The trend: Retailers are turning to a number of tech solutions—including virtual reality (VR), mobile apps, and AI-powered tools—to help employees do their jobs better, improve the customer experience, and drive sales.

Peeling back the curtain: Most tech investments are happening behind the scenes, as retailers look for ways to improve workers’ efficiency while equipping them with the tools needed to offer shoppers a more engaging, personalized experience.

Walmart is using VR to teach store employees how to handle interactions with frustrated customers and any other scenarios that are “rare and difficult to practice,” Jenn Buchanan, vice president of the Walmart Academy training program, told The Wall Street Journal.