The last few years have proven to be extremely challenging for retailers across the world, with supply chain disruptions and lockdowns massively impacting the sector.
In a bid to improve the ability for retailers to understand their stock levels more clearly, Google Cloud have introduced an AI shelf checking solution based on their Vertex AI Vision. Using Google’s comprehensive database, countless products can be recognised in-store on shelves.
Being able to accurately identify what products are on the shelves is a difficult task, as many products can look very similar, such as bottles and toothbrushes. Through the deployment of two machine learning models, this problem has been virtually eliminated.
Carrie Tharp, VP of Retail and Consumer at Google Cloud, stated that a new-generation of advanced tools are needed by retailers if they are to be fully prepared for future disruptions.
“Despite uncertainty, the retail industry has enormous opportunity. The leaders of tomorrow will be those who address today’s most pressing in-store and online challenges with the newest technology tools, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning,” she added.
Transforming shopping experiences with AI
Google Cloud also introduced a number of other AI tools to assist retailers in their digital transformation journey. New AI capabilities in personalisation are possible due to the upgraded Discovery AI solution, so that retailers can enhance their digital stores and create a more fluid experience.
The tech giant’s Recommendations AI service brings advanced machine learning tools to retailers so that recommendations are made to be as personalised and tailored to the shopper as possible. Research from Google Cloud discovered that three-quarters of shoppers prefer brands that offer personalised interactions, and 86% want brands to understand their interests, making AI-driven recommendations a prefect fit for firms looking to better meet customer needs.
