Tag: retail
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AR influences GenZ shoppers, but older demos skeptical
The promise of virtual AR try on is huge – helping shoppers get a more realistic sense of a particular item without having to visit physical retail, building confidence in the purchase and thereby potentially reducing return rates for e-commerce retailers. But new data from marketplace platform Jungle Scout suggests that AR adoption, interest and…
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CB2 uses AI to turn social media content into CTV ads
In these relatively early days of AI usage in marketing, one of the most common use cases is extending existing assets – either by creating derivative, personalized versions based on a variety of variables AND/OR by transforming an asset made for one channel into a different format that works in a new channel. In this…
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eBay rolls out a tool that generates product listings from photos
We’ve covered Amazon’s recent AI tools for sellers, and now eBay is getting into the mix with a generative AI tool that (supposedly) automagically generates product descriptions from photos … eBay is rolling out a new AI tool for marketplace sellers that can generate a product listing from a single photo. Available in the eBay…
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DoorDash launches AI-powered voice ordering technology for restaurants
While big restaurant chains have been experimenting with AI-powered drive through ordering for a while now, small businesses sometimes struggle with takeout orders. Online ordering from DoorDash and others makes it easy for most consumers to request delivery from their favorite participating local spot, but some consumers still prefer to order by phone. And DoorDash’s…
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Ralph Lauren launches new virtual store
Evidently built primarily to showcase the RL 888 handbag, this immersive 3D experience presents additional items from a new collection in a nearly museum-like experience, but it’s all shoppable with links out to purchase from the brand’s e-commerce website. The full experience can be found here.
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Walmart accelerates drone delivery plans with new partnership
It’s been a while since we’ve run across drone delivery news, but Walmart recently announced a new partnership with Wing. It’s still a relatively small portion of the retail giant’s delivery business but interesting to see the ongoing commitment to growing the service. Two years ago, we embarked on a journey to make the convenience…
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Claire’s builds on Roblox investment with new partnership and ‘Shimmerville’ products
We covered Claire’s previous AI and Web3 efforts previously, but the brand is now doubling down on a presence in Roblox … Claire’s has inked a new partnership with creative gaming studio Super League, as it expands its Roblox presence. Super League is a leading developer of immersive experiences for the world’s largest metaverse gaming…
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7-Eleven launches virtual car meet up in Fortnite
The iconic convenience retailer continues to tie up with car culture in a new program that sends fans on a virtual scavenger hunt through the popular gaming platform. From the press release… 7-Eleven, Inc. is bringing brand fans, car fanatics and gaming enthusiasts together for a first-of-its-kind interactive challenge on the world-famous online video game, Fortnite.*…
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Walmart Adds New AR Features to iOS App
From AdWeek … Walmart launched the View in Your Home augmented reality platform in its flagship mobile app in 2022, allowing shoppers to see a selection of products in AR before making a purchase. Now, the retailer is expanding its View in Your Home offerings with new AR features. Shoppers can now place multiple items…
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Amazon aims to help sellers write better product descriptions with AI
The tech giant has been using AI across its various offerings for years, of course – but has recently been ramping up efforts to put generative AI to use. We covered the tests they are doing with product reviews recently, and now Amazon is looking to use AI to help marketplace sellers write better product…
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Amazon taps generative AI to enhance product reviews
Once a critical input into purchase decisions, e-commerce ratings and reviews have become hit or miss at best. Amazon has been fighting this battle for years, trying to eliminate fake or misleading reviews. And now the retail giant has announced it is testing a generative AI tool to extract insights and generally make ratings and…
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Profitero Launches AI-Powered Retail Analytics
The platform, part of Publicis Groupe, aims to open its vast collection of commerce data to simple text queries via a chatbot-like interface. Per AdAge, the new release aims to solve two key problems: managing a wide range of data, including sales, supply chain and media spending, in a way that a wide range of…
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Travelers can soon virtually try on makeup at European airports
From the AdWeek story… Global travel retailer Dufry partnered with beauty and fashion technology company Perfect Corp. to bring augmented reality makeup try-on experiences to shoppers in four airports across Europe. This collaboration will allow people in London Heathrow, London Stansted, Manchester and Barcelona airports to virtually try on products from 15 brands in augmented…
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Claire’s leans into AI and web3
The retail chain is using AI for moodboards and to create imagery for store windows. As accessories chain Claire’s undergoes one of its biggest identity shifts since being on the brink of bankruptcy in 2018, it’s expanding its marketing to include AI integration for creative identity, a teenage docu-series, new digital and physical mascots, and…
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WSJ puts AI drive-throughs to the test
WSJ’s tech columnist Joanna Stern placed about 30 orders at a Hardee’s and a human had to step in only three times. The American drive-through is one of the best places to understand the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives and jobs. As the fast-food industry has struggled with all-time high labor shortages, AI…
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Wayfair launches AI-powered room visualization tool
Wayfair seems to be on a mission to reinvent how people redecorate – and have just launched a tool called “Decorify” that uses generative AI to do a virtual makeover on a room photo you upload. The Verge calls it clumsy, but once the kinks get worked out it seems like a very powerful way…
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Home Depot draws 7 million users to Roblox activation
BBDO and IF7 designed the experience on the popular gaming platform. From AdWeek – Figuring out how to show up on a new media channel and speaking authentically to that platform’s audience can feel like a tricky puzzle for most brands. But when The Home Depot entered Roblox in March, cracking that nut was not…
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Gap x Barbie use AR to virtually take over Times Square
This is a really fun-looking example promoting the collaboration between Gap and Barbie, leveraging Adobe Aero and Google’s Geospatial Creator. Full story via production studio UNIT9.
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Circle K pilots new Rewarded AR ads in Pokémon Go
Niantic and 8th Wall were busy last week at Cannes, revealing a new rewarded AR ad platform and showcasing an interesting case study featuring Circle K … The new Rewarded AR ad format sees Niantic doubling down on AR, backing the innovation’s potential with research forecasting that there will be 1.7 billion global mobile AR users by…
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Ikea’s “Billie” chatbot handles nearly half of call center interactions
The efficiency gain here is only part of the story. Perhaps more interesting is that the focus seems to be not on reducing headcount but rather on increasing availability of design consulting services. In the last two years, more than 8,500 call center employees have been re-trained to serve as interior design advisors. IKEA is…
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Puma expands its web3 shopping experience
Puma seems to be doubling down on Web3 and immersive brand experiences. The UI and overall experience is a bit confusing and challenging, but interesting to see a brand continue the investment in the face of macro-economic challenges and misguided media pundits declaring the death of metaverse and web3. Launching on Tuesday, Puma’s second digital…
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Amazon and Vitamin Water Launch Image-Recognition-Powered Music Promo
The summer beverage music promo wars are heating up. First Pepsi partners with Apple and Bad Bunny on a music promotion featuring on-pack QR codes, and now Coca-Cola’s Vitamin Water brand has teamed up with Amazon for a music promotion. In this one, consumers can scan bottles of Vitamin Water to unlock curated playlists. Select…
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More details emerge about Coach’s AR mirror
We shared a story about Coach’s new AR mirror a few weeks back, but new details have emerged in this piece at FastCompany. Perhaps most interesting is some high-level performance data. Coach has actually deployed more than one AR mirror, including one featured in a window display aimed at turning passers-by into in-store shoppers. Data…
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Elizabeth Arden Launches Shoppable Virtual Store
Elizbeth Arden has launched a virtual store that enables browsing, gameplaying and shopping. The Revlon-owned beauty brand created the metaverse shopping experience in partnership with experiential eCommerce platform Obsess and launched it Tuesday (May 16), Elizabeth Arden said in a Wednesday press release. “We are truly operating as an omnichannel business to evolve our customer experience and engage a whole new generation of…
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Klarna: AI, AR, VR to power the future of shopping
Global payments and shopping service Klarna has released data that reveals AI, AR, VR, and robots are likely to support and dominate the future shopping landscape. The data showcases that AI (artificial intelligence) is set to be leveraged to support shopping and fashion choices, with 81% of Gen Z respondents expecting AR (augmented reality) to…
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Web3 Retail Accelerator and Awards News
This interesting piece at Forbes covers off on a couple of retail metaverse announcements: Dream Assembly Base Camp, the Web3 fashion accelerator program created by Farfetch and global Web3 accelerator-meets-investor Outlier Ventures, which launched in 2022, has just announced its second cohort of start-up talent. The seven startups: Decommerce, Me Protocol, Nettle, Solaire, SPIN by…
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‘Amazon Anywhere’ brings shopping experience inside new AR game from makers of ‘Pokèmon Go’
This one is super interesting both for a new distribution channel for Amazon and a new revenue/monetization model for game developers, including AR leader Niantic … The so-called “everything store” is looking to go “anywhere.” Amazon announced the launch Tuesday of “Amazon Anywhere,” an immersive shopping experience intended to allow customers to buy physical products,…
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Coach Wants Shoppers to Play Virtual Dress-Up With New Tabby Bag
Tapestry’s Coach brand is bringing augmented reality to one of its New York City brick-and-mortar locations this month. The handbag label’s SoHo store rolled out a pair of AR experiences Friday. Available through June 5, the immersive retail installations are the result of a collaboration with Zero10, a fashion AR try-on company that previously teamed…
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Amazon Plans to Generate Photos and Videos for Advertisers Using AI
According to a paywalled report at The Information, Amazon is building a team to work on artificial intelligence tools that will generate photos and videos for merchants to use in advertising campaigns on its platform, a company spokesperson confirmed, efforts that could help diversify its ad business. You can get 25% off of a subscription…
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Walmart Uses AI to Negotiate Shopping Cart Prices With Suppliers
As the music industry struggles with AI’s role in the creative and copyright process, it looks like the retail industry might be ready to welcome artificial intelligence with open arms. Walmart is apparently using AI to bargain with suppliers for the best prices on some of its necessities—and the suppliers seem to love it. According…
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Disney, Kroger and PepsiCo test retail data for connected TV ads
Disney Advertising has launched a beta test with Kroger Precision Marketing and PepsiCo that will let packaged-goods marketers use shopper data to reach target audiences across select Disney inventory, starting with Hulu. Full story at AdAge or AdExchanger.
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American Eagle Outfitters launches resale with ThredUp
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has announced a new partnership with ThredUp that has seen it launch its own resale site for the brand’s secondhand and vintage clothing. Entitled ‘Re/Ae’, the platform has been curated by the fashion group itself and utilised ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS) technology to power the experience. It comes as AEO looks to…
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Levi’s Will Test AI-Generated Models to Boost Inclusivity and Personalization
A new pilot program see the iconic denim brand experimenting with the use of AI-generated models. The announcement raised some important questions – is the goal really about increasing diversity? Allowing more personalization for the end user? How many human models will be displaced? Is the program actually more about cutting costs? Two different takes…
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ChatGPT Testing New Brand Integrations via API Plugins
A new ChatGPT feature being tested by brands could turn the AI bot into the next big app store, said Matthias Keller, chief scientist at travel site Kayak. Kayak is one of a select few marketers invited by OpenAI to pilot plugins, which enable ChatGPT to invoke a company’s services when handling a user’s query.…
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Walmart VP on the Retail Giant’s Use of AI
Walmart is actively using AI, including Generative AI, across multiple use cases, including dozens of conversational AI experiences. Unedited summary from ChatGPT (emphasis mine): The article reports that a Walmart Vice President has confirmed that the company is building on GPT-4, which is the next generation of the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) series of AI…
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Ralph Lauren debuts Fortnite clothing capsule tied to physical apparel collection
Ralph Lauren has partnered with the video game Fortnite to introduce a digital clothing and accessories collection within the Fortnite Item Shop and a physical capsule collection. As part of the partnership, the company has redesigned its Polo Pony logo, the first time the brand has done so in its 50-year history. Inspired by the…