PUMA joins the AI trend to improve user experience in its e-commerce. The sporting goods company has announced its decision to adopt data, analytics and AI solutions from Google Cloud to provide a a greater level of efficiency, agility and personalization of the online shopping experience for your customers around the world. In doing so, it opens the door for various innovations aimed at consumers, such as: Generative AI shopping assistants, the ability to try on clothes virtually, or AI-powered loyalty programs.
As part of this collaboration PUMA will migrate certain items to Google Cloud Your e-commerce ecosystem, such as the website PUMA.com., where a global e-commerce data platform is being created. The results achieved so far have already led to noticeable improvements in the customer experience. For example, the use of Google Analytics and BigQuery PUMA’s ability to better understand its customers and adapt its content meant a 19% increase in average order value. Likewise, PUMA accesses its real-time inventory up to four times faster using Apigee and BigQuery, helping customers find exactly the products they are interested in at the nearest store.
As it explains Pancho Ortuzar, Global Director E-Commerce Engineering at PUMA, “Google Cloud’s AI and data capabilities have not only helped us better understand our customers, but have also enabled us to translate that information into seamless operations and more personalized online and offline shopping experiences. “Migrating our e-commerce infrastructure to Google Cloud will provide a major boost to our efforts to make our direct-to-consumer channels a significant growth driver.”
Selling directly to consumers through the prism of AI
As a result of this multi-year agreement, PUMA will integrate Google Cloud’s AI capabilities into all phases of its direct-to-consumer channels to deliver more positive and personalized customer experiences. This is how you will use for example Vertex AI Search for Retail as Search engine and product recommendations, with Google quality, at PUMA.com digital points of sale. This allows customers to better navigate between the brand’s products and receive personalized purchase recommendations based on their interests and current trends.
Other tools the company will explore include generative artificial intelligence and Google Cloud visual search to create tailored suggestions in the future. For example, through a generative AI shopping assistant or with options like “Shop the look”so the possibility of Try on sportswear virtually with AI-generated content.
Google Cloud’s AI capabilities will also feature prominently in PUMA.com’s global loyalty program update. AI is used to accelerate rewards transactions and tailor offers and promotions to the preferences of individuals and their families.
“Family has always been a very important part of the PUMA experience. This AI-powered approach to loyalty will help us better understand customers and reward them based on their family’s needs, not just their individual needs.“, Comments Ortuzar. “Google Cloud will help us optimize our technology stack and eliminate data silos. “This will enable PUMA employees to explore innovative uses of AI and other technologies to build stronger relationships with our customers.”
A foundation for innovation and efficiency
Also in the context of migration will consolidate its global e-commerce data and workloads into Google Cloud. You create a single data engine that gives you a comprehensive view of how the public interacts with the brand and its digital content. All of this allows you to personalize your products and offers faster and more precisely. One argument for this step is the cost savings, which will be significant compared to the previous PUMA e-commerce cloud. But more importantly, it gives the company the ability to share data more efficiently with other cloud platforms it uses internally, with third-party e-commerce solutions, and even with its global network of suppliers and partners.
Pancho Ortuzar sums it up like this: “By building a centralized customer data platform on Google Cloud, we achieve world-class analytics, data governance and security technologies that allow us to radically improve the way we work with our partners to benefit our customers. By using common data standards and API management via Apigee, our point of sale operators can benefit from our digital services and insights. They are in the digitalization phase without having to change their current computer systems. “This will in turn enable us to create even more localized experiences with a best-in-class data security profile and operational intelligence, with minimal disruption to our partners or their customers.”.
