Customers who are looking for the perfect Michael Kors-branded handbag or watch will get a little extra help from a new assistant from Mastercard.
The recommendations will come from The Shopping Muse, a next-generation retail assistant from Dynamic Yield, which Mastercard owns. Shopping Muse uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to help customers choose items such as accessories or shirts.
Online clothing shopping has been somewhat slow to move from bricks and mortar to online because people like the in-person experience of trying on clothes. However, according to Mastercard, Muse recreates the in-store experience — as much as possible virtually — by translating consumers’ everyday language into tailored product recommendations.
How Michael Kors will deploy Mastercard’s Shopping Muse
“As a trailblazer in ready-to-wear fashion, Michael Kors is a perfect example of how to put our ready-to-use technology to use,” said Ori Bauer, the CEO at Dynamic Yield. “Shopping Muse is helping translate the signature Michael Kors service to the digital world, delivering a satisfying shopping experience as singular and impactful as the brand’s aesthetic.”
Shopping Muse first launched at the end of 2023, with fashion retailers, including Michael Kors, getting early access. Next, Dynamic Yield is looking at use cases for furniture retailers, expanding to other categories thereafter.
Daniel Citron, CEO of tech company AI.Fashion, which specializes in creating fashion imagery with AI, tells Digital Commerce 360 that AI has a future in the apparel shopping experience.
“In the fashion industry, AI opens up new opportunities for creativity and innovation,” Citron said. “It empowers brands to deliver highly personalized shopping experiences consumers increasingly desire.”
Citron says AI can help bridge the gap between the virtual and in-person clothing shopping experience.
“Embracing AI is not just about efficiency,” Citron said. “It’s about enhancing the human touch in fashion, ensuring that creativity and technology work hand in hand.”
What it’s like to use Shopping Muse
Not everyone is convinced Mastercard’s Shopping Muse technology is ready for prime time. Currently, for example, the tool returns dozens of results for a request to see a comfortable shirt to wear while playing golf and was given dozens of choices. A search for a pair of “brown flip-flops,” meanwhile, also yielded many choices while also bringing up swimwear and sandals.
“Even at total capacity, I don’t believe this will be the future of shopping,” says Greg Zakowicz, senior ecommerce expert at the marketing automation platform Omnisend.
Zakowicz tested searches, refining results by height, weight and the description of a long torso. Those queries and additional changes produced similar results, albeit reordered.
“I see virtual assistants like this being useful for recommending similar products based on something you are currently viewing,” Zakowicz adds. “Still, mass adoption of tools like this seems unlikely, especially for something so individually nuanced as personal style.”
Still, other major retailers are looking for AI solutions in apparel use cases as well. Amazon, for example, is looking to it for fit recommendations and improving conversions. Meanwhile, eBay is leveraging AI to upgrade its discovery experience. In furniture, Ikea is also deploying a shopping assistant, which is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.