Victoria's Secret partners with Google Cloud to boost retail with AI

Victoria's Secret & Co., the intimates retailer, is aiming to enhance its customers' online shopping experience and accelerate its core business operations through a strategic partnership with Google Cloud.

Announced ahead of NRF 2024, the retail industry's largest event, the multi-year partnership will utilise Google's AI and generative AI technologies to create a more personalised and inclusive shopping experience for Victoria's Secret's global customers.

With the company's website now commanding over 500 million annual visits and growing, it is the priority for the brand to leverage new technologies to create personalised customer experiences at scale.

The new partnership will lead Victoria's Secret to explore a new generative AI-powered conversational assistant. This chatbot, created through Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform, is aimed to offer each shopper with personalised product recommendations and best-suited advice based on personal experiences and preferences, whether a customer is a sports enthusiast, a nursing mother, a breast cancer survivor, or simply ready for a new bra.

Google Cloud's AI and generative AI technologies' integration will not only improve the online shopping experience, but it is also envisaged to empower Victoria's Secret's teams to drive innovation across various business functions.

Chris Rupp, Chief Customer Officer at Victoria's Secret & Co., states this partnership will boost the brand overall. He says, "This partnership signifies a new era for Victoria's Secret & Co. where cutting-edge technology meets our passion for enhancing customer journey and reinforcing our position as a leader in retail."

Furthering the drive for retail innovation, Victoria's Secret is exploring strategic ways to engage Google Cloud's state-of-the-art AI technologies to elevate its internal operations.

This includes leveraging these technologies in marketing, analysing customer sentiments, and even optimising the supply chain to better forecast product demand and manage inventory timely.

Similarly, implementation of Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search for retail technology will aim to enhance the brand's website and mobile app. This integrated visionary approach is purported to boost the retailers' capacity to provide Google-quality search and recommendation capabilities, enhancing the shopping experience of customers.

"We're excited about the potential use cases including international expansion planning to marketing development and supply chain optimisation," says Murali Sundararajan, Chief Information Officer at Victoria's Secret & Co. This initiative will not only streamline operations but also align the retail giant to meet its customers and associates' needs better.

This collaboration intensifies Victoria's Secret's current commitments to delivering world-class customer experiences via technology. Victoria's Secret recently introduced an AI-powered product search feature that uses Google Cloud's Vision API Product Search technology to allow users to find a specific product by simply dropping an image into the website's search bar. This continuing enhancement strategy stands testament to the company's commitment to operate and thrive through technological advancements, the company states.

On the power of technological advancements, Carrie Tharp, Vice President of Strategic Industries, Google Cloud, stated, "Victoria's Secret & Co.'s use of AI to fuel its strategic growth plan illustrates how retailers can practically use these new technologies to deliver the full potential of their brands."

"From building tailored experiences that resonate with shoppers, to transforming how new products are developed and delivered, Victoria's Secret & Co. is at the forefront of retail innovation."