Retail is where Brits meet chatbots most. Here’s how to get it right before peak season.
Author: Laurence Glen | Date published: Oct, 21, 2026, UK | Read est: 5 min read
Table of contents
Retail is where Brits meet chatbots most. Here’s how to get it right before peak season.
Why are AI chatbots for retail becoming more common?
Black Friday customer service is a different challenge
Five ways AI can improve peak season customer support
How can retailers balance AI automation with human customer service?
Black Friday is approaching, Christmas shopping is gathering pace and retailers are preparing for the busiest weeks of the year. With more customers expecting instant answers, AI chatbots for retail are becoming an increasingly important part of delivering a good retail customer experience.
And according to new Ofcom research, retail is already leading the way.
Ofcom's September 2026 assessment of AI in customer service found that 11% of UK adult internet users had interacted with a retail customer service chatbot in the previous 12 months. That's ahead of financial services and utilities at 8% each, and telecoms at 6%.
It's an interesting finding, particularly with seasonal demand about to rise. But while more customers are encountering AI, that doesn't automatically mean they're enjoying the experience.
For retailers, the opportunity is to use AI retail automation to make getting help easier, particularly when teams are stretched and expectations are at their highest.
Why are AI chatbots for retail becoming more common?
Retail customer service involves a huge number of everyday questions:
"Where's my order?"
"Can I return this?"
"Is this available in another size?"
"What time are you open on Christmas Eve?"
They're all important to the customer, but they don't necessarily require a member of staff to answer them.
That's what makes retail particularly well suited to AI-powered customer service.
AI chatbots can answer common questions, provide information outside opening hours and help customers find what they need without waiting for an available employee.
More advanced AI agents can also connect with business systems to support processes such as checking order statuses, initiating returns and managing customer enquiries across different channels.
For retailers, this means routine questions can be handled more quickly, leaving employees with more time for complicated enquiries, complaints and customers who need personal assistance.
Black Friday customer service is a different challenge
Customer expectations don't disappear during busy periods. If anything, they become more demanding.
Someone checking a delivery in July might be happy to wait until the following morning. Someone wondering whether their Christmas present will arrive on time probably won't be.
Black Friday customer service therefore creates a particular challenge: businesses need to manage a sudden increase in enquiries without allowing response times or service quality to suffer – or inversely, investing heavily in resources for such a short period of demand.
There are also more opportunities for things to go wrong.
Delivery delays, unexpected stock shortages, promotional confusion and returns questions can all create spikes in customer contact.
And when staff are already busy helping shoppers, answering phones and managing orders, some enquiries inevitably risk being missed.
This is where AI can provide valuable additional capacity.
An AI receptionist such as Aila can answer incoming calls, provide information about opening hours and availability, and capture enquiries when employees are unavailable.
For retailers operating multiple stores, or managing a busy combination of online and in-person sales, that can make a meaningful difference to customer responsiveness.
Five ways AI can improve peak season customer support
Getting AI right before Black Friday doesn't have to involve redesigning your entire customer service operation.
Often, the most effective improvements come from fixing the things customers already find frustrating.
- Automate your most common retail enquiries
Look at the questions customers ask repeatedly.
Delivery information, opening hours, returns policies and product availability are sensible starting points for AI retail automation.
These enquiries are generally straightforward, and providing immediate answers can reduce pressure on employees while improving response times.
- Make sure your AI has the right information
An instant answer isn't much use if it's wrong.
Peak season customer support depends on accurate information, particularly when promotions, delivery deadlines and opening hours are changing.
Make sure your AI has access to up-to-date business information and clear instructions about what it can and cannot answer.
Where an enquiry requires live information that isn't available, it should explain that clearly rather than guess.
- Never leave customers stuck in a chatbot conversation
Ofcom's research found that attitudes towards AI customer service remain mixed, with some customers concerned about losing access to human support.
That's particularly important when something goes wrong.
A customer chasing a delayed Christmas delivery or disputing a refund may need someone with the authority to resolve the problem.
AI should make it easy to reach that person, ideally passing on the information already collected.
- Prepare for out-of-hours enquiries
Retailers might close their doors at 5pm, but online shoppers certainly don't stop browsing.
AI chatbots for retail can provide 24/7 access to common information, while an AI receptionist can ensure telephone enquiries are captured when stores are closed.
This helps businesses remain responsive without expecting staff to be available around the clock.
- Learn from the questions customers are asking
What if hundreds of shoppers are contacting you about the same delivery problem?
Or a particular product is generating an unusually high number of complaints?
Those conversations contain valuable information about where your retail customer experience could improve.
Conversational Intelligence can help analyse interactions, identify recurring issues and highlight opportunities to improve processes before they affect more customers.
How can retailers balance AI automation with human customer service?
The most effective approach is to use AI for the interactions it handles well, while keeping employees available for situations requiring judgement, flexibility or empathy.
Think of AI as additional support for your existing team.
It can answer repetitive questions, capture enquiries and help customers get information quickly. Employees can then concentrate on solving more complicated problems and delivering the personal service that builds loyalty.
For example, an AI assistant might explain a returns policy in seconds. But if someone needs an exception because their circumstances are unusual, that conversation should be passed to a person who can help.
The aim is to make the entire experience smoother, regardless of whether the customer speaks to AI, a person or both.
Better retail customer experience, beyond Christmas
Peak season might provide the immediate reason to invest in AI, but the benefits can continue throughout the year.
Faster responses, fewer missed enquiries and more efficient customer service processes are valuable in January, June and September too.
And with customers already encountering AI chatbots for retail more frequently than in other sectors, there's an opportunity for retailers to establish what good AI-powered service should look like.
The businesses that get it right will be the ones using technology to remove frustration, make information easier to access and help employees deliver better customer experiences.
Want to make peak season customer support easier?
Discover how Focus AI supports retail and e-commerce businesses, from AI-powered call handling to automated customer service and actionable conversation insights.
Discover AI for customer experience.
Laurence Glen
IT Director
Laurence is the expert other IT leaders turn to when the pressure is on. He understands that today’s IT departments are expected to deliver more with less, protect the business, support users, and plan for what comes next, often all at once. His role is to simplify that complexity, turning technical challenges into clear strategies, practical solutions, and smoother day-to-day operations. With deep experience across service management, customer strategy, and business growth, he helps IT heads reduce noise, remove blockers, and create technology environments that make life easier for their teams and stronger for their business operations.
