Puma, Walmart, and Amazon among retailers turning to genAI for product listings

The trend: Retailers are relying more heavily on generative AI (genAI) for product listings, as they seek to offer shoppers a more personalized experience, unlock cost savings and efficiencies, and minimize hassle for third-party sellers.

The examples:

• Puma is using Google Cloud’s genAI capabilities to tailor some online product imagery to shoppers’ locations. For instance, customers in Japan may be shown pictures of trail running shoes with Mount Fuji in the backdrop.
• Resale platform Depop rolled out a genAI-powered feature for sellers that generates listing descriptions and populates item attributes—including color, category and sub-category, and brand—from a single product photo.
• Walmart used genAI to create or improve over 850 million pieces of data in its product catalog, which the retailer relies on for everything from helping customers discover products and make purchases, to storing inventory across its distribution network, to delivering orders—a process which, without genAI, would have required almost 100 times the headcount to complete in the same amount of time.
• Amazon is relying on genAI to personalize product descriptions based on customers’ preferences and behaviors—for example, by highlighting frequent search terms, like “gluten free,” in relevant items.

Our take: Using genAI for product listings is a relatively easy lift that can deliver considerable benefits.

• For marketplaces like Depop—and Walmart and Amazon—AI tools make it easier for sellers to set up shop, resulting in a wider array of inventory that attracts a wider array of customers.
• For Puma and Amazon, personalizing product listings—even in a small way—can improve the customer experience and boost sales.

Go further: Check out our report series on Unlocking the Power of GenAI.