Dive Brief:
- Ralph Lauren launched Ask Ralph, an generative AI-powered conversational shopping assistant for Ralph Lauren app users on Apple and Android devices, the company announced Tuesday.
- Ask Ralph can respond to conversational prompts with styling tips and product inspiration. Customers can then refine its recommendations with additional questions.
- The tool currently suggests in-stock products from Polo Ralph Lauren, with plans to add more Ralph Lauren brands in the future. The company also plans to introduce new features and improve personalization capabilities over time.
Dive Insight:
Ask Ralph aims to bring the experience of speaking with an in-store stylist online.
The tool, which was created in partnership with Microsoft and built on Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI platform, uses conversational AI technology and natural language processing to handle open-ended prompts. Example prompts include “What should I wear to a concert?” and “How can I style my navy-blue men’s blazer?”
“Twenty-five years ago, we partnered with Microsoft to launch one of the fashion industry’s first e-commerce platforms, and today, we are once again redefining the shopping experience for the next generation,” David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer at Ralph Lauren, said in a prepared statement.
Ralph Lauren isn’t the only fashion retailer that wants to replicate the stylist experience with generative AI.
Last month, Stitch Fix launched the AI Style Assistant, a tool that leverages customer information to offer conversational outfit inspiration. In July, ASOS added a digital stylist as one of the perks of its new loyalty program.
Retailers outside of the fashion space are replicating human advice in their apps as well. Lowe’s and Home Depot each launched solutions designed to assist online shoppers. Lowe’s Mylow and Home Depot’s Magic Apron can each offer step-by-step guides in response to customer queries about products or projects.
Other retailers have similar tools in the works. Williams-Sonoma announced plans to launch an AI-powered “culinary companion” that can offer advice and assist with product discovery during its Q2 2025 earnings call last month.
Interest in AI is high. U.S. retailers spent about $400,000 on average on the technology for customer experience tools in 2024, according to a study by content management system provider Storyblok. However, the overall impact on CX has yet to be seen, as less than one-third of executives say the tech only slightly improved the shopper’s digital experience.
