News/Retail
Narvar launches AI platform using data from 42 billion customer interactions to enhance retail experiences
Narvar introduces IRIS, a new AI platform designed to enhance post-purchase retail experiences and combat fraud while improving customer retention. The core innovation: Narvar's Intelligent Retail Insights Service (IRIS) combines AI, data analytics, and machine learning to transform post-purchase operations for retailers. The platform processes data from over 42 billion consumer interactions across 1,500 global retailers, including major brands like Gap, Levi's, and Sonos IRIS's first service, Narvar Assist, focuses on automating claims management and reducing delivery fraud Early testing with 20 retailers showed an 80% reduction in fraud-related inquiries and a 25% decrease in shipping-related compensation costs Technical implementation:...
read Jan 2, 2025Galaxy Watch FE LTE drops $50, plus other top tech deals
An early wave of 2025 consumer electronics deals has arrived, featuring significant discounts on popular audio devices and wearables from major manufacturers. Key deals overview: Major retailers are offering substantial discounts on premium electronics, with savings ranging from $50 to $150 on selected items. Samsung's LTE-enabled Galaxy Watch FE is available at a new Amazon low price of $199.99, representing a $50 discount The standard Bluetooth model of the Galaxy Watch FE remains available through Samsung at $169.99 Nothing Ear transparent wireless earbuds have dropped to $114, marking their lowest price ever and nearly 25% off the regular $149 price...
read Jan 1, 2025Would you let an AI agent do your shopping for you?
The increasing use of AI assistants for everyday tasks like shopping and scheduling has sparked discussion about consumer trust and comfort levels with algorithmic decision-making. Current landscape; AI tools like the Rabbit R1 are emerging as virtual assistants capable of handling tasks from food delivery to flight bookings, marking the rise of "agentic AI" that can take direct actions on behalf of users. While AI systems have demonstrated capability in handling basic transactions, their track record includes notable failures in tasks like summarizing information and web searches The technology's ability to recognize and correct mistakes, compared to human decision-making, remains...
read Dec 30, 2024Jimmy Choo shares his views on the future of AI in fashion
Jimmy Choo has launched an e-commerce platform featuring fashion collections designed by students and graduates of his JCA London Fashion Academy, marking a significant step in fashion education and retail innovation. Program Foundation: The JCA London Fashion Academy, established by Choo in 2021, offers specialized degrees combining design expertise with entrepreneurial skills. The curriculum integrates traditional fashion design with essential business competencies, including marketing, public relations, and business planning Students receive hands-on experience in both creative and commercial aspects of fashion A physical JCA Retail Gallery in London serves as a temporary showcase for student collections Sustainable Fashion Initiative: The...
read Dec 24, 2024The best AI tools for holiday gift shopping
The experimental setup: Wired tested multiple AI platforms including Perplexity AI, ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and Amazon's Rufus to assist with holiday shopping for five recipients of varying ages and interests. The shopping list included gifts for recipients ranging from 6 months to 49 years old, each with distinct interests like baking, music, and teenage fashion Perplexity AI's new "Buy with Pro" subscription feature, priced at $20 monthly, was among the tools evaluated The test aimed to assess how well AI could handle real-world gift shopping scenarios Performance analysis: Each AI assistant demonstrated distinct strengths and limitations when tasked...
read Dec 22, 2024Returned.com makes online returns a breeze with its new AI voice agent
Online shopping returns platform Returned.com has launched a new voice AI feature that eliminates customer service wait times by automatically handling return requests through its AI Return Agent, BoughtBot. Key innovation: The new voice AI capability integrates with Returned.com's existing AI Return Agent to manage complex return scenarios without requiring direct customer interaction with retailers. The system can bypass phone menus, communicate naturally with representatives, and negotiate return policies and exceptions The technology operates seamlessly in the background while processing returns The service currently supports over 131 major retailers Technical implementation: The voice AI leverages natural language processing to ensure...
read Dec 21, 2024The maker of Oreo cookies is designing new flavors with AI
The adoption of artificial intelligence in the food industry has reached a new milestone as Mondelez International, the maker of Oreos and other popular snacks, reveals its use of machine learning for flavor development. The innovation strategy: Mondelez has implemented a sophisticated machine learning tool that draws parallels to pharmaceutical drug discovery algorithms, moving beyond traditional flavor development methods. The AI system has been utilized in more than 70 products across the company's portfolio, including the development of Gluten Free Golden Oreos and an updated Chips Ahoy recipe Unlike generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, this specialized tool focuses on...
read Dec 20, 2024AI-powered Amazon Shopping Guides streamline product research
The launch of Amazon's AI-powered Shopping Guides marks a significant advancement in personalized e-commerce assistance, leveraging generative AI to streamline product research and decision-making for customers. Key Features and Functionality; Amazon's new AI Shopping Guides tool provides comprehensive product information and recommendations across more than 100 product categories on mobile platforms and apps. The feature is currently available in the US through Amazon's mobile website and iOS/Android applications Product categories span a wide range, including electronics, home goods, pet supplies, and personal care items Shopping Guides automatically appear within autocomplete suggestions during product searches User Experience and Implementation; The system...
read Dec 12, 2024AI enhances holiday marketing with personalized gifting
AI-powered personalization is transforming holiday marketing strategies as retailers seek to cut through increased advertising noise while delivering more relevant content to consumers. The personalization imperative: With 40% of consumers reporting irrelevant ad experiences and rising marketing costs during peak seasons, retailers are turning to artificial intelligence to create more targeted campaigns. Major retailers implementing AI-driven personalization have seen 10-25% increases in return on ad spend Traditional mass marketing approaches are becoming less effective as consumers expect more personalized experiences The holiday shopping season presents unique challenges for marketers trying to stand out in a crowded advertising landscape AI capabilities...
read Dec 11, 2024AI-powered Yelp now offers personalized restaurant scores
Yelp is rolling out AI-powered features to help users make quicker dining decisions by analyzing and scoring reviews across multiple categories, marking a significant evolution in how the platform presents user-generated content. Major feature launch: Yelp's new "Review Insights" feature uses artificial intelligence to analyze user reviews and generate numerical scores for different aspects of a business experience. The system evaluates user sentiment around key factors like food quality, service quality, and ambiance Scores range from 1 to 100 and are classified as positive, neutral, or critical Users can tap on individual aspects to see detailed scores and access specific...
read Dec 10, 2024Yelp’s new AI features summarize customer reviews
Yelp is enhancing its platform with new AI features to help users more efficiently navigate and interpret customer reviews, introducing tools that provide quick sentiment analysis and streamlined access to specific business details. Key Features Overview: Yelp's latest update includes AI-powered "Review Insights" that provide quick summaries of customer sentiment about specific aspects of businesses. The new feature uses facial icons to display positive, neutral, or critical sentiment scores for various business aspects like food quality, service, and ambiance Users can click on specific topics to access relevant reviews focused on those particular aspects The feature is currently available on...
read Dec 10, 2024AI personalization played a big role in this year’s holiday sales
The 2024 holiday shopping season marked a significant shift in how retailers leveraged artificial intelligence to personalize customer experiences and drive sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Key developments: AI-powered personalization tools played an increasingly prominent role in retail marketing strategies during the 2024 holiday shopping season, with notable success stories emerging from major retailers. Furniture retailer CB2 implemented AI-driven text messaging through Attentive, achieving double-digit growth in customer engagement Salesforce reported that AI-powered features influenced approximately $60 billion of the $314.9 billion in global online sales from November 26 to December 2 Third-party chatbots, including ChatGPT, drove a...
read Dec 9, 2024Alibaba expands AI design tool Pic Copilot to US e-commerce
Alibaba's launch of their AI-driven e-commerce design tool, Pic Copilot, represents a significant development for U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to reduce marketing costs while improving their digital presence. Core functionality: Pic Copilot integrates 12 AI-powered design tools that transform how small businesses approach their e-commerce visual content. The platform streamlines essential tasks including background editing, image enhancement, video creation, and automated ad generation The AI system analyzes real-world e-commerce data across 240 product categories to optimize visual content for sales performance Initial trials have shown double-digit increases in click-through rates for businesses using the tool U.S. market customization:...
read Dec 6, 2024More shoppers are turning to AI for holiday gift ideas
Current landscape: AI-powered gift shopping is gaining momentum during the 2024 holiday season, with British consumers expected to spend £28.6bn on Christmas gifts. Consumer sentiment shows strong interest, with 95% believing AI could help find better gifts The average spending per person in Britain is projected to reach £596 Traditional AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini are being joined by specialized AI gift recommendation services AI shopping tools and platforms: A new generation of dedicated AI gift generators are emerging to help holiday shoppers streamline their gift-buying process. GiftList, a US-based platform, offers an AI chatbot that provides interactive...
read Dec 5, 2024This AI shopping site discovers vintage and secondhand items
The emergence of AI-powered shopping tools is transforming how consumers discover and purchase secondhand and vintage items online, with Encore representing the latest innovation in this growing space. Platform Overview and Capabilities: Encore serves as a specialized search engine that aggregates inventory from hundreds of resale websites, powered by a combination of GPT-4 and proprietary AI technology. The platform enables users to search using natural language descriptions, similar to describing an item to a friend Shoppers can make highly specific requests, including references to pop culture moments or particular styles The service connects users to listings from major resale platforms...
read Dec 2, 2024Amazon rolls out AI customer service features for sellers
The rapid advancement of AI in customer service continues as Amazon expands its automated solutions through enhanced capabilities in Amazon Connect, potentially shifting more customer interactions away from human agents. Major developments: Amazon has introduced new AI features in its Amazon Connect platform, a cloud-based customer service solution used by major companies like Capital One, Adobe, and DoorDash to handle over 10 million daily interactions. The platform now enables companies to create and manage AI chatbots powered by Amazon Lex, utilizing large language models for advanced conversational abilities Companies can implement these AI solutions while maintaining control through customizable guardrails...
read Dec 1, 2024More shoppers turn to AI assistants to score big on Black Friday deals
The rise of artificial intelligence is transforming how consumers approach Black Friday and holiday shopping, with AI tools offering new ways to find deals and make purchasing decisions. Current trends and adoption: A significant portion of consumers are embracing AI for their holiday shopping needs, marking a shift in traditional shopping behaviors. Boston Consulting Group reports that 38% of consumers have used or plan to use AI for Black Friday shopping According to Attest's survey, 44% of shoppers will rely on AI assistants for their holiday shopping decisions Among AI users, 56% specifically leverage these tools to find bargains AI...
read Nov 29, 2024Black Friday shoppers tap AI to uncover best holiday deals
Artificial intelligence is transforming how consumers approach Black Friday shopping, with many turning to AI tools like ChatGPT to find the best deals and plan their holiday purchases. Current landscape: A significant shift is occurring in Black Friday shopping habits as 44% of likely shoppers plan to use AI tools this year, according to a survey of 2000 consumers by research group Attest. Traditional Black Friday tactics like camping outside stores are being replaced by AI-powered deal hunting Major retailers including Amazon and Walmart are incorporating AI features to enhance the shopping experience Companies like OpenAI and Perplexity AI have...
read Nov 29, 2024How big brands are managing holiday shopping with AI
The increasing digitization of customer service has not diminished the importance of phone support, with call volumes expected to surge during the holiday shopping season, making artificial intelligence (AI) tools increasingly crucial for maintaining service quality. Current landscape and trends: Customer care leaders globally anticipate a 20% increase in call volumes by 2026, with holiday periods like Cyber Week historically seeing spikes of up to 50% in customer support requests. Traditional phone support remains a preferred channel across age groups when self-service options fail to resolve issues UK research shows 84% of shoppers say positive Black Friday experiences influence their...
read Nov 27, 2024Indian AI startup Meesho unveils AI voice bot to enhance customer support
The rise of AI-powered customer service tools continues to reshape e-commerce operations in India, with Meesho launching a groundbreaking generative AI voice bot to serve its diverse customer base. Market significance and primary features: Meesho's introduction of India's first large-scale generative AI voice bot represents a significant advancement in e-commerce customer support technology. The voice bot achieves 10% higher Customer Satisfaction scores through human-like interactions and seamless support Currently handling 60,000 calls daily with a 95% resolution rate The system features advanced interruption-handling capabilities that can distinguish between casual affirmations and meaningful interruptions Technical capabilities and implementation: The voice bot...
read Nov 26, 2024This new AI model can detect counterfeit Lacoste items from photos
The race to combat counterfeit goods has gained a powerful new ally with the development of an AI image-recognition model capable of identifying fake products from photographs. Technology breakthrough: Vrai AI, a French company whose name means "true," has developed an AI system that can detect counterfeit products with 99.7% accuracy by analyzing visual details. The system was trained on thousands of images of genuine products to identify subtle discrepancies that may indicate counterfeiting The technology can distinguish between normal manufacturing variations and actual counterfeits David G. Stork, the company's chief scientist and Stanford University visiting professor, brings expertise in...
read Nov 25, 20245 AI prompts to maximize your savings on Black Friday
As Black Friday approaches with projected sales of $10.8 billion and over 76 million shoppers expected to participate, these five AI-powered shopping prompts can help maximize savings and efficiency during the busy shopping season. Finding The Best Deals Prompt: "Provide a step-by-step guide on how to locate early Black Friday deals and preview ads before their official release. Include reliable sources, tools and timing strategies." Use this prompt to gain early access to deals, allowing for better purchase planning and inventory management Helps compare offers across retailers before official announcements Enables strategic prioritization of limited-stock items Using Price Tracking Tools...
read Nov 19, 2024Amazon’s AI shopping assistant Rufus helps you shop smarter–here’s how
Amazon's new AI shopping assistant Rufus aims to simplify the experience of navigating through hundreds of millions of products by providing personalized recommendations and answering customer questions using natural language processing. What Rufus is: Amazon's generative AI-powered shopping assistant integrates with both the website and mobile app to help customers make informed purchasing decisions through an interactive chat interface. The tool analyzes product information from Amazon's catalog and the broader web to provide comprehensive answers and recommendations Users can provide feedback through a thumbs up/down system to help improve the AI's responses The service automatically clears chat history after 28...
read Nov 19, 2024Google Lens is now your in-store AI-powered shopping assistant
The integration of artificial intelligence into Google Lens marks a significant expansion of the tech giant's shopping assistance capabilities, leveraging its vast product database and AI models to enhance the in-store shopping experience. Key innovation details: Google has enhanced its Lens application with AI-powered features designed to transform how users make purchasing decisions while shopping in physical stores. The new functionality allows users to snap photos of products and instantly access detailed information, including similar items, stock availability, and price comparisons The system is powered by Google's Shopping Graph, which contains over 45 billion product listings, combined with real-time inventory...
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