VoCoVo launches AI Gateway to securely connect retailers' AI with in‑store colleagues

AI agnostic solution amplifies the value of retailers' AI without adding complexity

OXFORD, England, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Retail communications specialist VoCoVo today announces the launch of the VoCoVo AI Gateway, a solution that enables retailers to securely integrate their existing AI directly into the VoCoVo ecosystem. This connection between retailers' AI platforms and their in-store colleagues enables retailers to create their own digital assistants.

With the VoCoVo AI Gateway, colleagues are empowered with AI-driven insights delivered in real-time through their headset, making access to AI as simple and intuitive as speaking and listening. This voice-led interaction enables faster decision-making and improved customer experiences. With two-way communication, colleagues can ask questions hands-free on the shop floor and receive instant responses.

The VoCoVo AI Gateway is also AI agnostic, which enables retailers to connect with whichever AI tools they are using today or into the future. Data security is core to its approach, with retailers retaining ownership of all their own data. Designed to meet strict security requirements, it eliminates the need to share data with third parties. VoCoVo provides a secure, security-by-design link between store colleagues and the retailer's AI, with no data stored, processed or used for any purpose other than for secure transmission between the solution and the team's headsets. Conversations are private and protected by advanced encryption, in line with stringent data protection and governance requirements.

This new capability - delivered by the already award-winning Series 5 Pro Headset - is informed directly by feedback from VoCoVo's extensive retail customer base. The solution enables retailers to maintain control over the AI systems they introduce to their stores, and the VoCoVo AI Gateway enhances the ROI from their AI without adding complexity. As tech stacks continue to grow in the industry, it is more important for retailers that their colleagues are empowered, rather than overwhelmed with AI. The new solution enhances the benefits colleagues get from the VoCoVo headsets they already wear.

For retailers embracing digital assistants, use cases for the VoCoVo AI Gateway range from integration with retailers' workflow management systems for equipment maintenance to stock checks for customer-requested items. For example, colleagues can not only enquire about the location and price of a particular product through their headset, but also receive recommendations on complementary items, replacement products during out-of-stock situations, and even guidance on what to upsell to customers. All of these tasks can be completed hands-free, without leaving the customer waiting alone, improving the overall experience for shoppers.

Beth Worrall, CEO of VoCoVo, said, "Over thirty years working with the world's leading retailers has given us something invaluable: a real understanding of what colleagues need to do their best work. AI is accelerating fast, and the retailers we partner with are ambitious about what it can do for their business. But ambition alone doesn't deliver results - it's what reaches colleagues on the shop floor that makes the difference. The VoCoVo AI Gateway ensures AI works for people, not the other way around. More informed, empowered colleagues create better experiences for themselves and every customer they serve."

As the AI Gateway is delivered through the VoCoVo Series 5 Pro, retailers require no new hardware or training. Colleagues simply use the device they already trust - now enabled with their retailer's AI, ready to speak and listen.

VoCoVo will be offering attendees of the Retail Technology Show the chance to experience the AI Gateway, with live demos taking place at stand N48, between 22-23 April 2026.

About VoCoVo
VoCoVo is a voice technology innovator, dedicated to meeting the current and future needs of the global retail industry, while championing the people working within it. From independent convenience stores to the world's biggest retail organisations, VoCoVo's suite of solutions - which include lightweight Headsets and Call Points, enables team members within any retail environment to actively contribute to their store's success.

VoCoVo's easy-to-use technologies are grounded in the everyday experiences of retail teams, facilitating seamless interactions that boost morale and engagement to enable stores to elevate their performance, team safety and customer satisfaction.

VoCoVo is based in Oxford, England and Chicago, U.S., and is providing solutions to many of the largest global retailers in over 20 countries, including the UK, U.S., and Europe. VoCoVo was most recently ranked 50th in the 2025 Times Tech Track 100.

For more information, visit https://www.vocovo.com/

SOURCE VoCoVo