Black Friday week kicks off the most intense period of the Christmas shopping season which will accompany us until the holidays and beyond. Jacopo Allegrini, Director of Retail at Google in Italycomments on three trends relevant to the retail sector and the role that artificial intelligence solutions have in this context.
Christmas shopping with artificial intelligence according to Google
If the winter holiday season, which kicked off in recent days with Black Friday week, is still central for retailers today, it is also true that even this period starts earlier and earlier. E it lasts longer and longer.
For example, 58% of people in Italy discovers new brands and products online even when you’re not thinking about buying something specific. And again: 50% of people tend to buy immediately rather than add to their wish list, as soon as they spot something they are wanting.
The brand must be in the right place at the right time
This is why it is important to build the presence of your brand with a long-term strategy and flexible. Offering the information shoppers are looking for in easy-to-use formats. Being found at the right time, with the right message becomes increasingly important, and AI can help brands with this.
Christmas shopping for Google: a long-term strategy
In a time of uncertainty like the one we are living in today, purchases are considered more carefully and more research is done. Especially online which is the inspiration space par excellence within the purchasing journey. People spend more time at this stage to actually be satisfied with their decisions shopping.
And the prezzo, although relevant, is not the only element observed by consumers. Show customers short descriptions of the main features of the products to help them make a purchasing decision and save time. Or indicating information that specifies how to reduce problems during delivery (such as in-store collection, or the possibility of returns) can be useful for retailers to share the advantages of purchasing in their store with potential customers.
An omnichannel strategy for an omnichannel experience
Today, 74% of people in Italy say they are agnostic with respect to the channel, and the purchasing path is divided into different touchpoints, which should not be considered individually but must support each other and function as a single whole that the consumer can recognize and to orient yourself.
Il physical point of sale it is increasingly taking on new experiential and interactive roles, alongside other functional ones – think for example of after-sales assistance and returns management. At the same time, people are turning to touchpoint online to inform themselves and make their purchasing decisions.
AI to multiply business opportunities
Artificial intelligence is the basis of Google Ads. This is true for Performance Max, entirely based on AI, as well as for many of the products that have been developed over the last ten years: today, around 80% of advertisers are already using at least one AI-based product. Search Ads AI-driven, and Google’s approach to AI in relation to online advertising remains based on understanding what elements of this technology can generate real value for our advertisers.
AI as a multiplier of opportunities for your business
If we had to sum it all up in one word, we could consider AI as a multiplier of opportunities for your business: it is useful for identifying new potential customers and consolidating relationships with them in a context of great uncertainty characterized by an increasingly complex and less linear purchasing path.
It can support marketers in building effective creative and messaging in a scalable way, so they are present throughout the purchase journey. And finally provide support in making decisions more effectively thanks to insights and precise measurements.