Zalando Enlists ChatGPT for New Search Function
PARIS — ChatGPT is coming to the shopping cart.
German e-commerce giant Zalando is launching a new search tool based on OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence chatbot to help customers find what they want in a more intuitive way.
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ChatGPT’s generative AI system is designed to let users ask questions in a more conversational way. Instead of seeking “blue sundress,” a customer can ask specifics such as occasion, location and any specifics in an informal manner. For example, “What should I wear to a wedding in Santorini in July” would elicit a written explanation and suggestions based on the prompt.
The ChatGPT assistant will provide relevant products and continue the conversation to hone the results and offer additional suggestions.
Zalando vice president personalization and recommendation Tian Su said they are “excited to be experimenting” with the new technology.
“This is just the beginning; we are committed to understanding our customers’ needs and preferences even better, and we are eager to explore the potential that ChatGPT can bring to their shopping journey,” she said. “As we continue testing and introducing new solutions, our focus remains on learning how our customers want to interact with our fashion assistant to provide them with the best possible experience.”
The beta version will roll out to a selected group of users, and be available in Austria, Germany, Ireland and the U.K. in both English and German.
The company is positioning this move as the precursor to personalized advice and fashion styling suggestions, calling it a “trusted companion” for customers. In the longer term, Zalando intends to combine information about customer preferences, including brands and size info, to deliver more personalized suggestions.
The tech move comes as the company is cutting “several hundred overhead roles” from its corporate workforce, amid a 0.1 percent decrease in sales in 2022. While relatively flat, that number marked a big drop from the 30 percent growth it reported in 2021 during the middle of the pandemic e-commerce boom.
Zalando said it will include “privacy and AI protection,” though the company did not detail what procedures it will enact to protect consumers under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
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