The Next Level of Frontline Empowerment: Arcade Acquires Upduo to Launch Arcade AI Sales Leader

As a former frontline salesperson myself, I know firsthand the immense value of working in retail. My first job was in a retail store in Australia, and it taught me the essential skills of hard work and perseverance that have been the foundation of my career.

When we started Arcade, our mission was simple: empower frontline salespeople to reach their full potential. We believe these roles are not just jobs, but launching pads for successful careers.

The last few years have tested the resilience of every retailer. Weathering challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic required a new level of innovation and support for the frontline. That’s why, two years ago, we launched Arcade 2.0, empowering salespeople with real-time incentives, payouts, and prizes that tie directly back to business ROI. The response has been incredible. I’m proud to report that since then, we’ve served hundreds of retail customers and delivered more than $5 million in prizes to tens of thousands of frontline employees.

That success brought us to a new question: what’s next?

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the next giant leap in our mission. Arcade has acquired Upduo, a best-in-class AI video learning platform, to launch our new, fully integrated solution: Arcade AI Sales Leader.

This is more than an expansion; it’s a revolution for the retail floor.

For too long, there has been a huge disparity between the amazing sales enablement tools available to inside sales teams and the resources provided to the retail frontline. Did you know that 2 out of every 3 salespeople work in retail? Yet, they are consistently underserved by technology. We are leading the charge to change that.

With the integration of Upduo’s proven technology—which has powered over 2 million sales training sessions—we are bringing the most advanced AI sales coaching and engagement tools directly to the shop floor where they’re needed most.

Arcade AI Sales Leader is designed to transform store managers into superstar sales coaches and empower every associate with the confidence to win. Here’s how:

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Coach AI: Be in the Store, Even When You’re Not

It’s hard to develop strong sales coaches, especially with no visibility into their conversations. Coach AI makes it easy for managers to run high-quality coaching sessions. Every interaction is guided, recorded, and graded by AI, with automated scorecards to ensure consistent, high-impact coaching is happening across every single location.

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Train AI: Practice Makes Perfect

Training is forgotten the moment employees are back on the floor. Train AI turns quiet moments into productive practice sessions. Instead of scrolling social media, associates are motivated to practice what they’ve learned through on-demand, interactive sales roleplays—either with a peer or against an AI bot that mimics real customer personas.

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Certify AI: Guarantee Knowledge and Confidence

How confident are you that every employee knows the latest promotion or your company’s top priorities? With Certify AI, you can instantly identify knowledge gaps. Our AI uses skill and knowledge checks to assess an employee's true understanding, allowing you to ensure 100% of your team is ready and able to drive revenue and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

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Gamified AI: Get Your Frontline Excited to Sell

It’s exhausting asking your teams to do the basics, even when it’s good for them. Gamified AI leverages the power of competition, rewards, and recognition to motivate winning behaviors. We immerse reps in challenges, contests, and spiffs aligned with your most pressing priorities, with automated prize fulfillment to keep the energy high.

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We are incredibly bullish about the future. With a new generation of talent joining the retail workforce and consumer spending challenges driving a greater need for top-tier sales execution, the demand for effective frontline enablement has never been higher.

Arcade AI Sales Leader is our commitment to ensuring that every retail salesperson has the tools they need to succeed.

Game on.

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