UK fashion retailer Matalan in collaboration with global digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta claims to be the first UK retailer to adopt a Generative AI (GenAI) tool that enhances online product descriptions to elevate the online shopping experience and boost sales.
The GenAI technology was created and implemented by Kin + Carta in collaboration with Matalan’s digital team. It is purported that Google’s Vertex AI was utilised to extract product details and images.
As part of its digital transformation initiative, Matalan has developed a Large Language Model (LLM) tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate comprehensive product descriptions for products on its website.
The system’s configuration enables it to evaluate product images and generate comprehensive product descriptions, giving clients a better grasp of Matalan’s wide range of offers.
When used in all departments—clothing, home goods, etc.—this digital tool is expected to increase productivity by up to four times while also simplifying the online shopping experience.
Matalan chief customer and omnichannel officer Ali Jones said, “As the UK’s first retailer to be leveraging Generative AI in this way, this is a hugely exciting moment for Matalan.”
Kin + Carta director of AI & Data Ewan Nicolson added, “This new tool is using generative AI to increase operational efficiency in Matalan’s in-house copywriting team and vastly multiply the number of detailed product descriptions Matalan can post onto its e-commerce site every day.”
Even with the incorporation of AI technology, Matalan noted that it keeps a human-centric approach by keeping a group of copywriters to supervise and improve the generated descriptions while increasing efficiency, conversion rates, and search engine optimisation.
