20 Jan 2025
Google's "search by image” feature was introduced in 2011. This is a feature where users can upload an image and search for similar images. Thanks to AI this is now evolving: with Apple Intelligence users can take a picture of someone wearing a pair of shoes and Google’s image search will give you search results on where to buy them (Apparently it will be available to us in France in April).
This new use case in the luxury industry could have a big impact:
✿ Smooth Discovery: customers can instantly find and buy luxury items they like. We know that 82% of customers want AI to assist in reducing the time they spend researching what to buy. (McKinsey's State of Fashion 2025 report)
✿ Exclusivity & Brand Control: luxury brands may need to rethink control over visibility and pricing as AI changes how shoppers discover products.
✿ Personalized Client Experiences: visual search could make shopping smoother. Imagine snapping a photo in-store and instantly getting product details, styling tips and traceability info.
✿ Counterfeits: imagine if the search results bring up fake products. Nightmare for the luxury players! Brands will need to police which retailers whill show up in the search results.
As AI makes it easier to go from spotting a pair of shoes on someone on the street to buying it, brands have an opportunity to rethink how they stay desirable online (and not just in-store).
Curious to see how this unfolds! 🔎