Google Cloud has announced several new artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI-powered technologies aimed at creating more personalized shopping experiences for consumers.
Victoria's Secret & Co. (NYSE:VSCO) has been quick to sign on.
The intimate apparel retailer has entered a strategic multi-year partnership with Google Cloud that it hopes will improve customer and associate experiences and drive operational efficiencies within the business.
With its website already driving more than 500 million annual visits, the brand said a key priority is to leverage new technologies to create personalized customer experiences at scale.
It plans to explore a new generative AI-powered conversational assistant created with Google Cloud’s AI platform, Vertex AI, to provide shoppers with tailored product recommendations and helpful advice based on personal preferences and life experiences — whether a customer is a sports enthusiast, a nursing mother, a breast cancer survivor recovering from a mastectomy, or simply ready for a new bra.
“This partnership signifies a new era for Victoria's Secret & Co, where cutting-edge technology meets our passion for enhancing the customer journey and reinforcing our position as a leader in retail,” commented chief customer officer Chris Rupp.
The company noted that Adore Me, the direct-to-consumer lingerie company it acquired in 2022, has already been using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and Duet AI for Google Workspace for generative AI efforts.
Google Cloud said retailers can build virtual agents that can have helpful and nuanced conversations with shoppers using natural language and can provide product options based on a shopper's preferences. For example, a virtual agent can converse with a shopper looking for a formal dress for a wedding, and provide personalized product options based on preferred colors, venue type, weather, matching accessories, and budget.
"In only a year, generative AI has morphed from a barely recognized concept to one of the fastest-moving capabilities in all of technology and a critical part of many retailers' agendas," Google Cloud vice president of Strategic Industries Carrie Tharp said in a statement.
"With the ability to accelerate growth, boost efficiency, fuel innovation, and reduce toil, generative AI solutions are ready to be deployed now, and Google Cloud's recent innovations can help retailers recognize value in 2024."