Retailers Shift from Broadcast to AI-Driven Conversational Engagement
Event summary
- Infobip and Retail Economics report a shift from one-way retail notifications to AI-driven conversational engagement.
- WhatsApp engagement rates (85–95%) outperform email open rates (32.7%) in e-commerce, driving relevance over volume.
- 88% of retailers are exploring conversational AI, but none report full integration across the customer journey.
- AI can handle routine queries like order tracking, delivering ROI within 60 days.
The big picture
As consumer attention fragments, retailers face pressure to move beyond traditional push notifications. The shift toward AI-driven conversational engagement reflects broader industry trends in personalization and real-time customer interactions. With high engagement rates on platforms like WhatsApp, brands that fail to adapt risk falling behind in a market where relevance trumps reach.
What we're watching
- Adoption Pace
- How quickly retailers will fully integrate conversational AI across the entire customer journey.
- ROI Validation
- Whether brands can sustain the reported 60-day ROI with AI-driven conversational messaging at scale.
- Channel Preference
- The evolving role of WhatsApp as a consistent engagement bridge across diverse consumer demographics.