The Role of AI in Fashion eCommerce

The world of fashion eCommerce is far from perfect. Everyday shoppers still struggle to find the products they love, brands have been swimming in a sea of returns since 2020, and the industry's environmental impact is daunting, to say the least.

While not the end-all solution some may think it is, Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making a big splash in the fashion industry in recent years. From gaining insights into consumer behavior to analyzing trends and creating personalized shopping experiences, AI can help solve some of fashion's most prevalent and longstanding issues.

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Why AI is Exploding in 2023

AI is a topic that continuously goes through peaks and valleys of public interest. Remember when Alexa was first created and distributed by Amazon? People lost their minds at this marvel of modern technology. After Alexa, Boston Dynamics released a video of their AI-driven robots performing independent physical activities with astonishing accuracy and almost life-like mannerisms. It shook the world to its core and showed us how far this technology has come.

The most recent innovation that reignited interest in AI was ChatGPT, a polarising artificial intelligence source that provides a number of advanced solutions with a simple text prompt. Want to develop structured data for your blog posts? ChatGPT can do it in seconds. Maybe you want to develop a 2d game of a panda jumping over a mushroom (for whatever reason); ChatGPT can have the code written with the push of a button. 

While AI in fashion eCommerce isn't necessarily a new concept, the rapid adoption of this technology will quickly leave laggards in the digital dust. For that reason alone, it will be vital to familiarize yourself with the current applications of AI in fashion eCommerce to stay ahead of the competition and position yourself for success in 2023.

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Key Applications of AI in Fashion eCommerce 

• Improving sizing and fit
  

AI-driven sizing solutions (like WAIR) are helping apparel brands deliver personalized and accurate size recommendations to their shoppers at scale. These solutions leverage AI to scan massive body data databases to predict any shopper's body type and recommend the size that is most likely to be bought, kept, and loved. It's an excellent solution to the eCommerce sizing crisis that has plagued eCommerce apparel brands for decades.  

• Personalized shopping at scale
  

84% of shoppers say personalization affects their purchasing decisions. Needless to say, personalized shopping should be on your brand's 2023 bucket list, and AI can help immensely with this effort. AI can provide your shoppers with personalized product recommendations based on their preferences and past purchases, effectively allowing them to find the perfect items faster and easier than ever before.   

• Trend forecasting
  

AI solutions can help brands analyze shopper trends and purchasing behaviors, effectively providing insight into their core wants and needs. This can help retailers better tailor their products and services toward their ICP and create targeted marketing campaigns to improve the effectiveness of promotions.

• Product design
  

For fashion designers, AI offers several different tools and applications that can be used to create trend-forward designs. Certain AI algorithms can predict the success of a design before it is even made, which not only cuts down on a product's time to market but also reduces textile waste via physical sample requirements. Combined with its ability to predict trends and analyze shopper feedback and design choices, AI can be an invaluable tool for product designers.  

The Future is Now. Embrace It With Open Arms! 

Humans are hardwired to resist change. If you view AI's impact on fashion eCommerce as problematic or scary, it's not your fault, but we implore you to approach these innovations with an open mind. As this technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for fashion are virtually endless. 

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out our previous entry, where we discuss the eCommerce stack every apparel brand needs in 2023!

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