British renowned retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) is leveraging artificial intelligence technology to help customers select clothing based on their body type and style preferences. This new initiative aims to enhance online sales, providing consumers with a more personalized shopping experience.
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Stephen Langford, M&S's Online Business Director, stated that M&S is adjusting its communication with customers through AI technology, adopting six different language styles tailored to various preferences, such as emotional descriptions or more direct expressions. He emphasized that the goal of this measure is to enable each customer to find products that meet their needs more quickly during shopping. For example, the system will not recommend the latest underwear deals to male customers.
Customers can also receive clothing coordination suggestions provided by M&S's AI technology by filling out a questionnaire about their own size, body type, and style preferences. As of now, 450,000 customers have participated in this questionnaire, and the system can select suitable combinations for them from 40 million options. This service combines the creativity of M&S's in-house stylists with customer information to provide practical advice on clothing coordination.
It is worth mentioning that over the past year, M&S has automated product descriptions using AI technology, with this proportion rising to 80%. Although Langford added that human involvement is still needed in this process to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the generated content.
Richard Price, Director of Clothing and Home at M&S, stated that M&S is "fully committed to online business," with the goal of increasing the proportion of online sales to half by 2028. Currently, this proportion is about one-third. In the past year, M&S's profits have grown by 41%, sales have risen by 9.4% to £13 billion, and online sales of clothing and home goods have also increased by 7.8%. Over the past year, M&S has attracted 1 million new customers, two-thirds of whom were acquired through the internet.
To further promote online sales, M&S's advertising spending on social media has increased by 80% year-on-year. Today, their investment on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has exceeded that on television advertising. Notably, almost one-third of the revenue obtained through TikTok comes from new customers.
When launching the autumn collection on Wednesday, Price said that despite a poor weather season, M&S still gained the largest market share in the women's wear market in nine years during the summer. M&S has always been a market leader in clothing categories such as knitwear and underwear, and is also growing in other areas like jeans. As the winter party season approaches, they hope to surpass Next to become the biggest seller of holiday clothing.
Key Points:
🌟 M&S uses AI technology to provide personalized clothing coordination suggestions for customers, enhancing the online shopping experience.
📈 The online sales target is to reach 50% by 2028, currently at one-third.
📱 M&S has significantly increased its spending on social media advertising, attracting a large number of new customers.