Macy’s Launches Virtual Shopping Assistant

Macy’s Inc. (Cincinnati) has teamed up with IBM to create a virtual shopping assistant for its stores.

Today, the retailer will introduce a pilot program called “Macy’s On Call,” a website that can be accessed on a mobile browser and provides shoppers with answers to basic questions such as “Where are the restrooms,” or “Where can I find INC shoes,” reports Women’s Wear Daily. The answers are powered by IBM’s Watson and its developer partner Satisfi.

The primary focus is on helping customers locate things throughout the store, based on the assumption that customers prefer self-service for such queries.

The pilot is being rolled out in test locations throughout the U.S., and includes a Spanish language feature in select stores.