Matalan, the leading fashion and homeware omnichannel value retailer, has launched a Generative AI (GenAI) tool to create its product descriptions and deliver a seamless online experience for customers.
Matalan has partnered with global digital transformation consultancy Kin + Carta to launch the new GenAI and Large Language Model (LLM) tool, which creates detailed product descriptions for items listed on its website. It marks the first time a UK retailer has used AI in this way and forms an important part of Matalan’s digital transformation journey.
The tool will be implemented across all departments, including clothing and homeware. As well as making shopping online with Matalan even easier, it is expected to deliver a 4x increase in productivity.
The GenAI tool, developed and delivered by Kin + Carta and Matalan’s digital team in just three weeks using Google’s Vertex AI, uses product metadata and imagery to produce more detailed product descriptions for customers. Matalan’s bespoke model is configured to read product imagery and select details to inform the product description, providing customers with richer information about Matalan’s range.
Matalan’s team of copywriters will continue to oversee descriptions, ensuring a crucial human touch whilst improving search engine optimisation, conversion rates and efficiency.
Enhancing production descriptions on Matalan.co.uk is the first of many initiatives the business has planned to improve its e-commerce offer, as part of its wider omnichannel strategy to make shopping online as easy, seamless and enjoyable for customers as shopping instore.
Ali Jones, chief customer and omnichannel officer at Matalan, said: “As the UK’s first retailer to be leveraging Generative AI in this way, this is a hugely exciting moment for Matalan. Not only does it demonstrate innovation into new and so far unexplored areas, but it shows our commitment to putting our customers and the shopping experience first – whether they’re shopping on our website or through the Matalan app. This all ladders up to our ambitious business transformation, so it’s a proud moment to be announcing this industry-first, today”.
Ewan Nicolson, director of AI & Data at Kin + Carta, 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 ecommerce site every day. This is the type of situation where generative AI is at its best, creating rich, bespoke content in a matter of moments that has a real impact on sales”.
