July 26, 2024
©AndreyPopov via Canva.com
Will Consumers Eventually Allow AI To Choose What They Buy?
In the world of fashion, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have been at the forefront of new technology that’s being experimented with in hopes of delivering a more personal and seamless buying experience for customers.
Though slow to gain traction in the U.S. consumer market outside of gaming, these technologies are making significant inroads in retail. The AR/VR market in the U.S. is projected to reach $15.4 billion by 2028, up from $10.3 billion in 2024, growing at over 10% annually.
Studies have shown that AR and VR have been successful in boosting conversion rates, and they also help customers make more informed decisions. For example, L’Oréal’s ModiFace AR filters let users experiment with different makeup looks before making a purchase, while Wayfair’s AR app Decorify helps customers visualize furniture in their homes, potentially reducing returns.
Other retailers have also gone above and beyond by offering exclusive virtual products and fashion items available only through digital means, along with entire VR worlds and gamification implementation.
The latest retailer to test the trend is GlassesUSA.com and its “Pairfect Match AI,” which is an artificial intelligence technology designed to enhance online eyewear shopping. This new tool provides personalized recommendations by matching customers with glasses that fit the exact features of their facial structure from a selection of over 10,000 frames. Style preferences are also taken into consideration.
“At GlassesUSA.com, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. The launch of “Pairfect Match AI™” represents a pivotal moment in our quest to redefine how consumers shop for eyewear. By combining advanced AI capabilities with our deep understanding of customer needs, we are making it easier than ever for individuals to find glasses that both meet their prescription requirements and reflect their unique personality and style, all with the convenience of affordable shopping from the comfort of their home.”
GlassesUSA.com CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Rothman via PR Newswire
“Pairfect Match AI” aims to simplify the process of finding the perfect pair of glasses, reducing the feeling of rolling the dice often associated with online purchases for items that need to be worn. This innovation builds on GlassesUSA.com’s previous tech advancements, including the “Live Try-On” augmented reality mirror and the “Prescription Scanner” app.
Other eyewear retailers, such as Warby Parker, offer the ability to use VR and AR for trying on glasses as well, usually by either taking a selfie or using a video of a customer’s face in real time through their smart device’s camera.
But fashion and aesthetics are only the beginning for the eyewear retail industry, according to Hubble Money, which anticipates a future where AI “can predict future eyewear trends or even advise on the best frames for specific occasions.” Additionally, the outlet notes that AI and ML may be able to help identify early indicators of eye disorders. By analyzing images and assessing eye health, they could alert you if a visit to an ophthalmologist is needed.
BrainTrust
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
David Naumann
Marketing Strategy Lead - Retail, Travel & Distribution, Verizon
Brian Cluster
Insights Consultant
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
How might personalized recommendations from AI impact consumer confidence and satisfaction when purchasing eyewear, or other products, online?
What ethical and privacy issues need to be addressed with AI tools like GlassesUSA.com’s “Pairfect Match AI” to protect consumer data?
As AR/VR technologies improve and expand, how might they reshape the role and relevance of traditional brick-and-mortar stores?
Poll
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Helping is fine. But deciding? Hell no. We are just a bit more complex. For example, Axcium had a site for a while called “about the data” and it showed the information it had gathered about consumers, including me. It made a lot of assumptions about my tastes based on a vacation to the Amazon and Galapagos in 2011 and a taste for LL Bean bedding. It decided camping was my thing.
Well, for me, camping is a hotel without room service, so I was quite frankly shocked. You can’t take snippets of data and make clear decisions. It’s crazy.
Camping? I am with you, Paula.
A prime example of AI hype. I am sure AI will play more of a role in purchasing, especially around recommendations, but it won’t replace consumers as decision makers. People like control, but there is also fun in shopping. Why would we let AI replace that? In this case AI will be a facilitator not a replacer.
The AI example in recommending eyewear that matches the shape of your face is a fantastic use case to simplify the selection process. It is a great way to narrow down the choices, but it won’t ultimately make the purchase decision for consumers. Personally, I will try this AI tool for my next pair of glasses, as I struggle to find frames that fit my face.
AI is fine for suggesting things to buy, but to auto-buy things it thinks I would like? Nope. I can’t imagine that most consumers would be okay with that.
Glasses USA’s AI recommends glasses, it does not, like the headline suggests, choose for the customer. Glasses are a very personal thing. When it comes to new frames, I don’t even take friends’ advice.
Yes! Personal taste is extremely hard to understand, even with the best algorithms and AI in the world!
We’re a very long way from a day when consumers trust AI to make purchasing decisions for them, whether it’s fashion, furniture, consumer electronics, or otherwise.
Right now, AI-driven personalization is still so complex, most retailers can’t handle it. For the foreseeable, it’s probably academic anyway because the demand for AI will most likely outstrip the market’s capacity.
The expansion of AI in retail is already causing a massive shortage of cloud computing resources, according to most industry resources. Db
Um, no. Nice try, though.
First, AI has been making suggestions for years. Also, augmented reality has allowed customers to digital version of try before they buy. So, this really is not new. It is getting better and becoming and more popular way of shopping.
Privacy will always be a concern. Consumers have to be smart about what they allow brands to learn about them. Furthermore, laws will be created to protect consumers and their privacy. We don’t know what we don’t know, an AI just keeps getting bigger and better.
First, I consider AR and VR different from AI. AR and VR are powerful enhancers to the shopping journey that effectively increase sales and customer satisfaction. AI is the resulting assumption that a consumer will want to buy certain products based on having processed very large amounts of data about individuals, if available. AI serves to identify, present and recommend specific products but consumers will resist letting a black box purchase a product on their behalf.
I agree with this.
AR and VR play an important role in enhancing the customer shopping experience across various channels. AI will facilitate purchasing decisions, but it’s not going to lead to fully automated decision making, except perhaps for routine purchases like groceries.
“Would you be okay with AI fully deciding on a product for you to purchase?” Is that really the question? I must have missed that part in the commentary.
L’Oréal’s ModiFace AR filters let users experiment with different makeup looks before making a purchase. Wayfair’s AR app Decorify helps customers visualize furniture in their homes, potentially reducing returns. Glasses USA helps customers decide. All are great ideas. I surely will make my decision. It may be a bad one, but it will be my fashion.
AI can be a useful predictive tool, and the user needs to be able to customize their needs on how AI can support their suggestions, and at what level of interaction takes place. For many, this is the key to easily choose from a myriad of styles and colors that the fashion industry blasts at us on a daily basis.
AI and AR/VR can be useful to provide options, but for a personal or significant purchase, consumers will want to make the final decision. For less significant purchases, however, it is likely that some consumers will allow AI to somewhat “flip the coin” for their lack of decisiveness.
AI is just another data point that a consumer can use to help curate offers to make a decision faster. Predicting and influencing the outcome of the tangled black box of a consumer decision tree has been a holy grail in our industry since the first retailer hung out a shingle. It’s the motivation for almost every decision we make, from assortment planning to store layouts. AI will help consumers consume more data and will make more recommendations, and I suspect more relevent ones as well. I don’t see many people letting AI make the final decision without reviewing it.
Sure. Great. Let’s have AI do EVERYTHING for us, so that we do not need to think. Or make decisions. This is just one more very small step for all of us to be extras in the movie “Wall-E” where everyone just rides around on a scooter, sucking down cola, immune to movement or thinking.
No.
AI is just another type of search filter and recommendation engine. It’s an assistant that can make finding the right item more efficient. But it’s also going to factor in the priorities of a retailer. Is the AI going to tell me that this item looks good and I should buy it because the retailer needs to boost inventory turns or hit a target sell through date? Hopefully, especially in the areas of fit, it will result in higher levels of customer satisfaction, but I don’t see people handing over the decision of which item to purchase to an AI for anything that has an aesthetic component. But over time I might let it make other purchase decisions if I trust it enough.
Hardware for hanging a picture if I provide the mounting surface and weight of the item? Sure. Replacement cords. Installation accessories. There are a lot of use cases where I’d happily delegate the decision making process.
Great point! With eyewear already so heavily concentrated in one company, why should I initially trust its recommendation engine without checking out alternatives myself?
There are two VERY different questions being asked here. One is whether you are okay with AI-enhanced recommendations and the other is whether you are ok with AI making purchase decisions/purchases for you.
The answer to the first question is grounded in the fact that algorithms are already making the decisions on what you SEE and thus the majority of what people BUY online (or influence what you buy in-store).
That’s a fact, whether you or most consumers believe it and like it or not. There are entire industries built around influencing Amazon, Walmart, marketplaces, and brand site algorithms. These efforts are meant to increase a product’s “share of voice.” This means where and how many times you show up in a search.
SOV has a direct correlation to the velocity of purchases and the number of reviews which in turn informs the algorithms to upgrade, downgrade, or drop your product.
In other words, if you don’t have a “blockbuster opening weekend” you have little chance of sustained sales. So like it or not, or know it or not, we are all already “ok” with algorithmic shopping and AI tools will further enhance this reality.
The answer to question two is NO, the vast majority of people will not be ok with AI making the purchase decision and the purchase for them.
The headline says “choose” and then the article goes on with multiple examples of offer/show/demonstrate. ?????? The customer wants to Explore + Experiment. And the article gives several examples of how AI will be brilliant in helping the customer do exactly that…walk through various iterations of possible purchases. Iterations that would not be possible to experience even in real life, in a physical store. AI will be a brilliant researcher and tutor. NOT a decider.
Consumers want control whens hopping. AI deciding for them would take away the desired feeling of control. I do think the help is greatly appreciated though.
Personalized recommendations will continue to improve over time as consumers willingly give or the AI models capture more data on individuals and consumers as a whole. Providing solid recommendations can provide an excellent experience for a consumer which could reduce the effort and time required to make a decision. However, I believe that the overwhelming majority of consumers will retain their own agency to make decisions and not allow AI to take control. AI could help reduce the effort in buying in difficult categories which could provide brands and retailers an opportunity to boost satisfaction and sales edge.
I’d like to reframe today’s question just a little bit.
Many of us seem to be OK with AI assistance when it comes to certain purchase decisions, but we balk at allowing the AI to make the actual purchase decision.
Fair enough. Machine intelligences do not possess innate “taste”, nor do they have insight into our innermost desires and preferences. But they are good at narrowing down a search – say “eyeglass frames whose shape is compatible with my facial dimensions.” The suspicion arises when we consider that these AIs are owned by the very same companies that are trying to sell us stuff.
What’s not addressed here is the prospect for each of us to acquire a personal “intelligent agent” (IA) that can progressively learn about our individual traits and preferences and make certain purchase decisions based upon those. Our IA would be subject to guidelines we set. Some purchases, such as replenishment of grocery staples, might be automated. Others, like “Order a replacement cartridge for our Moen kitchen faucet that can be delivered within 48 hours,” based on a specific prompt.
Our IAs can use stored information, including past purchases (like our grocery tab or that faucet) and our payment methods to complete their tasks.
I believe this will be our future and I for one am looking forward to it.
Personalized AI recommendations can significantly boost consumer confidence and satisfaction when purchasing eyewear or other products online. By tailoring suggestions to individual preferences and needs, AI may help customers feel understood and valued, leading to a more engaging shopping experience. This personalization can reduce the uncertainty often associated with online shopping, as customers receive recommendations that fit their unique requirements, enhancing their trust in the retailer.
AI-driven personalization can streamline the decision-making process, making it easier for customers to find products that match their style and needs, thereby increasing satisfaction. It may well aid customers by reducing the options they have to choose from – reducing selection difficulty by putting a smaller number of more relevant choices in front of the customer.
Studies have shown that personalized experiences can drive higher conversion rates and customer loyalty. However, it’s crucial to address ethical and privacy concerns, ensuring that consumer data is handled responsibly to maintain trust and confidence.
This addresses the large assortment dilemma. Research shows that more assortment leads to indecision and non-purchase. Optical shops need a large assortment but only a small percentage of that assortment is relevant to an individual customer. Using AI to limit assortment and tailor that limited assortment to the customer should increase conversion. Emphasizing styles that are current would also be a benefit. Glasses purchases are relatively infrequent. Most buyers probably don’t realize what’s current.
AI is already playing a valuable role in improving the customer experience, helping to power hyper-personalized search experiences. However, it’s not making the decision on behalf of the consumer. Instead, it makes it easier for the customer to find the product(s) they’re looking for quickly and conveniently, accounting for factors such as past purchase behavior, intent and trends.
AI-powered personalized recommendations can significantly boost consumer confidence and satisfaction by offering highly relevant product suggestions that align with individual preferences. This tailored experience creates a sense of understanding and value, increasing the likelihood of purchase and customer loyalty.
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Helping is fine. But deciding? Hell no. We are just a bit more complex. For example, Axcium had a site for a while called “about the data” and it showed the information it had gathered about consumers, including me. It made a lot of assumptions about my tastes based on a vacation to the Amazon and Galapagos in 2011 and a taste for LL Bean bedding. It decided camping was my thing.
Well, for me, camping is a hotel without room service, so I was quite frankly shocked. You can’t take snippets of data and make clear decisions. It’s crazy.
Camping? I am with you, Paula.
A prime example of AI hype. I am sure AI will play more of a role in purchasing, especially around recommendations, but it won’t replace consumers as decision makers. People like control, but there is also fun in shopping. Why would we let AI replace that? In this case AI will be a facilitator not a replacer.
The AI example in recommending eyewear that matches the shape of your face is a fantastic use case to simplify the selection process. It is a great way to narrow down the choices, but it won’t ultimately make the purchase decision for consumers. Personally, I will try this AI tool for my next pair of glasses, as I struggle to find frames that fit my face.
AI is fine for suggesting things to buy, but to auto-buy things it thinks I would like? Nope. I can’t imagine that most consumers would be okay with that.
Glasses USA’s AI recommends glasses, it does not, like the headline suggests, choose for the customer. Glasses are a very personal thing. When it comes to new frames, I don’t even take friends’ advice.
Yes! Personal taste is extremely hard to understand, even with the best algorithms and AI in the world!
We’re a very long way from a day when consumers trust AI to make purchasing decisions for them, whether it’s fashion, furniture, consumer electronics, or otherwise.
Right now, AI-driven personalization is still so complex, most retailers can’t handle it. For the foreseeable, it’s probably academic anyway because the demand for AI will most likely outstrip the market’s capacity.
The expansion of AI in retail is already causing a massive shortage of cloud computing resources, according to most industry resources. Db
Um, no. Nice try, though.
First, AI has been making suggestions for years. Also, augmented reality has allowed customers to digital version of try before they buy. So, this really is not new. It is getting better and becoming and more popular way of shopping.
Privacy will always be a concern. Consumers have to be smart about what they allow brands to learn about them. Furthermore, laws will be created to protect consumers and their privacy. We don’t know what we don’t know, an AI just keeps getting bigger and better.
First, I consider AR and VR different from AI. AR and VR are powerful enhancers to the shopping journey that effectively increase sales and customer satisfaction. AI is the resulting assumption that a consumer will want to buy certain products based on having processed very large amounts of data about individuals, if available. AI serves to identify, present and recommend specific products but consumers will resist letting a black box purchase a product on their behalf.
I agree with this.
AR and VR play an important role in enhancing the customer shopping experience across various channels. AI will facilitate purchasing decisions, but it’s not going to lead to fully automated decision making, except perhaps for routine purchases like groceries.
“Would you be okay with AI fully deciding on a product for you to purchase?” Is that really the question? I must have missed that part in the commentary.
L’Oréal’s ModiFace AR filters let users experiment with different makeup looks before making a purchase. Wayfair’s AR app Decorify helps customers visualize furniture in their homes, potentially reducing returns. Glasses USA helps customers decide. All are great ideas. I surely will make my decision. It may be a bad one, but it will be my fashion.
AI can be a useful predictive tool, and the user needs to be able to customize their needs on how AI can support their suggestions, and at what level of interaction takes place. For many, this is the key to easily choose from a myriad of styles and colors that the fashion industry blasts at us on a daily basis.
AI and AR/VR can be useful to provide options, but for a personal or significant purchase, consumers will want to make the final decision. For less significant purchases, however, it is likely that some consumers will allow AI to somewhat “flip the coin” for their lack of decisiveness.
AI is just another data point that a consumer can use to help curate offers to make a decision faster. Predicting and influencing the outcome of the tangled black box of a consumer decision tree has been a holy grail in our industry since the first retailer hung out a shingle. It’s the motivation for almost every decision we make, from assortment planning to store layouts. AI will help consumers consume more data and will make more recommendations, and I suspect more relevent ones as well. I don’t see many people letting AI make the final decision without reviewing it.
Sure. Great. Let’s have AI do EVERYTHING for us, so that we do not need to think. Or make decisions. This is just one more very small step for all of us to be extras in the movie “Wall-E” where everyone just rides around on a scooter, sucking down cola, immune to movement or thinking.
No.
AI is just another type of search filter and recommendation engine. It’s an assistant that can make finding the right item more efficient. But it’s also going to factor in the priorities of a retailer. Is the AI going to tell me that this item looks good and I should buy it because the retailer needs to boost inventory turns or hit a target sell through date? Hopefully, especially in the areas of fit, it will result in higher levels of customer satisfaction, but I don’t see people handing over the decision of which item to purchase to an AI for anything that has an aesthetic component. But over time I might let it make other purchase decisions if I trust it enough.
Hardware for hanging a picture if I provide the mounting surface and weight of the item? Sure. Replacement cords. Installation accessories. There are a lot of use cases where I’d happily delegate the decision making process.
Great point! With eyewear already so heavily concentrated in one company, why should I initially trust its recommendation engine without checking out alternatives myself?
There are two VERY different questions being asked here. One is whether you are okay with AI-enhanced recommendations and the other is whether you are ok with AI making purchase decisions/purchases for you.
The answer to the first question is grounded in the fact that algorithms are already making the decisions on what you SEE and thus the majority of what people BUY online (or influence what you buy in-store).
That’s a fact, whether you or most consumers believe it and like it or not. There are entire industries built around influencing Amazon, Walmart, marketplaces, and brand site algorithms. These efforts are meant to increase a product’s “share of voice.” This means where and how many times you show up in a search.
SOV has a direct correlation to the velocity of purchases and the number of reviews which in turn informs the algorithms to upgrade, downgrade, or drop your product.
In other words, if you don’t have a “blockbuster opening weekend” you have little chance of sustained sales. So like it or not, or know it or not, we are all already “ok” with algorithmic shopping and AI tools will further enhance this reality.
The answer to question two is NO, the vast majority of people will not be ok with AI making the purchase decision and the purchase for them.
The headline says “choose” and then the article goes on with multiple examples of offer/show/demonstrate. ?????? The customer wants to Explore + Experiment. And the article gives several examples of how AI will be brilliant in helping the customer do exactly that…walk through various iterations of possible purchases. Iterations that would not be possible to experience even in real life, in a physical store. AI will be a brilliant researcher and tutor. NOT a decider.
Consumers want control whens hopping. AI deciding for them would take away the desired feeling of control. I do think the help is greatly appreciated though.
Personalized recommendations will continue to improve over time as consumers willingly give or the AI models capture more data on individuals and consumers as a whole. Providing solid recommendations can provide an excellent experience for a consumer which could reduce the effort and time required to make a decision. However, I believe that the overwhelming majority of consumers will retain their own agency to make decisions and not allow AI to take control. AI could help reduce the effort in buying in difficult categories which could provide brands and retailers an opportunity to boost satisfaction and sales edge.
I’d like to reframe today’s question just a little bit.
Many of us seem to be OK with AI assistance when it comes to certain purchase decisions, but we balk at allowing the AI to make the actual purchase decision.
Fair enough. Machine intelligences do not possess innate “taste”, nor do they have insight into our innermost desires and preferences. But they are good at narrowing down a search – say “eyeglass frames whose shape is compatible with my facial dimensions.” The suspicion arises when we consider that these AIs are owned by the very same companies that are trying to sell us stuff.
What’s not addressed here is the prospect for each of us to acquire a personal “intelligent agent” (IA) that can progressively learn about our individual traits and preferences and make certain purchase decisions based upon those. Our IA would be subject to guidelines we set. Some purchases, such as replenishment of grocery staples, might be automated. Others, like “Order a replacement cartridge for our Moen kitchen faucet that can be delivered within 48 hours,” based on a specific prompt.
Our IAs can use stored information, including past purchases (like our grocery tab or that faucet) and our payment methods to complete their tasks.
I believe this will be our future and I for one am looking forward to it.
Personalized AI recommendations can significantly boost consumer confidence and satisfaction when purchasing eyewear or other products online. By tailoring suggestions to individual preferences and needs, AI may help customers feel understood and valued, leading to a more engaging shopping experience. This personalization can reduce the uncertainty often associated with online shopping, as customers receive recommendations that fit their unique requirements, enhancing their trust in the retailer.
AI-driven personalization can streamline the decision-making process, making it easier for customers to find products that match their style and needs, thereby increasing satisfaction. It may well aid customers by reducing the options they have to choose from – reducing selection difficulty by putting a smaller number of more relevant choices in front of the customer.
Studies have shown that personalized experiences can drive higher conversion rates and customer loyalty. However, it’s crucial to address ethical and privacy concerns, ensuring that consumer data is handled responsibly to maintain trust and confidence.
This addresses the large assortment dilemma. Research shows that more assortment leads to indecision and non-purchase. Optical shops need a large assortment but only a small percentage of that assortment is relevant to an individual customer. Using AI to limit assortment and tailor that limited assortment to the customer should increase conversion. Emphasizing styles that are current would also be a benefit. Glasses purchases are relatively infrequent. Most buyers probably don’t realize what’s current.
AI is already playing a valuable role in improving the customer experience, helping to power hyper-personalized search experiences. However, it’s not making the decision on behalf of the consumer. Instead, it makes it easier for the customer to find the product(s) they’re looking for quickly and conveniently, accounting for factors such as past purchase behavior, intent and trends.
AI-powered personalized recommendations can significantly boost consumer confidence and satisfaction by offering highly relevant product suggestions that align with individual preferences. This tailored experience creates a sense of understanding and value, increasing the likelihood of purchase and customer loyalty.