Dive Brief:
- The ODP Corporation has rolled out a generative AI tool to roughly 12,000 associates in approximately 900 Office Depot and OfficeMax stores nationwide, the company announced Wednesday. ODP first launched the tool in February 2023.
- The ODP Personal Assistant integrates ODP’s knowledge base to help workers quickly access answers to common questions. A dedicated retail knowledge base has been available through store computers and handheld devices since December 2023.
- The assistant aims to help associates spend more time on customer engagement while offering shoppers more accurate answers to their questions.
Dive Insight:
Customers expect knowledgeable associates when shopping in-store. Businesses like ODP believe generative AI tools can help workers live up to that demand.
While many customer journeys begin with online research, stores still offer a tactile experience e-commerce can’t match, according to Nichole Jones, partner and principal for retail strategy at EY-Parthenon. Customers often seek inspiration in-store, but store displays generally offer less information than e-commerce product pages.
Associates can fill the gap, whether by guiding customers through their whole shopping journey or offering specific details about a product or its applications. Generative AI assistants can put relevant information about thousands of items right at associates’ fingertips to reduce the burden of personal knowledge.
“People go into the store for either the clienteling or to be able to speak to an expert,” Jones told CX Dive. “That is an area where companies can start to leverage more AI.”
ODP is aiming to expand its associates’ expertise by letting them ask the generative AI assistant natural language questions to receive immediate responses. Such speed of service is a key benefit of the ODP Personal Assistant, according to Gerry Smith, CEO of ODP.
"We are thrilled about the potential of Gen AI to revolutionize our customers’ experience," Smith said in a prepared statement. “This approach highlights our dedication to technological advancement and enhances our ability to streamline activities and tasks within our stores.”
