Sports company PUMA today announced it will deploy Google Cloud’s data, analytics and AI solutions to make its online retail experience more efficient, agile, and more personalized for customers worldwide. This will pave the way for consumer-facing innovations, ranging from generative AI shopping assistants, to virtual try-ons, to AI-driven loyalty programs.
The collaboration will see PUMA shift parts of its e-commerce ecosystem, including PUMA.com, to Google Cloud and build out a global e-commerce data platform. Early results have already driven significant customer experience improvements, including a 19% increase in average order value, as a result of PUMA using Google Analytics and BigQuery to better understand and tailor content to customers. In addition, using Apigee and BigQuery, PUMA has been able to access real-time inventory levels up to four times faster, helping shoppers find the exact products they wish to buy at the nearest possible stores.
“With Google Cloud’s AI and data capabilities, we have been able to not only gain a far better understanding of our customers, but also translate that insight into frictionless commerce, and more personal shopping experiences both online and offline,” said Pancho Ortuzar, Director Global E-Commerce Engineering at PUMA. “Migrating our e-commerce infrastructure to Google Cloud will greatly accelerate our efforts towards making PUMA’s direct-to-consumer channels a significant driver of overall business growth.”
Redefining direct-to-customer commerce with AI
Over the course of this multiyear agreement, PUMA will incorporate Google Cloud AI capabilities at all stages of its direct-to-consumer channels for more tailored and rewarding customer experiences. Vertex AI Search for retail will bring Google-quality search and recommendations to PUMA.com’s digital properties, helping shoppers better discover PUMA’s products and deliver personalized shopping recommendations to consumers based on their current interests and trends. In addition, PUMA will explore Google Cloud’s generative AI and visual search tools to power future bespoke offerings, such as a generative AI shopping assistant and options to “Shop the Look”—or virtually try on sportswear items—with the help of AI-generated content.
Google Cloud’s AI capabilities will also sit at the heart of Puma.com’s refreshed global loyalty program, accelerating rewards transactions and tailoring special offers and promotions to the preferences of both individuals and their families.
“Family has always been a big part of the PUMA experience, and our AI-driven approach to loyalty will help us better understand and reward customers based not just on individual but also on family needs,” said Pancho Ortuzar, Director Global E-Commerce Engineering at PUMA. “By streamlining the technology stack and eliminating data silos with the help of Google Cloud, PUMA employees are now freed up to pursue innovative uses of AI and other technologies that build stronger, more nuanced relationships with customers.”
Building a foundation for innovation and efficiency
As part of the migration, PUMA will consolidate its global e-commerce data and workloads onto Google Cloud, creating a single data engine that will give the company end-to-end insight into how audiences engage with its brand and digital content, driving faster and more accurate personalization of products and offers. The move will not only generate substantial cost savings compared to PUMA’s previous e-commerce cloud, but also will empower the company to more efficiently exchange data with other internally-used cloud platforms, third-party e-commerce solutions, and even its global network of vendors and partners.
“By building a centralized customer data platform on Google Cloud, we get the highest quality technology when it comes to analytics, data governance, and security, allowing us to radically improve how we work with partners in the interests of our customers,” said Pancho Ortuzar, director global e-commerce engineering at PUMA. “Common data standards and API management through Apigee mean that no matter where our retail outlet operators are on their digitisation journeys, they can tap into our digital services and insights without having to alter their current IT systems. That, in turn, enables them to create even more localized experiences, supported by consistently world-class data security and operational intelligence, with minimal disruption to them or their customers.”
“As consumer tastes become more personalized and bespoke, popular brands will need to look at technologies like generative AI to stay ahead of the curve,” said Carrie Tharp, VP strategic industries at Google Cloud. “PUMA’s partnership with Google Cloud is leading the industry in applying cloud, data analytics, and AI to transform the customer experience.”
