How are retail brands thinking about AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not a new technology, but adoption has been supercharged since consumer tools such as ChatGPT exploded onto the market. According to a McKinsey report, retail has increased its adoption of AI tools by 25% year-on-year since 2020. Most of the ideas out there discuss how AI can be applied to retail’s back-office operations such as inventory or logistics.
At VAST, our specialism is helping clients deliver unique retail events, activations and brand launches using technology and so we wanted to look ahead to consider how AI might enhance retail campaigns in the years to come.
1. Virtual try-on sessions
Sephora is one brand that is already using a mix of AI and virtual reality to create a virtual try-on session. Their in-store "Color IQ" technology scans a customer’s face to provide personalised recommendations for foundation and concealer shades, reducing the trial and error usually required for a true colour match. Generative AI may also be used to take a visitor photo and enhance or change this, for example transporting them with the latest sunglasses to a sunny beach or other destination or choice. This type of experience works best on a large-scale screen such as an LED wall, which can easily be constructed within a retail store environment.
2. Generative AI art
Digital art is a powerful way of attracting attention and creating atmosphere. We’ve seen this firsthand while working on projects such as the immersive launch event for Dior, where art by artist Refik Anadol was used to create an undulating room made purely from LED.
Generative AI can be used to control and change an art display based on live data or the actions of a visitor, for example using gesture or motion. This creates an ever-changing experience where the art reacts to what’s going on during the event.
This type of experience works particularly well on large LED displays, as seen below during ISE 2025 by LED manufacturer Absen.
3. Find and locate
ASOS has recently rolled out its visual search feature for all UK iOS app users. This harnesses AI recognition technology to allow a user to upload an image and instantly see all, and any, product matches from within the app.
In the future we may see brands employing this type of AI layering to create more customised shopping experiences, harnessing iPads or shared screens in-store. As AI becomes more developed in creative use cases we may also see the addition of voice-activated experiences. For example allowing a shopper to ask a screen "what is the best perfume in this range for someone who likes floral scents?", with AI bringing up personalised recommendations from that brand’s new product line. The level of voice-matching AI technology required for this type of experience isn’t quite there yet but we are certainly on the way!
To discuss developing your own unique experience for a retail brand or campaign, get in touch today with our team of technology experts.