AI News

 


ChatGPT launches Instant Checkout 

 

OpenAI’s new Instant Checkout lets ChatGPT users buy products directly in chat, starting with Etsy sellers. Shoppers move seamlessly from discovery to purchase, with Stripe powering secure payments. Merchants will retain control of fulfillment and support, but CX leaders will face new challenges as AI platforms increasingly mediate sales journeys and can shake up brand loyalty. See what the president of Shopify has to say about this development.


With developments like this, it’s no surprise then that  OpenAI has brought in in $4B in revenue in the first half of the year - about 16% more than all of 2024.

AI-forward wellness brands posed for more growth

Mindbody studied 1,400 professionals in the health, wellness, and fitness industry in the 2025 State of the Industry Report. There’s lots of great stuff there, but I found their section on plans as a result of AI investment most intriguing:

Investing in AINot investing in AI
Add new services42%32%
Hire more staff46%32%
Open new locations21%14%

This shows that AI is posed to help businesses grow, and instead of replacing roles, they can hire more staff. In the health and wellness space, these people are going to be hired to do things like lead workout classes, offer spa services, or maintain facilities - things AI can’t do.  

It’s time to get on the AI train and explore how it can optimize your wider business operations. Pick one use case and make it your 2026 mission to implement it - starting with CX is a great place.

Join us in NYC and LA!

Image has headshots of 4 people: Cate Marques of Terra Kaffe, John Navas of Allivet, Jose Herrera of Horatio, and Carly Horn of Kustomer. Copy says: CX Now NYX Customer Executive Panel. Leading transformation through customer experience. RSVP Today

Customer experience is the engine driving transformation across entire organizations.

That’s why on October 14th in NYC and October 22nd in LA, we’re bringing together incredible panels of CX leaders to share bold moves, lessons learned, and the strategies shaping the future.

In NYC, you’ll hear from:

 ✨ Cate Marques, redefining morning rituals at Terra Kaffe

 ✨ John Navas, driving operational excellence at Allivet by Tractor Supply

 ✨ Jose Herrera, building next-gen support at Horatio

RSVP for either city here!

CX Insights

Loyalty programs: not driving deep loyalty

A study of 52 loyalty programs and 2,000 consumers across Australia found some incredible insights and nuggets. Check them out:

  • There was no correlation between the types of benefits offered and the program’s success in terms of driving engagement or spend - many consumers join, then disengage
  • Layering additional program benefits does not automatically drive better engagement or increased spend
  • The vast majority of the loyalty programs had more female members than male members
  • Millennials were the most likely generation to participate
  • The average number of actively used loyalty programs was 5
  • A large portion of the loyalty programs that successfully drove brand loyalty were paid programs - things like a Costco membership, Amazon Prime, or Doordash DashPass (plus some Australian-specific retailers). 

So what does this tell us?

Given the rise of commerce happening outside of storefronts or a brand’s website or app - i.e. ChatGPT or TikTok Shop - it’s unsurprising that loyalty programs may not have the hold they once did.

Loyalty programs work, but not all create the lasting relationships brands seek. If you need a short-term boost in new customers, then sure, a loyalty program with perks might get someone in the door - especially during uncertain economic times. But if your goal is deep loyalty, it may make most sense to focus on the subset of clients that have a little skin in the game via a paid membership.

Loyalty nuggets

Let’s keep the theme going. Here’s a roundup of other news in loyalty programs: