Solutions & Innovations (January-February 2024)
This winter, Beautyque NYC, a virtual storefront, began beta testing “Beautyque Verse,” which is said to blend “social connection, AR technology and AI-driven product recommendations ... in a thoughtful and interactive VR shopping realm.” The system is accessible on Oculus devices, through Apple’s app store or on Google Play. Once granted a password, users enter a beta testing portal via www.beautyqueverse.io. The goal is to let users interact and shop with their friends in a shared virtual space. Users can also consult with “Amara,” an AI chatbot that acts as a “BeautyQoach” by offering “gentle guidance.”
In mid-December, IGA launched an enhanced “Family Meals Made Easy” recipe platform (powered by Grocery Shopii) on IGA.com. Enhancements include curated seasonal recipes featuring key brands and recipe influencers, nutritional and serving-size information, and a shopping-list function for use in-store. Shoppers will, twice a month, receive a Recipe Club newsletter with links to the IGA “National Digital Ad” that has offers tied to featured recipes; in-store recipe displays feature matching signage, recipe cards and QR codes.
Hershey Co. used proprietary augmented-reality and image-recognition technologies in its November launch of Reese’s Caramel Big Cup. Using augmented reality, Hershey’s retail-territory sales leads conducted walk-throughs with store managers and generated images on tablets of what merchandising displays could look like in any part of the store. Image-recognition technology identified specific displays and in-store locations and enabled the tracking of sales in real time. This tech-driven effort also provides forward-looking data to help Hershey understand how future placements could affect sales and in-store experiences.
In mid-December, Adidas announced that its three-stripes brand would be available through pop-up stores on Roblox, the global gaming platform that claims a user base of 214 million players per month. The pop-up stores are carrying digital wearables and accessories that let gamers dress their avatars. Prices for some of the digital packs range from 85 Robux to 500 Robux (roughly $1 to $5). The idea seems to be that stocking user-generated content (UGC) inspired by Adidas’ physical collections could spur IRL (in real life) purchasing.
Yaysay is a feed-based, discovery-driven shopping app that launched in mid-December out of beta mode. Helmed by executives previously at Casper, Gilt Groupe and Stitch Fix, Yaysay is said to use AI technology that delivers a personalized, “relevant-for-you” feed of fashion items daily. The AI curates a short list of items for each user designed to provide “a 5-minute dopamine fix,” according to Wilmington, Delaware-based Yaysay, which is owned by Treasure Hunt Labs, Greenwich, Connecticut.
In mid-December, Atlanta-based Relex Solutions introduced AI-driven, price-optimization capabilities that the company says informs and empowers retailers when setting pricing rules and strategies. These include “Flexible Rule Setting,” which customizes pricing strategies to maintain margins or drive traffic; “Optimized Price Recommendations” that leverage predictive analytics; and “Scenario Testing,” which gauges the impact of price changes on sales, margins and competitive positioning. Relex Solutions works with retailers including The Home Depot, AutoZone, PetSmart, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.
In mid-December, New York-based MikMak partnered with Circana on a solution to help brands measure the impact of digital marketing and prevent cart abandonment. Called the “Digitally Influenced Offline Sales Lift Report,” it enables brands to better understand how their digital marketing affects offline sales, by channel, campaign and more along with demographic insights into who is most likely to make in-store purchases after interacting with digital marketing. Circana provides cross-industry data to nearly 7,000 brands and retailers.
In December, Mastercard, through its personalization platform Dynamic Yield, announced “Shopping Muse,” a generative AI tool that helps shoppers search for products in a retailer’s digital catalog. Shopping Muse is said to recreate an in-store, human experience by translating consumers’ colloquial language into tailored product recommendations, complete with suggestions for coordinating products and accessories. It can respond to unconventional search terms like “cottagecore” or “beach formal” and build on a conversation’s context over time to handle even eccentric queries.
In mid-December, Dallas-based LTK introduced “Match.AI,” a system that can identify influencers who’ve proven to be the most effective advocates for specific brands. The system uses an algorithm that searches LTK’s dataset of influencers, brand and shopper data — 100 million data points representing billions in sales, according to the company. The tool looks at the products and categories that influencers are posting about, determines who is most effective based on metrics like engagement, impressions and sales, and then recommends influencer/brand collaborations.
In mid-December, Cupertino, California-based Displace, a maker of wireless TVs, announced that “Displace Shopping” will launch in early 2024. Viewers using Displace Shopping can initiate real-time purchases of products and services featured in commercials, TV shows and movies using a proprietary gesture technology. The TV pauses to let AI analyze the screen for images of for-sale products that the viewer can than drag-and-drop to initiate purchase via a built-in NFC payment reader. If a specific product isn’t available, Displace will search for similar items.
Tipping delivery drivers may not tip things in your favor, but it can’t hurt. Amazon’s “Alexa, Thank My Driver” feature lets U.S. customers directly thank U.S. delivery services, including Delivery Service Partner associates, Amazon Flex delivery partners and Hub Delivery associates. Shoppers can thank them year-round via Alexa-enabled devices, the Alexa app or Amazon.com. For a few weeks around the holidays the driver also receives a $5 tip from Amazon (at no cost to consumers).
AIWizards has launched “AI Sommelier” to give retailers and hoteliers AI-driven suggestions based on food pairings, event specifics and inventory management. It claims its “Human X Interface” makes “chatbot interactions pale in comparison.” Helsinki-based sommifyAI’s interactive sommelier for retailers features a popup chat box that can be embedded into any website or app. Big Hammer Wines, an online retailer in Poway, California, launched the “BHW Digital AI Sommelier” for consumers. It sorts through thousands of selections with advice for food pairing, gift-giving occasions or even just to “cellar and age.”
In late November, White Plains, New York-based Ritani launched “Virtual Gemologist,” an interactive experience that mimics an in-store consultation. The website service enables a certified Ritani gemologist to show customers specific areas of diamonds for real-time discussions of imperfections, unique refractions or other distinguishing characteristics. Customers themselves can rotate and zoom in on each diamond, allowing them to scrutinize facets and angles.