Will retail salespeople be replaced by AI?
Updated
Retail salespeople score 48 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 47%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 16% outright, and 37% stays with people.
- 16% AI can do it
- 47% AI helps
- 37% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Higher than 70% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 24 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 4 of them today, speeds up 12 and leaves 8 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Maintain records related to sales. Sales records are digital and easily generated and organized by software. | 75% AI can do it |
| Prepare sales slips or sales contracts. Sales slips and standard contracts can be generated from order data. | 70% AI can do it |
| Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise. Store chatbots and knowledge bases answer product and store questions well. | 65% AI can do it |
| Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items. Searching stock and placing orders can run through software and agents. | 60% AI can do it |
| Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment. POS software totals sales, but staff handle cash and card payments. | 58% AI helps |
| Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required, such as paint or floor covering. AI can calculate quantities from measurements, but measuring needs a person. | 55% AI helps |
| Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers. AI can draft clear product descriptions and care guidance quickly. | 50% AI helps |
| Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices. AI can retrieve policies and promotions, but staff must stay current. | 45% AI helps |
| Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise. AI can compare financing and warranty options, but staff stay accountable. | 45% AI helps |
| Inventory stock and requisition new stock. Inventory systems track stock, but counting and receiving are physical. | 40% AI helps |
Show the other 14 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns. Returns and exchanges are partly digital, but items must be inspected. | 40% AI helps |
| Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires. AI can suggest products, but staff must guide and locate items. | 35% AI helps |
| Estimate and quote trade-in allowances. Valuation models help, but condition must be inspected in person. | 35% AI helps |
| Rent merchandise to customers. Rental paperwork is digital, but handover and inspection are physical. | 35% AI helps |
| Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits. Drawer balancing can be automated, but cash counting is physical. | 30% AI helps |
| Estimate cost of repair or alteration of merchandise. Rough repair quotes can be drafted, but damage needs physical inspection. | 30% AI helps |
| Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations. Spotting theft and security risks relies on in person vigilance. | 15% Needs a person |
| Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs. Live in-person greeting and needs reading depends on face to face judgement. | 12% Needs a person |
| Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental. Unpacking, assembling and readying goods requires physical handling. | 12% Needs a person |
| Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise. Showing how a product works needs hands on demonstration. | 12% Needs a person |
| Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales. Arranging and displaying goods is physical work on the sales floor. | 12% Needs a person |
| Clean shelves, counters, and tables. Cleaning shelves and counters is manual physical work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Bag or package purchases and wrap gifts. Bagging and gift wrapping are hands on physical tasks. | 5% Needs a person |
| Help customers try on or fit merchandise. Fitting clothing on a customer body requires physical presence. | 4% Needs a person |
How retail salespeople compare
All occupations (923)
Sales and related (22)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $35,410 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 3.9 million in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -0.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Close sales in Salesforce software with accurate customer records
- Fit and demonstrate apparel and appliances in person
- Read customer needs face to face during greetings and fittings
- Process cash and card payments at the point of sale
- Estimate flooring or paint quantities from on-site measurements
- Check special order stock and escalate exceptions to managers
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about retail salespeople and AI
Will AI replace retail salespeople?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly maintaining sales records and preparing sales slips or contracts. Fitting, demonstrating products, and reading what a customer needs stay with people because they need a physical presence in the store.
Which retail sales tasks is AI taking over?
Record keeping and paperwork are the most exposed, with maintaining sales records scoring 75 out of 100 on exposure. Sales records are digital and software generates and organizes them. Answering store and merchandise questions, scoring 65, is also moving to chatbots and knowledge bases.
Which retail sales tasks stay human?
Fitting and demonstrating merchandise stay with people, with helping customers try on or fit merchandise scoring just 4 out of 100 on exposure. Greeting customers and working out what they want scores 12, because reading a person in front of you depends on face to face judgement. Physical handling of goods also stays with staff.
How can retail salespeople stay valuable as AI takes over paperwork?
Spend the hours AI frees on the work only a person can do. Learn Salesforce software well enough to qualify leads and log customer history, master product demonstrations, and get trained on the store's POS and payment systems. Measuring rooms and estimating flooring quantities on site also stays with you.
Related jobs
Next steps for retail salespeople
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