From virtual try-ons to product brainstorming, retailers are finding new and innovative ways to use generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI). We’ve already looked at the rise of virtual shopping assistants, like Amazon’s Rufus and Mastercard’s Shopping Muse.
The latest trends go beyond that. While some use Gen AI to write captivating email subject lines, product descriptions, and ad copy, Newegg and J’evar take it one step further.
They focus on the crux of audience engagement – customer reviews and product models. So, how are these brands staying ahead of the AI prompts?
Customer service gets a Gen AI boost
Before we look at the how, it’s essential to understand the why.
McKinsey & Company recently released a 126-page report on the top insights of generative AI. The research shows that “anything not connected to AI will be considered obsolete or ineffective” within the next few years.
Companies who want to remain competitive are urged to understand the potential of gen AI “and develop the strategies necessary to incorporate it into their operations.”
These innovations include everything from Gen AI-fueled chatbots which can address complex customer inquiries, to software tools that instantly retrieve the data a company has on a specific customer or product.
Custom product models
The aforementioned McKinsey & Company report cites Gen AI’s “ability to rapidly digest mountains of data and draw conclusions from it.”
J’evar, a company that sells hand-crafted jewelry with carbon-neutral lab-grown diamonds in recycled gold and silver, uses Gen AI as a virtual collaborator to create custom product models.
This saves them hours that they would have spent going through thousands of product mockups.
The process then speeds up the development of a product, while also allowing the company to spend more time on higher-impact tasks, such as engaging in direct customer interactions.
Gen AI for customer reviews
Online electronic store Newegg built a Gen AI-powered tool to summarize customer reviews. It summarizes the pros and cons mentioned in the reviews. A list of the ‘Pros’ is then automatically included underneath the product description.
Reviews are important to Newegg. Director of brand and website experience, Andrew Choi, was quoted by Pro Carrier as saying his team “ultimately wants the customer to get the right product for their needs.”
“We feel that this would be helpful for many customers that are looking for a quicker analysis,” says Choi.
eBay’s in-house software
ebay gets an honorable mention for deploying Gen AI to create product descriptions. The in-house tool analyzes the data sellers provide.
When the feature was first announced, eBay referred to it as a ‘magical listing tool’. In short, it summarizes product details from images. The image-based tool “allows sellers to take or upload photos in the eBay app and watch AI fill in item information details.”
The Gen-AI-powered software is capable of writing titles and descriptions. And when used with eBay’s other features, it can include detailed category and sub-category information, and even suggest a listing price and shipping cost.
McKinsey & Company says Gen AI will continue to evolve, and the stakes have never been higher. “But so are the opportunities.” And the companies who “move from isolated cases to implementations at scale, from hype to impact” will reap the benefits.
About the author
Cheryl has contributed to various international publications, with a fervor for data and technology. She explores the intersection of emerging tech trends with logistics, focusing on how digital innovations are reshaping industries on a global scale. When she's not dissecting the latest developments in AI-driven innovation and digital solutions, Cheryl can be found gaming, kickboxing, or navigating the novel niches of consumer gadgetry.
