As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, retail brands have turned upside down. Most retail brands have had to shut down temporarily due to the national lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, retail brands are in need to look for new ways to bounce back to normal. They require every advantage they can acquire to ensure business continuity and succeed in the post-COVID-19 era. That advantage could come in the form of artificial intelligence.
AI in shopping has enormous applications, from customization to smart shopping to chatbots for instant responses. AI has transformed our daily lives and has changed the way we shop. Earlier, shopping seemed to be pretty standard experience, but now AI has brought about an unprecedented level of brilliance and intelligence to the fashion industry. From a virtual trial room to digital assistance to better customer support via chatbots, artificial intelligence has entirely transformed the fashion industry. Here, we will explore different ways of how AI is changing the way we shop.
Digital Racks
Artificial intelligence allows fashion brands to create virtual racks and trial rooms for their customers. This will enable customers to avoid the hassle of shuffling through a pile to find the right style. The virtual racks and trial rooms are often with gesture walls and touch-free monitors. AI in shopping also helps customers choose the best style by seeing how the dress looks on them. Based on customers’ previous searches and style quotient, AI provides recommendations. By embracing AI tools and applications, brands in the fashion industry can enhance customers’ shopping experiences and help them choose the best style.
Virtual trial rooms
Trying out different options to select the best style may get quite frustrating and time- consuming. This is where the real power of virtual trial rooms comes to play. With AI, fashion industry players can create virtual trial rooms for their customers with digital mirrors. This allows customers to try many dresses that they prefer without changing again and waiting in the long queues in the physical trial rooms.
The virtual trial rooms also have a gesture and touch-based interface, which allows customers to match different outfits, accessories, shoes, and more. AI also benefits beauty brands as now customers can check the perfect lipstick shade without actually having to apply the product.
Digital Assistance
For companies operating in the fashion industry, instantly responding to customer queries and enhancing customer service becomes complicated when multiple inquiries come together. Leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other popular technologies, brands can address multiple customer queries simultaneously via chatbots and digital assistants. Also, digital assistance can help fashion retail stores. In a physical store, robots and touch panels can be implemented at different locations to help customers locate an item and understand more about products, such as brand, size, and available colors. This eventually helps physical stores to reduce their workforce costs and provide instant assistance to their customers.
Customization at its best
You may have noted that you see advertisements for products that you have searched online recently. AI offers customization at its best. Based on users’ past buying behavior, spending patterns, and style quotients, AI customizes products for them. This eventually enhances customer satisfaction and drives sales. It reduces bounce rates as users see advertisements of only products and services they are interested in or have searched recently. This benefits fashion brands as one out of ten customers prefer to buy recommended products.
Smart fashion retail stores
AI reduces the entire hassle of standing on long queues, especially during some seasons and periods of offers. With AI, fashion retail brands can set up smart shops, where there are no check-out counters, no long queues, and no registrations. Customers just have to scan the app at the store and check-out digitally. This can eventually save a whole bunch of time for customers and make the shopping experience much more fun.
Customer journey mapping
Different AI tools and applications can be leveraged by companies in the fashion industry to track customers’ changing needs and measure satisfaction. As satisfying customers is the key to business success in the fashion industry, AI can help brands enhance customer experience and eventually increase customer satisfaction.
Wrapping up
To keep up with the digital marketplace needs, brands will need to step up their AI game. Leveraging AI in shopping, fashion retail brands can become more customer-centric and bridge the gap between personalization and privacy. In addition to this, customers can experience a new way of shopping from their favorite stores and e-commerce websites.
Gordon Cotman
4 years ago