • May 8, 2025

Etsy is leveraging AI to boost personalization

In its latest earnings call, the marketplace said personalized homepages yielded nearly double the engagement compared to those without personalization.

By Xanayra Marin-Lopez • May 7, 2025

EBay rolls out conversational AI shopping agent

The tool offers suggestions and advice based on customers’ shopping preferences to assist with product discovery.

By Bryan Wassel • May 6, 2025

How grocers can meet Gen Z’s digital expectations

This generation’s needs should serve as the playbook for creating omnichannel capabilities that highlight value and authenticity while bettering the in-store experience, sources said.

By Peyton Bigora • May 6, 2025

Wendy’s to deploy drive-thru AI to over 500 restaurants this year

The chain has already installed Fresh AI at over 160 units as part of its larger strategy to improve the customer experience.

By Julie Littman • May 5, 2025

Lowe’s expands in-store pilot of kitchen visualization tech

After initial tests last year, the home improvement retailer is bringing its Style Studio tech to stores in California and Texas for three months.

By Howard Ruben • May 1, 2025

Google keeps feedback, experience top of mind as it expands AI search

A more advanced version of AI Overview, called AI Mode, is collecting feedback from more advanced users that could inform the general search experience.

By Bryan Wassel • April 25, 2025

American Airlines redesigns app in response to customer feedback

The airline aims to make the mobile app a one-stop shop for travelers with an intuitive layout.

By Kristen Doerer • April 24, 2025

FTC lawsuit: Uber made it too hard to cancel Uber One subscriptions

Uber contests the allegations, which include claims the delivery platform signed consumers up without their consent and charged them too early, according to a complaint filed Monday.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • April 23, 2025

Wegmans’ elevated shopping experience goes digital

The East Coast grocer recently launched a “new and improved” website and mobile app with enhanced personalization. Here’s a closer look.

By Peyton Bigora • April 22, 2025

How KFC’s customer listening program helps it nail the first experience

The program is designed to collect data from a range of sources, disseminate findings across the company and coordinate teams to solve customer pain points, KFC COO Rob Swain said.

By Bryan Wassel • April 21, 2025

Tillster: 61% of users want more restaurant kiosks

Diners are becoming more comfortable with kiosks since they can review their orders for accuracy, per a report.

By Julie Littman • April 16, 2025

Consumers say product discovery is key to better shopping experiences, survey finds

Smart page layouts and product summaries are just some of the steps that can help improve the discovery process.

By Bryan Wassel • April 11, 2025

Customers want easier search experiences

Brands that fail to offer seamless discovery experiences may cause customer frustration and dissatisfaction, Gartner’s Noam Dorros said.

By Bryan Wassel • April 11, 2025

Google Cloud touts new AI tools to simplify marketing, customer experience

At Google Cloud’s Next ‘25 conference, the tech giant will lay out innovations that speak to how brands and agencies can use artificial intelligence.

By Chris Kelly • April 10, 2025

Trader Joe’s roasts in-store retail media

In a recent podcast, company leaders emphasized that their marketing model focuses on human interaction, not robots and screens.

By Peyton Bigora • April 3, 2025