How retailers are scaling customer service with AI

In today’s fast-moving retail landscape, delivering fast, personalized support isn’t optional — it’s expected. In fact, according to Zendesk’s 2026 CX Trends Report, 67% of retail CX leaders say customer tolerance for waiting has collapsed compared to a year ago. Rising inquiry volumes, shifting shopper behaviors, and pressure to reduce costs are forcing brands to rethink how they scale support.

AI has emerged as a game-changer — not to replace the human touch, but to enhance it. By automating repetitive tasks, accelerating resolution speeds, and enabling always-on service, AI helps retailers deliver high-quality customer experiences while improving operational efficiency.

Brands like New Look, NOBULL, and Papier are proving that AI can unlock smarter, more sustainable growth.

New Look – Managing peak season demand with AI

Fashion retailer New Look supports millions of customers across more than 300 stores and a strong ecommerce presence. Their customer care team handled thousands of support inquiries per week, a number that surged dramatically during seasonal swings. This growing volume mirrors a broader trend: 43% of retail CX leaders say they’ve experienced more customer inquiries, while 87% agree that AI materially accelerates resolution speed.

With limited time and no extra headcount, New Look launched Zendesk AI just one day before Black Friday. The impact was immediate. AI agents deflected tens of thousands of repetitive tickets, while Copilot helped agents respond faster and stay on brand.

Results:

• 99.5% decrease in First Reply Time (FRT)

• 42% of inquiries resolved by AI agents

• 66% increase in agent productivity

With AI, New Look scaled seamlessly through peak season — delivering fast, feel-good service without compromising experience or overburdening their team.

NOBULL – Freeing up agents for conversations that drive revenue

For DTC athletic brand NOBULL, rapid growth came with a new challenge: product drops and influencer campaigns triggered spikes in support volume. While their agents maintained a stellar 95% CSAT, they were increasingly bogged down by routine questions like “Where’s my order?” — leaving less time for the complex, consultative conversations that truly drive customer satisfaction and sales.

Realizing that simply hiring more agents wasn’t sustainable, NOBULL took a smarter approach. They first strengthened their CX foundation by cleaning up workflows and refining data. Then, they deployed Zendesk AI agents trained to reflect the brand’s direct, friendly tone. These agents took over low-complexity tickets, while Zendesk QA was used to monitor AI performance — just as they would for a human team.

The result? AI didn’t just support NOBULL’s agents — it amplified their impact. Agents were freed to focus on higher-value interactions that lead to revenue, not just resolutions. And the brand saw measurable gains.

Results:

• 50% AI resolution rate in chat

• 49% year-over-year decrease in new tickets

• 90–91% CSAT for AI interactions

NOBULL’s approach reflects a larger industry shift: 90% of retail CX leaders report positive ROI from AI investments over the past 12 months, according to Zendesk’s 2026 CX Trends Report.

Papier – Reaching new markets with always-on service

When UK-based stationery brand Papier expanded into the US, they faced a challenge common to many global retailers: how to deliver timely support across time zones without hiring a night shift. With their entire support team based in the UK, offering fast responses to US shoppers could have meant longer wait times — a non-starter in today’s market, where 76% of retail leaders say instant response is now the baseline.

Instead, Papier turned to Zendesk AI to launch a 24/7 self-service solution. With a no-code setup and integration into backend systems like Sorted for real-time shipping updates, the AI agent was able to handle FAQs and collect necessary details — like order numbers or images — even when agents were offline.

Results:

• 40% of requests resolved automatically outside UK office hours

• Significant reduction in overnight backlog

• Human agents now focused on higher-value, complex tasks

Thanks to AI, Papier expanded its global footprint without expanding its headcount — scaling with agility, speed, and service quality intact.

AI as the retail advantage

AI is no longer a future investment — it’s a current differentiator. Retailers like New Look, NOBULL, and Papier are using it not just to keep up with demand, but to transform how their teams work and how customers experience their brands.

Whether it’s navigating peak season traffic, entering new markets, or empowering agents to build customer relationships, AI helps retailers scale smarter — not just bigger. The most successful CX teams aren’t replacing human service — they’re using AI to elevate it.