Retail has always been about more than selling things. But for much of the digital era, the Retail Industry's primary objective became reducing friction. Find the product faster. Compare prices more easily. Get it delivered sooner. Remove another step from checkout. That model worked extraordinarily well up until now.

Now we're entering a period where artificial intelligence can remove even more of that friction. AI can compare products, summarize reviews, recommend alternatives, find discounts, create shopping lists, and increasingly act on behalf of the consumer.

So what happens when convenience is no longer enough to differentiate?