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When you consider which industries are most likely to be influenced by artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, software developers, and content creators may come to mind. But according to a new report, generative AI is also ushering in a new era for retail.

The Salesforce report highlights that 17% of shoppers have used AI for purchasing inspiration, highlighting how the technology is rapidly growing in retail. 

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Some examples of using generative AI for retail include getting personalized recommendations based on past purchases and browsing behaviors, virtual try-on tools, interactive shopping assistants, and visualizing home decor. 

The survey, which comprised 2,400 shoppers and 1,125 retail leaders in 18 countries, also found that even if shoppers aren't actively using generative AI, 45% are interested in using it as a shopping resource. 

The biggest interest in using generative AI in retail was researching electronics and appliances, followed by creating meal plans and getting outfit inspirations, with beauty recommendations coming in last.

Also: 5 emerging use cases of generative AI in commerce, according to Mastercard

Retailers are leveraging the rising interest in generative AI, with 92% of the surveyed retailers saying they are investing in AI more than ever and 59% saying they are already using it to help store associates make product recommendations to shoppers. 

This doesn't come as much of a surprise as different companies have publicly announced the adoption of generative AI, like Newegg, Shopify, Amazon, Mercari, Zoom, Zillow, and Redfin. 

According to the survey, retailers are also interested in using generative AI to create a conversational digital shopping assistant to help shoppers find the right product or service, creating virtual models for product detail pages, and creating personalized product bundles. 

Also: Amazon now using generative AI to summarize customer reviews

The Connected Shoppers Report also explored how these and other digital tools are changing the shopping experience and how the role of brick-and-mortar stores is changing. Aside from how shoppers are using generative AI, the report covered changes to digital transactions, social media purchases, mobile phone usage in stores, and buying online for in-store pickup.

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