The real challenge in retail execution isn’t ambition or strategy, it’s the constant pressure on frontline leaders to decide what matters next while the business keeps moving.
In this episode of Frontline Fridays, host Ron Thurston sits down with Fabrice Haiat, Co-founder and CEO of YOOBIC, to unpack how AI is beginning to change how stores actually run, not in theory, but in the real decisions made on the floor every day.
Drawing on Fabrice’s upbringing in a retail family and years spent shadowing store managers, the conversation explores why so many retail initiatives break down at execution. Store leaders are overloaded with information, pulled into reports and inboxes, and forced to interpret strategy while managing live operations. Fabrice argues that frontline AI only delivers value when it removes that burden, replacing noise with clear, contextual priorities for each store.
Ron and Fabrice dig into what personalization at scale really looks like for frontline teams, why AI delivers some of the fastest ROI in retail, and why 2026 will mark the shift from pilots to real adoption. They also explore the human impact of better execution, from reduced burnout and stronger retention to giving store leaders the confidence to lead in the moment, not after the fact.
If you’ve ever seen strong strategy stall at the store level, or felt the weight of nonstop decisions without clear direction, this episode offers a practical way forward.
AI for Frontline Teams Is Changing How Stores Run — Season 2, Episode 8 is available now.
🎧 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrohqoj-V_gskdgonZVHPSVNYO0K2mtpO
👤 Fabrice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricehaiat/
👤 Ron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronthurston/
💡 YOOBIC: https://yoobic.com | https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoobic/
