Finding an outfit should start with what you need, rather than finding the right words for a search box. Gap Inc.’s new AI shopping tools aim to make that easier: describe what you are looking for in everyday language, then receive product suggestions.
The company outlined the changes in an October 5 announcement. They span Old Navy, Banana Republic and Gap, with different approaches to discovery and styling. This is the company’s account of the launches, rather than an independent test of their performance.
What changes for the shopper
At Old Navy and Banana Republic, conversational discovery tools are designed to turn a natural-language request into product ideas. The intended benefit is straightforward: less work translating an outfit idea into categories, keywords and filters.
Gap’s partnership with Alta Daily takes a more visual approach. The app creates looks featuring Gap products from a shopper’s style and inspiration, with an Alta avatar for trying those looks. Gap Inc. products are also discoverable through Daydream, a fashion discovery platform built around everyday-language requests.
These experiences supplement traditional e-commerce tools, according to the announcement. You do not have to treat conversation as the only route to finding a product.
A suggestion still needs your judgment
The useful question is whether the recommendations fit your actual needs. An interface that understands your words is only part of the decision: you still need to assess the product information and whether an item suits you.
The announcement does not provide independent evidence that these tools save time or deliver better purchases. Gap also describes a longer-term ambition for AI to act on customers’ behalf; that ambition should not be mistaken for a confirmed feature available today.
A practical way to try it
Where a tool is available, begin with one specific shopping need. Compare its suggestions with what you find through the brand’s usual search. Check whether the results reflect your request, then review the product details before deciding.
The promise is a simpler path from an idea to an outfit. The test is whether the suggestions help you make a better choice.
Would you rather describe an outfit to a shopping assistant, or choose your own filters?
Image supplied by Gap Inc.; source: the linked announcement.