Very to add AI-powered search functions to e-commerce

Online retailer Very has announced a new partnership with US-based tech firm Constructor, which will see the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions into its customer experience.

Through the deal, Very will integrate new search, browse and autosuggest tools across its website and app, in order to optimise the product discovery experience and provide personalised results.

The company will also be implementing further Constructor products in the coming months, including a personalised ‘quiz’ functionality, allowing customers to answer questions related to their preferences in order to discover relevant products.

The new partnership comes as part of Very’s ongoing multi-year tech investment roadmap, through which it is looking to deliver on more frequent customer experience improvements.

This specifically revolves around the transformation of its e-commerce platform, where many of its tech-based partnerships will become evident over the course of the strategy’s roll out.

Among the new additions to the platform is that of a personalised fit guidance via True Fit and a virtual makeup try-on powered by Modiface and Benefit.

In a release, Paul Hornby, digital customer experience director at the retailer’s operator The Very Group, said that enabling customers to find the right products quickly was an integral part of the experience.

Hornby continued: “Ultimately, we want every customer to have an increasingly personalised experience of shopping with Very.

“The opportunities that AI and machine learning open up in this space are endless, and tapping into that via product discovery is a major step forward in our tech transformation journey.”