A considerable number of fashion brands make up the top 100 trailblazers listed in the 2024 Retail AI Index. Measuring the public demonstration of AI-powered innovation across leaders in apparel, footwear, beauty, and home segments, the Index serves as a comprehensive analysis of the innovators across the retail industry.
Here, we take a peek at the top 10 fashion brands listed in the Index. We’ll look at the innovative ways they’re using AI to serve their customers, boost personalization, enhance internal processes, and more.
The Top 10 Trailblazing Fashion Brands Using Retail AI
1: Nike
They specialize in both customer experience and customer excitement. Few do things better than Nike, who uses a wide variety of AI-powered technologies to fuel the customer-facing sides of their brand and business.
For example, their Nike Fit app employs computer vision, machine learning, and augmented reality to provide precise shoe fitting recommendations. They have personalized product recommendations and virtual assistants ready to help consumers find exactly what they’re looking for. The Nike Maker Experience allows customers to design their own shoes.
Listing Nike’s use cases of AI would make this blog go on, and on, and on. So take our word for it. They are the #1 retail AI trailblazing fashion brand today.
2: Adidas
Beyond virtual try-on, to analyzing trends from consumer-produced designs, to AI-powered advertising initiatives, Adidas wraps AI into much of what they do, truly pushing both products and processes forward.
One fun example of this is how they developed an AI-equipped ball for the most recent World Cup. It featured motion sensors to assist referees with precise decision-making. This initiative really showcased Adidas’ commitment to integrating AI into their products as well as their branding.
3: Gap
Though not directly customer-facing, one of Gap’s best AI applications certainly enhances their customers’ experiences! Their AI Service Desk called “Stitch” supports employees to better help customers through the use of powerful generative AI. Think of it like a help desk that answers questions and solves problems to make in-store experiences better.
4: SHEIN
Masters of the micro-trend, SHEIN uses a variety of AI-powered solutions to understand consumer demand and bleeding-edge fashion trends. To quickly bring on-trend styles to market, the brand utilizes an AI engine that detects shifts in demand and consumer interest, enabling SHEIN’s supply chain to respond in real time. And according to the brand themselves, this leads to their unsold inventory level being under 10%, when the industry average tends to be between 25-40%.
5: Levi Strauss
64% of consumers report high levels of concern about sustainability and Levi Strauss uses AI to address this. The fashion brand uses an AI-powered enterprise planning system for better supply chain management. This system assigns orders quickly, reducing lead times and improving operational efficiency. They have also achieved notable reductions in material liabilities, which has contributed to more sustainable manufacturing practices, reducing the environmental impact of denim production.
6: H&M
Not only does H&M use big data to analyze trends and predict what garments and accessories to produce. They also use it to determine how to stock individual stores. H&M uses AI to analyze returns, receipts, and loyalty card data to tailor merchandise for individual locations, stocking stores with items desired by local clientele.
7: Abercrombie & Fitch
Access to first-party data allows A&F to deeply understand its customers and personalize their unique shopping journeys. The brand uses AI to deliver personalized recommendations and demand forecasting for individual stores. They’ve also used their data to deploy an AI stylist feature on their app.
8: J.Crew & Madewell
We’re thrilled to share that J.Crew is a Lily AI customer, and our product is one of many ways they’re delighting customers through the use of AI technology. J.Crew uses Lily AI to enhance search and improve product discovery capabilities, making it easier for people to find what they’re looking for.
Beyond Lily AI though, they use various applications of AI to bolster their entire value chain, from demand forecasting, to inventory management, to optimizing their customer retention strategies.
9: Hollister
As Hollister is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co., it makes sense that they are also forward-thinking, when it comes to applying AI to their business practices. One example of this is how their on-site search accounts for fresh and timely trends, such as “coastal cowgirl” and “Americana.”
10: Fabletics
Fabletics is really strong at focusing on personalization both online and in-store. For example, they have iPads in their fitting rooms, which measure and analyze consumer satisfaction with products. They also use conversational chatbots that help store associates uncover insights into sizing and style advice.
Learn about 90 Other Retail AI Trailblazers
The worlds of AI-powered innovation and retail will continue to intersect. The top 10 fashion brands featured here are a small segment of the top 100 companies at the forefront of this movement.
Download the full 2024 Retail AI Index to explore who else is on the list. Each brand or retailer truly places an emphasis on AI that goes beyond automation and efficiency, to measurably, meaningfully, and directly improve shopping in ways that everyone can personally experience.
