Understanding The Impact Of Technology On Shopping Behavior

In retail, many chase the next big thing—a new style, a new way to reach consumers—triggering a frantic race to adopt. But most trends fade as fast as they appear. The real game-changers are curated habits that prove they can stand the test of time. I’ve championed social commerce as the future of retail for over a decade. In hindsight, that barely scratches the surface. It’s now a deeply ingrained consumer behavior. The imperative isn’t just to adopt it, but to evolve with it—constantly and intentionally. At HSN, social commerce was core to our strategy. We pioneered the blend of shopping and entertainment. That’s the essence: finding the sweet spot where entertainment, connection, and commerce converge. Soon after, platforms like Twitch began enabling users to both game and shop in real time, blending entertainment with commerce. Fanatics has successfully leaned into this model as well, immersing fans in live experiences while showcasing gear in action, often worn by their favorite athletes and community, turning fandom into a powerful trust signal. More recently, TikTok Shop collapsed the purchase funnel into a single scroll. It's no longer discover, then buy. Now, it’s see it, want it, buy it—seamlessly, in-platform. So, as we look ahead, how do I see this "social commerce habit" evolving? Here's what I expect: 🔹 Creator Integration is Non-Negotiable. For Gen Z, in particular, TikTok Shop has become a primary discovery engine. They trust their favorite creators to genuinely try products and offer honest feedback. The more brands lean into authentic partnerships with creators, the more trust they build in this integrated shopping experience. It’s about relationship-driven commerce. 🔹 Embrace a Zero-Click World. Speed and simplicity are paramount. Consumers need to be able to see, buy, and receive as fast as humanly possible. This means minimal clicks, minimal friction, and no moments for reconsideration. It's about instant gratification and removing all barriers between desire and ownership. 🔹 Elevate Live Shopping. This is a powerful return to the personal connection and real-time interaction that defined the best of traditional retail. Shoppable videos and live sessions transform social media into a personalized shopping aisle. Imagine experts demonstrating products, showing how they fit or can be styled, all in real-time, tailored to your interests. It brings humanity back to digital retail. 🔹 Unlock the Power of Virtual Try-Ons. A longstanding hurdle in e-commerce is "try before you buy." AI-enabled virtual try-on features solves that, making online shopping more immersive and convenient. This translates directly into higher conversion rates, deeper engagement, and customers spending more valuable time interacting with your brand digitally. It’s time to stop treating social commerce like a trend. This is commerce, full stop. It’s a fundamental consumer behavior that belongs at the center of every modern retail strategy.

Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology demonstrates how AI, computer vision, and sensor fusion - similar to what you’d see in autonomous vehicles - can radically transform the way we shop. Instead of waiting in a checkout line, customers simply pick items off the shelf and leave, while the system automatically bills them. Yet with any shift toward automation, there’s the question of how it impacts employment and community economics. If fewer cashiers and clerks are needed, the ripple effects on the local job market can’t be ignored. Additionally, some consumers worry about privacy - advanced tracking systems gather a lot of data on purchasing behaviors, raising concerns over how, where, and for what purpose that data is used. Still, there’s no doubt this is just the beginning of technology-driven changes in retail. Beyond cashier-less shops, we might soon see: - Personalized In-Store Experiences: AI-driven recommendations could pop up on screens or apps as you walk through aisles, guiding you to products based on past purchases or dietary preferences. - Augmented Reality (AR) Fitting Rooms: Try on clothes virtually, see how furniture fits in your living room - without physically moving a thing. - Automated Inventory & Restocking: Shelves that monitor stock levels in real time and reorder items as needed, helping stores avoid both stockouts and over-ordering. - Drone & Robot Deliveries: As last-mile delivery becomes faster, we may see robots handling short-distance delivery or drones zipping packages straight to a customer’s doorstep. What do you think the next big change will be? Is it further automation, more personalization, or something else entirely? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups

The retail customer experience has changed forever thanks to AI. But it's really different today vs. 5 years ago. Let me explain: Five Years Ago... “Best-seller” recommendations. AI-driven tools mostly sorted shoppers into broad categories, leading to cookie-cutter suggestions. Chatbots were scripted and inflexible, often unable to handle real-time changes in inventory or complex customer questions. Predictive analytics were nascent. Forecasting focused on historical sales data rather than real-time signals. Customer Journeys lacked synchronized data. Shoppers experienced one offer in-store and a disconnected experience online. Supply Chain insights largely relied on static spreadsheets, causing delays in restocking and missed sales opportunities. December 31, 2024... Advanced AI uses purchase history, browsing behavior, and contextual cues to shape customized product offerings. Conversational AI handles returns, provides order updates, and even suggests complementary products. Natural language processing ensures smoother, more organic interactions. Predictive intelligence uses real-time data from multiple sources such as social trends and even weather patterns to anticipate shifts in demand, optimizing inventory distribution. Omnichannel integration means buying, returns, and post-sales service function seamlessly across physical stores, mobile apps, and e-commerce sites. AI is the backbone role in harmonizing data. Smart supply chain systems adjust restocks automatically and reroute shipping for efficiency. Fewer out-of-stock items, better stock rotation, and tighter coordination between vendors and retailers. Finally, and here's the wow factor, high-fidelity image recognition, computer vision, and generative AI let consumers visualize products on themselves or in their environments with far greater realism and accuracy. Link to Kolor-Virtual-Try-On in the comments. Just amazing. #ai #retail #customerexperience #machinelearning #digitaltransformation

The way people SHOP products is changing – FAST. I tested ChatGPT’s new Live Voice Mode + Vision right at the shelf in the aisle at a retail store. It was a mind opening experience and re-enforced many critical implications for retail and brand leaders. To test it out I went to the cleaning spray aisle. My experience with ChatGPT’s Live Mode at the shelf went like this: - I asked ChatGPT which cleaner to buy. It provided a few options, nothing too specific. - I wanted a personalized recommendation, so I asked ChatGPT to ASK ME questions to narrow in on the right product for me. - It asked me what surface I was going to use it on. I said granite and it provide granite cleaner recommendations. Ultimately, it recommended Method, Granite Gold, or a multi-purpose wipe from Clorox or Lysol. - Then I asked for a SPECIFIC recommendation based on what was on the SHELF. It answered with Lysol all purpose cleaner. Key Implications for Brand Leaders 🔹 Are you creating content that proactively addresses shopper barriers at the shelf? Your shoppers will ask AI assistants many questions. If your brand isn’t providing clear, AI-readable answers, someone else will. 🔹 How will AI-powered product interactions influence purchase behavior? If consumers rely on AI for recommendations and education, are you ensuring AI presents your product in the best possible light? 🔹 Are your product visuals AI-friendly? AI-powered vision means product recognition matters more than ever. Are your images, logos, and packaging optimized for AI-powered interpretation? Key Implications for Retail and Sales Leaders 🔹 How is AI shaping in-store purchase decisions? Shoppers are turning to AI assistants for product recommendations. If AI isn’t surfacing the right products, it could impact sales. 🔹 How will AI influence category growth? Is AI providing recommendations consistent with your category growth strategy? Is it trading consumers up to higher margin items? 🔹 What is the role of shelf orchestration in an AI-driven world? If AI assistants guide purchase decisions, does traditional shelf placement still influence sales? Will AI understand things like shelf sets, promotional tools, displays? What other implications come to mind? Is your brand and retailer prepared for AI-driven commerce? #AIinRetail #WomeninAI #AISpeaker #AIConsultant #AIinMarketing Kiri Masters Doug Weich Retail AI Council Sanjay Parihar David Keegan Jessy Stamates Marie Matacia Carmen Suess Jessica Thorpe Charlie Chappell Ilie Ban Phillip Jackson Paul Acerbi Morgan McAlenney Sam Gagliardi Todd Hassenfelt Andrea K. Leigh Jordan Ripley Jenny Baker Michelle Nilsson 👁️ Brad Berens, Ph.D. Maria Edelson

We’re all seeing it happen in real time. #AI is changing how people search, shop, and decide. The launch of #ChatGPT's shopping assistant is just the beginning. It’s not just search engines evolving—it’s consumer behavior. Here are 4 practical tips for how D2C brands can use ChatGPT-enabled search and shopping to their advantage: Optimize Product Data for AI Discovery Make sure product titles, descriptions, specs, and attributes are structured, rich, and clear. AI models like ChatGPT pull from clean data—so the better your metadata, the more likely your products show up in relevant queries. Use Conversational Copy That Matches Customer Intent Rewrite product descriptions and FAQs in natural, conversational language. Think like your customer: “What’s the best moisturizer for sensitive skin?” not “moisturizer sensitive skin organic.” AI understands nuance—lean into that. Create Bundles and Recommendations for AI to Surface Use your ecommerce platform to set up smart product bundles or "complete the look" options. ChatGPT can recommend these combinations when users ask for solutions (e.g., “What do I need for a beginner yoga kit?”). Integrate with Real-Time Inventory and Fulfillment Systems Partner with tech (like Osa Commerce) to sync real-time inventory and fulfillment data. ChatGPT-enabled shopping only works if customers can trust what they see—accuracy builds conversion. Osa Commerce is helping brands and retailers adapt to this shift: ▪️ Unified product data across every channel ▪️ Real-time sync with your fulfillment and inventory systems ▪️ Smarter orchestration for wherever the order originates—from ChatGPT to marketplaces to in-store #AI #ChatGPT #RetailTech #Ecommerce #SupplyChain #OsaCommerce #ConversationalCommerce #d2c Sent from my iPhone