Chatbots in Retail

In Retailwire.  Is 2017 the year of the retail chatbot?   Some good discussion.  We are not there yet,  there are still some issues to be worked out, but as long as they are focused on key issues and interactions, I think we are close.  " ... Yet many industry experts believe chatbots could become even more closely integrated into the shopper journey both online and in-store, particularly as consumers become more accustomed to the technology’s possibilities. ... ".    Further, read Peter Fader's cautious thoughts, he has a good understanding of potential analytic approaches.