With the advent of AI, easier access to information, and reliability on machine algorithms, it has become easier to bring offline and online shopping experiences together. Challenges that one may have with online shopping are going to be omitted in the long run with the help of technology.
Now the question arises as to what AI can do for offline retailers? How can the touch and feel of offline shopping be replaced by the visual shopping experience? How can retailers bring the same experience online to satiate the needs of their customers without losing any base? Is it possible transforming shopping experience with AI?
Well, AI may be the answer to all these questions. Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the shopping and retail landscape into a customer’s personalized and exquisite experience. Let’s take a look at how AI is going to be the future of shopping.
Deep Personalization
Whenever a customer is shopping, their only struggle is personalization. How can they get recommendations on better products at just a click away? Are the recommendations similar to what they prefer to wear or use?
AI-driven personalized shopping recommendations can very well gel in here. As this technology advances, those recommendations will be able to provide increasingly detailed, personally targeted recommendations based on the customer’s tastes, hobbies, and shopping budgets.
It’s not a far-fetched idea when the evolution of AI in retail will reach a point where shoppers will be guided by an app to their personalized or preferred product on the store or online.
Read more: Chatbots can drive customer service
Augmented Reality- Making Retail more Convenient
Ikea back in 2012 used augmented reality to bring its shelves and tables to life in a living room. With the release of Ikea Place, that concept has been given a substantial makeover. After browsing the app’s over 2,000 products — nearly the whole company’s sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, and storage units — hold up your phone and use the camera to place the digital furniture anywhere in the room.
This is the power of AR in retail that enables one to visualize and experiment with what would be the best choice of products they must buy.
AI Support
AI-powered chatbots and virtual support are something that has become common in the world of online retail platforms. When you open Amazon and voice search for products, you’re using AI. When Siri or Alexa answers your question, you are using AI in your routine.
Retail shopping platforms include AI chat support which ultimately enables customers or prospects to ask questions regarding a particular product or to initiate easy returns, etc. This in turn helps customer executives to focus on more complex issues.
Artificial intelligence is a hope in retail that will possibly help companies retain their customer base, personalize their marketing efforts, and deliver amazing customer support. This too by reducing the workload on human executives by automating a large number of tasks within the retail firm.
