Williams-Sonoma deployed two AI-powered shopping assistants to enhance its customer service model. The company launched Olive on its Williams Sonoma site last year and rolled out Otto across the Pottery Barn family in August 2026 (Retail Dive - Technology). Both assistants help customers with product recommendations, improve engagement with design tools and services, and streamline the shopping experience (Retail Dive - Technology).
The performance metrics are striking. Customers who use Olive convert at three times a higher rate than those who do not (Retail Dive - Technology). Otto resolves over 70% of customer engagements without handing the customer to a human representative (Retail Dive - Technology). Additionally, a personalized visit now generates roughly nine times the revenue of an average visit, up from two times the previous year (Retail Dive - Technology). The company attributes this success to its rich first-party data combined with AI capabilities, allowing it to leverage decades of category expertise and proprietary technology platforms (Retail Dive - Technology).
For commerce practitioners, Williams-Sonoma's approach illustrates how AI agents can enhance rather than replace human service in tactile, design-driven categories. The 3x conversion lift and 9x revenue acceleration from personalization show that first-party data is a competitive moat when paired with intelligent automation, particularly for retailers with deep product expertise and customer relationships.