The chatbots are coming — and they want to help you buy stuff - The Washington Post

To TacoBot and beyond; also see Will Millennials Want to Go Shopping With Facebook Messenger Bots? (Bloomberg)

"In retail industry jargon, this is coming to be known as “conversational commerce,” and brands are betting on it because of some distinct advantages it could provide in connecting with shoppers. As Kik spokesman Rod McLeod points out, when shoppers engage with a bot, they are almost by definition in a different frame of mind than someone who simply sees a retailer’s display ad on a website.

“The user has to opt into the conversation. So that’s kind of an interest indicator from the get-go,” McLeod said.

And if companies are able to nail the bot’s language-processing capabilities, it could potentially create new convenience for the shopper."

The chatbots are coming — and they want to help you buy stuff - The Washington Post