i3 - January/February 2020 - 26

Visual Search:
Pinterest's Shop
the Look

AI GOES TO THE STORE

Data is at the heart of understanding the
consumer. AI and machine learning study
vast amounts of input, both human and
sensor-generated to provide solutions to
many problems that plague retailers. Why
did my customer bail on their e-commerce purchase? How can I size this dress
to fit more people realistically? How
many jars of capers do I need in my store
in Chicago vs. Denver?
AI employed by Walgreens helps the
store reach out to customers in areas most
likely to need flu shots. When combined
with augmented reality (AR) and virtual
reality (VR) presentation of virtual spaces
to "what if " with products, AI is busy at
work collecting data from those consumer
experiences.
PerfectCorp's YouCam uses AI on the
back end of its AR based makeup try-on
experience to understand user preferences in makeup according to hundreds
of different factors like skin tone, face
shape and beauty preferences. Nobal's
interactive iMirror ties a store's dressing
26

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

HOW AI CAN
POWER RETAIL
Personalized decision
coaches for customers
Supply chain forecasting
Efficiency and iteration
of ad campaigns
Analysis of the
customer journey
Tech support efficiencies
Fraud detection
Quick decision making
Pricing and forecasting

room with inventory and point-of-sale
(POS); the dressing room becomes your
store. Spatial&, the newest portfolio company from Walmart's Store N°8, and
DreamWorks Animation presents virtual
reality activations to immerse shopper's
in the merchandize. Using datasets,
Northface customers are guided through
finding and buying the perfect jacket
using IBM's Watson.

THE SEARCH IS ON

One of the biggest challenges faced by
brands today is making customer connections at the precise moment they need
your product. Brands, always looking for
better ways to be discovered and connect
with buyers, are turning away from keyboard search and increasingly experimenting with voice and visual search.
Still in its nascent phase, voice search
platforms like Alexa, Google Home and
Siri account for a negligible percent of
retail purchases, but according to a study
from OC&C Strategy Consultants, is predicted to hit $40 billion by 2022. An optimistic ComScore study suggests that 50%
of all search will be conducted by voice by
2020, and 31% of retail marketers perceive voice search or smart hubs (i.e.,
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

Courtesy of Pinterest

At Walmart it's become commonplace
to see Bossa Nova's robots checking for
out of stock items, cleaning floors (think
industrial-sized Roombas) and handling
product unloading, scanning and sorting
items from trucks. Stop and Shop introduced Marty, a robot with a built-in vision
system to report (but not clean) spills,
debris and other potential hazards to
store employees.
Robot short-distance delivery is also
being put to the test. On university campuses, robots like Starship and Kiwi's
DoorDash are delivering late-night pizzas
or last-minute school supplies. In the hospitality, service robots like Sheraton Hotel's
Wayfinder guides you through the premises or delivers food and luggage to your
room. Alibaba's FlyZoo hotel in China features facial recognition doors, robot butlers
and a bar that serves drinks made by a
robotic arm. And a close cousin to robots
are completely unattended shopping areas,
being brought to life through companies
like Standard Cognition and Iris Novus.

i3 - January/February 2020

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