When AI Meets Retail: The Omni Channel Odyssey

(This is the final entry in a three-part series. Click here for Part 1, and here for Part 2.)

In the not so distant future of shopping, AI is not just lurking behind the scenes. It is striding down the aisles as your personal stylist, inventory assistant, and marketing muse all at once. From app to brick and mortar, artificial intelligence is weaving together data and creativity to make every shopping experience feel individually curated. Think of it as fashion’s new secret sauce: delightfully clever and a tad whimsical tech that keeps customers coming back for more. If the first two parts of our AI and fashion series covered couture creativity, this installment dons the retailer’s apron, exploring how AI is rewriting the rules of customer engagement, unified commerce strategy, and the very fabric of the shopping journey itself.

And as my Grandma would say, “Se vuoi fare bella figura, comincia dal vestito.” And today, the dress code is intelligent.

AI: The Retailer’s New Personal Shopper

Retailers are training their algorithms to know you better than your own wardrobe. Marketing emails now target you by style and generation. Victoria’s Secret, for example, split its campaigns so Gen Z sees logo bralettes while boomers get luxury shapewear, doubling click through rates. Nordstrom’s app taps generative AI to create personalized trend reports by blending the expertise of its stylists with algorithmic flair. And Google’s new Shopping AI Mode is basically a digital personal assistant. It combines Google’s Gemini AI with a massive product database, so shoppers can virtually try on items from their photos and even tap a “buy for me” button to have Google Pay complete the checkout.

• Tailored content everywhere: Brands like Victoria’s Secret and Nordstrom use AI to craft emails and app features suited to each shopper’s taste. Promotions adapt to your past purchases and demographic, making each message feel hand picked.

• Chatty virtual stylists: In-store kiosks and mobile apps now host AI style assistants. For instance, Skechers introduced Luna, a conversational bot that asks about your current outfit and preferences, then suggests shoes or clothes to complete the look. 

È come avere un’amica stilosa che ti consiglia in tempo reale, solo che non dorme mai.

• Set it and forget it shopping: Google’s AI Mode automates the checkout process. Shoppers can track price and get alerts, or simply press buy for me and let the AI do the rest. Shopping senza stress? Grazie mille, tecnologia.

Computer Vision and Robotics: The Store’s Watchful Eyes and Helping Hands

Inside the store, AI has eyes on the prize and wheels if needed. Camera-driven robots and smart devices now do everything from restocking to real-time fitting advice. For example, Goni Labs’ AI mirror scans customers and creates a lifelike animated avatar. Tap a button and that virtual version of you can try on garments and even place an order, turning fitting rooms into scenes from science fiction.

• Robotic stock scouts: Shelf-scanning bots are on patrol. UK grocer Morrisons tested Simbe’s Tally robot, which rolls down aisles scanning barcodes to spot out-of-stock items or pricing errors in real time. Non si lamentano, non fanno pausa caffè, ma lavorano come dei pazzi.

• AI fitting room assistants: The virtual dressing room is evolving with dynamic avatars. Debenhams is trialing a platform that projects personalized three dimensional avatars for virtual try-ons in both beauty and fashion.

• Size and fit scanners: Apps like Sizeo ask a few simple questions and instantly suggest your clothing size, while OpenSize uses photos of your feet to recommend the best shoe fit. Finalmente possiamo dire addio al “mi va un po’ stretto ma lo tengo lo stesso”.

AI and robotics on the sales floor are like tireless collaborators. They detect gaps in inventory, provide styling input, and handle repetitive tasks, while human staff focus on delivering a premium customer experience.

Generative Marketing and Merch: AI Takes Creative Control

Can AI design your next ad campaign? Some fashion brands think so. Mango launched a limited edition campaign for its teen collection Sunset Dream using only generative AI. The process began with photographing real garments on models, then training a model to visualize the clothes on digital avatars. The results looked like professional editorial shoots, only imagined by a machine.

• AI designed ads: Beauty and fashion brands are testing generative image models. Mango and L’Oréal are among those using AI visuals to launch new campaigns with speed and creative range.

• Dynamic content creation: AI can automatically generate product descriptions, blog posts, and social captions. Some apps even let users create their own mini lookbooks based on a few personal inputs. 

• Interactive displays: Retailers now use augmented reality screens that adapt based on a customer’s shape or style, showing virtual try-ons or switching visuals based on who is browsing nearby.

This is not only smart, it is bella figura reinvented.

Unified Commerce: Where AI Connects the Dots

Forget omnichannel. The new retail revolution is called unified commerce, and AI is the engine behind it. While omnichannel aligns different platforms, unified commerce runs them all through a single intelligent infrastructure. Customer data, inventory, payments, and logistics update in real time, creating a seamless system across every touchpoint.

Inditex, Zara’s parent company, leads this charge. Their platform tracks each product’s journey from design to sale. Shoppers can see in store availability, reserve online, and receive intelligent suggestions based on size and stock, all from one system.

• Real-time updates: Every scan, tap, or purchase updates the full system instantly. No delays, no misalignments.

• Predictive logistics: AI algorithms forecast demand by region, weather, and trends, and suggest dynamic inventory shifts across stores.

• Complete personalization: When CRM, e-commerce, and point of sale systems speak the same language, AI can offer smart, consistent recommendations wherever the customer shops.

Nike is also all in. Its loyalty program, app, and stores form a connected system. When a loyal shopper enters a location, the staff knows. Their preferences and past orders are visible, allowing tailored offers on the spot.

This is the dolce vita of modern retail: smooth, responsive, impeccably dressed by data.

Final Reflections

So here we are. At the final stop of this three-part journey through AI and fashion. From the design studios to the retail floor, we have seen how algorithms are no longer just behind the curtain, they are co-architects of the experience. But beyond the code and the systems, what truly matters is how we use these tools: to create, to connect, and to elevate fashion in meaningful, imaginative ways.

This trilogy was never about trends alone. It was about what happens when technology meets purpose, and when creativity is powered, not replaced, by intelligent systems. If you have read this far, grazie di cuore. Your curiosity and time mean more than you think.

We will be back next month with a new trilogy, exploring another frontier where culture, strategy, and innovation collide. Until then, keep designing, keep disrupting, and above all, keep imagining.

Ci vediamo presto. E come diciamo in Italia, chi va piano va sano e va lontano. But in fashion tech, we like to go fast with style.

Thank you for reading.

Sources

1. PwC (2025). AI in Retail: Global Survey and Forecasts. PwC Industry Reports

2. Retail Dive (2025). Nordstrom leverages generative AI for trend personalization. March 2025 Edition

3. Vogue Business (2024). Swarovski: Digital IQ and the AI powered future of luxury retail. October 2024

4. Marketing Dive (2025). Victoria’s Secret AI segmentation campaign doubles engagement. February 2025

5. Goni Labs (2025). Next gen Mirrors: AI Avatars in Real Time Retail. Company Press Release

6. Business Wire (2024). Google launches AI Mode for Shopping Experience. December 2024

7. Simbe Robotics (2023). Tally robot enters UK retail market with Morrisons. Robotics Weekly

8. Debenhams Labs (2025). Avatar Try On Suite: The Future of Fitting Rooms. January 2025 Demo Summary

9. OpenSize (2024). AI Sizing: Precise Footwear Fit from Mobile Imaging. OpenSize Case Study

10. Mango (2024). Inside Sunset Dream: AI Meets Teen Fashion. Campaign Behind the Scenes

11. L’Oréal x Google (2025). Generative AI Visuals in Beauty Campaigns. Internal Collaboration Note

12. Inditex Tech (2023). Zara’s Unified Commerce Flow: Where Data Drives Style. Corporate White Paper

13. Nike (2024). Nike App and Retail Integration: Personalization at Scale. Press Room

14. NRF (2025). Retail Innovation Roundtable: AI Across the Aisle. Panel Discussion Transcript

15. Shopify Plus (2025). AI Tools for Unified Commerce. Industry Blog

16. Fashion Retail Forum (2024). Beyond Virtual Try Ons: The Next Wave of AI in Retail. Expert Talk

17. Skechers Digital (2025). Meet Luna: AI Stylist Bot Now in Stores. Product Launch Release