By Enrico Fantaguzzi – Co-founder Digital Fashion Academy

Reading time:

3–5 minutes

Key topics: AI image creation, fashion videos, oragnization and management

Today, AI solutions are transforming this heavy cost center into an agile, highly creative powerhouse, completely bypassing traditional logistical hurdles.

Elevating customer experience at accessible cost

Virtual Try-On: Elevating Customer Experience and Sustainability

One of the most impactful consumer-facing applications of AI in fashion is the “virtual try-on”. Startups like the Milan-based Dual Me have developed innovative tools that can be easily integrated into fashion e-commerce platforms, allowing users to upload a personal photo and see exactly how a garment will fit on them before making a purchase.

By enabling consumers to see how colors and fits suit them personally, brands are significantly improving their e-commerce conversion rates. Furthermore, this technology aims at lowering return rates, which not only mitigates heavy financial burdens for brands but also severely reduces the negative environmental impacts associated with reverse shipping.

Unprecedented speed and operational efficiency in image creation.

Photo Studio Quality in Seconds with AI

For fashion professionals, AI offers unprecedented speed and operational efficiency. Through smart, user-friendly dashboards, brand managers can create high-end campaign imagery with just a few clicks.

The workflow is remarkably simple:

1. Users upload standard “still-life” images of garments or accessories, frequently utilizing existing shots from their B2B virtual showrooms.
2. They then select a model from a preset roster of diverse virtual models, or upload photographs of their own contracted human models.
3. Finally, by typing a brief text prompt, they instruct the AI on the desired camera angle, background location, and creative direction.

The AI instantly merges these elements, delivering cohesive, professional images that rival traditional, high-end photoshoots. Beyond static images, these AI platforms can also generate short, highly consistent video clips starting from just five seconds in length, which are perfect for social media reels and e-commerce product pages. Because producing real video content is traditionally even more expensive than photography, AI video generation offers massive cost savings for the industry.

How much does AI photography cost?

Hybrid Models and Creative Flexibility

While many brands opt for a self-service software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which can start at highly accessible prices like €19.99 per month, others prefer a hybrid or delegated approach.

Traditional product photography studios like Squareshot, which operates a fully equipped studio in Brooklyn, now offer AI-powered visual production alongside their physical model shoots and flat-lay photography services.

Squareshot allows brands to experiment with AI visuals based on their product shots or references, offering AI campaigns starting at $95 per image or $975 for a 5-image set.

Alternatively, AI providers can take a brand’s creative brief, still-life product photos, and brand guidelines to fully manage the generation of an entire customized package of images and videos, saving the brand immense time.

Crucially, these AI workflows offer immense versatility. Professionals can seamlessly adapt the same generated image to multiple formats and styles, ranging from a clean standard e-commerce look to a highly creative editorial style, tailoring the dimensions perfectly for a website homepage, a LinkedIn update, or an Instagram post, all within a single dashboard without external software.

Maintaining model consistency across these diverse assets is also becoming easier, with advanced methods like “Face Reference” ensuring the exact same model identity is kept across all visuals and poses.

Is AI photography law compliant?

What are the risks

Navigating AI Compliance As brands integrate these powerful tools, they must also navigate the evolving legal landscape, particularly in Europe. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act is the world’s first comprehensive regulation on AI by a major regulator, and it is already setting a global standard. The Act categorizes AI applications into three risk levels:

1. unacceptable risk (which is banned),
2. high-risk (subject to strict legal requirements), and
3. low risk for largely unregulated applications.

For fashion businesses adopting AI, understanding these legal obligations is critical. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups can utilize tools like the online AI Act Compliance Checker to quickly discover how the regulation affects them. Furthermore, developers providing the General-Purpose AI (GPAI) models that power these fashion image generators must adhere to specific guidelines and a Code of Practice to ensure compliance and transparency under Chapter V of the Act.

Ultimately, the integration of AI in fashion photography is not a passing trend. It is a fundamental evolution that optimizes daily operational workflows, slashes production costs, and creates a more engaging, sustainable, and personalized retail experience for the modern consumer.

Photoshooting AI solutions

FAQs

Shopify has significantly expanded its AI capabilities over the past two years, introducing tools that support merchants across the entire value chain: from product creation to merchandising, marketing automation, and store optimisation.

For fashion brands operating in a competitive digital environment, understanding how to leverage these AI-powered tools can create a measurable advantage in efficiency and performance.

Below are 10 Shopify AI features worth knowing in 2026.

1. Shopify Magic – AI Product Description Generation

Creating compelling product descriptions at scale is one of the most time-consuming tasks for eCommerce teams.

Shopify Magic allows merchants to automatically generate product descriptions based on a few keywords. The AI can adapt tone of voice, highlight key product benefits, and produce SEO-friendly content that improves organic visibility.

For fashion brands managing large seasonal collections, this feature significantly reduces time-to-market.

Key benefit: faster product launches with consistent brand voice.

2. AI-Driven Product Attribute Suggestions

Structured product data is essential for navigation, filtering, and search optimisation.

Shopify AI can automatically suggest relevant product attributes such as materials, colours, occasions, fits, or style categories. This improves product discoverability and helps customers find products more easily.

For fashion eCommerce, enriched product data also improves internal search performance and supports better recommendation algorithms.

Key benefit: improved product discoverability and conversion rates.

3. AI Image Editing and Visual Enhancement

Product imagery plays a critical role in fashion eCommerce conversion rates.

Shopify AI tools can automatically remove backgrounds, adjust lighting conditions, and generate visual variations of product images. This helps brands maintain visual consistency while reducing the cost and time required for post-production.

AI image enhancement is particularly useful when working with large product catalogues or frequent collection drops.

Key benefit: improved visual quality with reduced production effort.

4. Personalised AI Block Creation for Store Content

AI can assist in creating personalised content blocks that adapt to different customer segments.

Merchants can generate dynamic promotional banners, featured collections, or storytelling modules tailored to customer preferences or behaviours.

For fashion brands, this means the ability to create more relevant shopping experiences without manually designing multiple versions of the same content.

Key benefit: more relevant content experiences that increase engagement.

5. Sidekick – Shopify’s AI Commerce & Marketing Assistant

Sidekick is Shopify’s AI assistant designed to support merchants in analysing store performance and identifying optimisation opportunities.

Users can ask questions in natural language, such as:

• Which products are trending?
• Why did conversion rates change last month?
• What actions could increase revenue?

Sidekick provides data-driven insights that help merchants make more informed strategic decisions.

Key benefit: easier access to actionable insights.

Creation of marketing segments with AI

When you need to create a segment for a direct marketing campaign, for example if you need to target “registered users speaking a specific language” you can ask Sidekick to create a segment that you can then use for your direct email marketing campaign

6. AI-Supported Store Configuration with Sidekick

Sidekick also supports operational tasks such as configuring store settings, shipping rules, and promotional conditions.

Instead of manually navigating multiple configuration panels, merchants can request guidance or automate setup tasks through AI suggestions.

This reduces complexity and accelerates store optimisation processes.

Key benefit: faster and more efficient store management.

7. AI Email Marketing Suggestions

Shopify Email integrates AI to suggest subject lines, messaging structure, and campaign ideas.

The AI analyses customer behaviour patterns to recommend content that is more likely to resonate with target audiences.

For fashion brands, this can improve engagement metrics such as open rates and click-through rates.

Key benefit: improved email marketing performance.

8. AI Email Flow Creation

Automated email flows are essential for lifecycle marketing strategies.

Shopify AI can assist in generating email sequences for:

• welcome series
• abandoned cart reminders
• post-purchase follow-ups
• re-engagement campaigns

AI reduces the complexity of creating marketing automation workflows while ensuring communication consistency.

Key benefit: faster implementation of lifecycle marketing strategies.

9. Smart FAQ and AI Customer Support Automation

AI-powered chat solutions can automatically respond to frequently asked customer questions, improving response times and customer satisfaction.

Typical use cases include:

• delivery information
• return policies
• product details
• order tracking

Automation allows customer support teams to focus on higher-value interactions.

Key benefit: scalable customer service operations.

10. AI-Powered Insights and Recommendations

Shopify AI can identify patterns in sales performance, customer behaviour, and merchandising effectiveness.

The system can suggest optimisation opportunities such as:

• pricing adjustments
• product bundling ideas
• merchandising improvements
• promotional timing recommendations

These insights support more data-driven decision-making.

Key benefit: smarter commercial strategies.

Final Thoughts

AI is not replacing eCommerce professionals — it is enhancing their capabilities.

The competitive advantage comes from understanding how to integrate AI tools into digital workflows and business strategy.

For fashion brands, AI adoption can improve operational efficiency, increase personalisation, and support scalable growth.

At Digital Fashion Academy, we help professionals and companies develop the skills needed to leverage AI effectively across eCommerce, digital marketing, and customer experience.

Understanding how to use these tools strategically is becoming an essential competence for digital fashion professionals.

Learn Shopify for Fashion

Discover our Shopify online course

Starting September 2026, the Shopify for Fashion Online Course will take you through the creation of a professional ecommerce for fashion with Shopify. Enrol now or contact us to request information

The definitive regulatory guide for fashion, luxury, retail and eCommerce professionals

Which European regulations are the most relevant in the fashion sector?

he EU fashion sector is highly regulated. The most relevant regulations include:

1. REACH Regulation – governs chemicals and materials used in textiles, leather, footwear and accessories. Brands are responsible for compliance even if production happens outside the EU.
2. Textile Labelling Regulation (EU 1007/2011) – defines mandatory fibre composition rules, applicable both offline and online.
3. General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) – strengthens product safety requirements, recalls and risk assessments.
4. Ecodesign & ESPR – introduces sustainability-by-design principles and the Digital Product Passport.
5. Green Claims Directive (upcoming) – restricts vague or misleading sustainability claims.
6. Supply Chain Due Diligence (CSDDD) – extends environmental and social responsibility across the supply chain.
7. GDPR – regulates personal data, CRM, marketing and eCommerce activities.
8. VAT & cross-border eCommerce rules – essential for selling across the EU.

The key areas for fashion today are materials, transparency, sustainability, product safety, supply-chain responsibility and data protection.

Why EU regulations are reshaping the fashion industry

Over the last decade, the European Union has progressively transformed fashion regulation from a fragmented compliance framework into a systemic governance model. Today, sustainability, transparency, digital responsibility, consumer protection and social accountability are legally enforced pillars of how fashion businesses must operate.

EU regulation no longer impacts only legal departments. It directly affects:

• product design and material choices
• sourcing and supplier selection
• sustainability strategy and ESG reporting
• marketing, communication and pricing
• digital platforms, data, AI and automation
• organisational processes and governance

For fashion brands and retailers, understanding this regulatory ecosystem is now a competitive advantage. This article is designed as a pillar content: a comprehensive, structured reference for professionals who need to navigate EU regulation with clarity and strategic awareness.

1. REACH Regulation – Chemicals, materials and product safety

REACH (EC No. 1907/2006) is the cornerstone of chemical regulation in the EU and one of the most critical frameworks for the fashion industry.

Scope and relevance for fashion

REACH applies to:

• textiles and yarns
• leather and tanning processes
• dyes, pigments and finishing treatments
• accessories, footwear and components

It restricts or bans the use of hazardous substances such as:

• azo dyes
• formaldehyde
• heavy metals
• PFAS and other persistent chemicals

Strategic implications

• Brands must ensure full chemical compliance across the supply chain
• Traceability and documentation are essential
• Compliance responsibility lies with the company placing the product on the EU market, regardless of production location

REACH directly connects product development, sourcing and sustainability credibility.

2. Textile Labelling Regulation – Transparency at product level

Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 governs textile fibre labelling and composition disclosure.

Key obligations

• Use of official EU fibre denominations only
• Accurate fibre composition percentages
• Mandatory information in the language of the country of sale

Digital impact

This regulation applies not only to physical labels but also to:

• product pages on eCommerce websites
• marketplaces
• digital catalogues

Incorrect or misleading fibre information is considered a consumer law violation, not a minor technical error.

3. General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)

The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, fully applicable from 2024, strengthens horizontal product safety rules across all consumer goods.

What changes for fashion companies

• Mandatory risk assessments
• Clear procedures for recalls and corrective actions
• Enhanced traceability obligations
• Stronger enforcement and penalties

This regulation is particularly relevant for:

• childrenswear
• jewellery and accessories
• footwear
• products with mechanical or chemical risks

Product safety is now closely linked to brand liability and reputation.

4. Ecodesign & ESPR – Sustainability embedded in product design

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) represents a paradigm shift: sustainability becomes a design requirement, not a marketing claim.

Core principles

• durability and longevity
• repairability
• recyclability
• reduced environmental impact

Digital Product Passport (DPP)

One of the most disruptive elements of ESPR is the Digital Product Passport, which will contain structured, machine-readable product data, including:

• material composition
• origin and supply chain information
• environmental performance indicators
• instructions for repair, reuse and recycling

Fashion impact

ESPR affects:

• product development and sourcing
• IT architecture (PIM, ERP, PLM)
• eCommerce content
• sustainability communication

This regulation connects physical products with digital infrastructure.

5. Green Claims Directive – Regulating sustainability communication

The upcoming Green Claims Directive directly targets misleading environmental communication.

What will be prohibited

• vague or generic claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable”
• claims not supported by scientific evidence
• self-created sustainability labels without certification
• selective or partial environmental messaging

Environmental claims will require:

• robust data
• recognised methodologies
• third-party verification

For fashion brands, this fundamentally changes how sustainability storytelling is built.

6. Omnibus Directive – Fair marketing and pricing practices

The so-called Omnibus Directive strengthens EU consumer protection by updating the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive.

What does the Omnibus Directive say about price transparency.

The Omnibus framework is package of EU amendments strengthening consumer protection rules. In fashion, it is especially relevant for:

• Discounts and pricing: reference prices must be the lowest price applied in the previous 30 days.
• Greenwashing: sustainability claims must be accurate, verifiable and not misleading.

The Omnibus rules strongly impact marketing, promotions, eCommerce UX and pricing strategies, and are closely linked to the upcoming Green Claims Directive.

Sustainability and greenwashing

Environmental and ethical claims must be:

• accurate
• verifiable
• presented without misleading emphasis

Pricing and discounts

Fashion retailers must:

• use the lowest price applied in the previous 30 days as reference for discounts
• avoid fake or permanent promotions

This regulation has a direct operational impact on:

• promotions
• seasonal sales
• Black Friday strategies
• outlet and flash-sale models

7. CSRD – Sustainability reporting becomes mandatory

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) introduces mandatory ESG reporting based on European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

Key elements

• environmental, social and governance disclosures
• double materiality analysis
• audited sustainability data

Cascading effect

Even companies not directly subject to CSRD are impacted through:

• supplier questionnaires
• data requests
• contractual sustainability clauses

CSRD transforms sustainability into a structured management discipline.

8. CSDDD – Due diligence across the supply chain

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) extends corporate responsibility to the entire value chain.

Obligations include

• identifying environmental and human-rights risks
• preventing and mitigating adverse impacts
• monitoring effectiveness
• documenting due diligence processes

For fashion brands, this includes labour conditions, environmental impacts and sourcing transparency.

9. Waste regulation, EPR and circular economy

EU waste legislation increasingly applies Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles.

What it means for fashion

• brands are responsible for the end-of-life of products and packaging
• textile-specific EPR schemes are being introduced
• increased operational costs and reporting requirements

Circularity is evolving from voluntary initiatives to regulated obligations.

10. GDPR & Cookie Law – Data governance in fashion

For fashion eCommerce, cookie compliance is critical because it affects tracking, advertising, CRM, retargeting and marketing automation. Dark patterns or forced consent may also violate consumer protection rules reinforced by the Omnibus Directive.

Fashion is a data-driven industry. Key regulations include:

• GDPR for personal data protection
• ePrivacy Directive / Cookie Law for tracking and consent

Key compliance challenges

• consent management
• profiling and personalisation
• CRM and marketing automation
• advertising and analytics

Non-compliance affects both legal exposure and marketing effectiveness.

11. EU AI Act – Governing artificial intelligence

The EU AI Act introduces a risk-based regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. Most fashion use cases fall under limited-risk systems, including chatbots, recommendation engines, AI-generated content and dynamic pricing.

Key obligations include transparency, human oversight and bias prevention. The AI Act intersects with GDPR and consumer protection law, making governance essential for fashion brands using AI in marketing, CRM and eCommerce.

Fashion-relevant use cases

• chatbots and virtual assistants
• recommendation engines
• AI-generated content and imagery
• dynamic pricing systems

Core principles

• transparency when interacting with AI
• human oversight
• bias and discrimination prevention

AI adoption must be governed, documented and explainable.

12. Pay Transparency Directive – The future of recruitment

This refers to the EU Pay Transparency Directive (EU 2023/970). Member States must transpose it by June 2026.

It requires candidates to receive information about salary or salary ranges before interviews and prohibits employers from asking about salary history. Whether salaries must appear directly in job ads depends on national implementation.

Key provisions

• candidates must be informed of salary or salary range before interviews
• employers cannot ask for salary history
• reporting obligations on gender pay gaps

Member States must transpose the directive by June 2026.

And in terms of sustainability, what does European regulation provide for?

EU sustainability regulation is built around the European Green Deal and includes:

• CSRD for ESG reporting
• CSDDD for supply-chain due diligence
• ESPR and Digital Product Passport
• Green Claims Directive
• REACH and chemical safety
• EPR and waste regulation

Sustainability is now regulated, measurable and enforceable, affecting design, IT systems, marketing and supply chains.

Final takeaway: regulation as a strategic capability

EU regulation defines the operating system of the modern fashion industry.

To remain competitive, fashion companies must:

• integrate compliance into design and sourcing
• align sustainability with data and governance
• redesign marketing and pricing strategies
• adapt digital platforms and IT architecture

In the European fashion ecosystem, regulation is no longer a constraint — it is a strategic capability.

📘 Core Legal & Legislative Resources

• EUR-Lex – official database of EU law (regulations, directives, consolidated texts)
  👉 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/
• EUR-Lex Directory of EU legislation (browse by subject)
  👉 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/browse/directories/legislation.html
• Official Journal of the European Union (where binding acts are published)
  👉 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html

📜 Specific Regulations & Policy Pages

• REACH Regulation (Reg. EC No. 1907/2006) – official text on EUR-Lex
  👉 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1907/oj/eng
• EU Textile Labelling Regulation (Reg. EU 1007/2011) – European Commission page
  👉 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/textiles-ecosystem/regulation-eu-10072011_en
• Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) – European Commission overview
  👉 https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en

📊 Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility

• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) – European Commission info page
  👉 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/capital-markets-union-and-financial-markets/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/corporate-sustainability-reporting_en
• EU corporate sustainability & due diligence policies (overview)
  👉 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/corporate-sustainability/

📍 Useful Institutional Portals

• Europa – the official portal of the European Union (general EU info & links)
  👉 https://europa.eu/

🧠 How to find any specific regulation text

For any specific directive or regulation by name or number (e.g., GDPR, AI Act, Omnibus-related acts), use:

👉 EUR-Lex Advanced Search — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/advanced-search-form.html

This lets you look up the consolidated text, amendments, and official languages of the legal act you need.

Digital Fashion Academy supports fashion professionals and companies in navigating digital transformation, eCommerce, sustainability and regulatory change.

Enrico Roselli – Co-founder Digital Fashion Academy. Former CEO of La Martina

Gianluigi Zarantonello – Former Innovation Manager at Valentino

Enrico Fantaguzzi – Co-founder Digital Fashion Academy. Former Manager at Gucci, Tod’s, Yoox

How is AI changing fashion retail?

To create a seamless shopping experience, AI must facilitate a frictionless journey where the customer can move between e-commerce, physical stores, and mobile platforms without being conscious of the channel they are using.

The goal is to make the technology “invisible,” operating in the background to enable users to do whatever comes to mind without technical barriers,.

How can AI help to create a seamless customer experience in Retail

Unified Customer Identity and Recognition

A major hurdle to seamless shopping is the disconnection between online and offline Customer Identities. A customer might be recognised in their local shop but treated as a complete stranger online, or vice versa. AI can bridge this gap by analysing cross-channel data. For instance, AI can leverage a customer’s online browsing history, where they may spend time without buying, to enhance their experience and opportunities when they eventually enter a physical retail store,. This requires building technical capabilities to recognise the customer at various touchpoints, creating a holistic view of their journey.

Hyper-Personalisation via Generative AI

AI is moving personalisation beyond traditional customer segmentation. Previously, retailers might identify a segment but still show the same content to everyone within it due to production limitations. Through generative AI, retailers can now unlock data to produce unique content tailored to specific individuals based on their interactions and intent. This allows for a highly personalised experience that still adheres to the brand’s overall creative vision,.

Frictionless Payments and Loyalty

AI enhances the final stage of shopping, the transaction, by integrating advanced payment systems. Machine learning algorithms contribute to a seamless experience by:

• Scoring transaction reliability to instantly approve valid purchases, thereby improving e-commerce conversion rates.
• Utilising tokenisation and blockchain to create safe connections that integrate directly with loyalty programmes, managing client information securely to further customise the experience.

Agentic AI for Natural Interaction

The emergence of “Agentic AI” changes how users interact with complex software. Rather than forcing customers or employees to navigate rigid interfaces and rules, Agentic AI allows them to use natural language to ask for exactly what they need,. This shifts the paradigm from the user adapting to the software to the software adapting to the user, making the interaction intuitive and removing the complexity of the underlying technology,.

Empowering Physical Retail

Since a significant majority of transactions (around 80%) still occur in brick-and-mortar stores, AI is crucial for enhancing the physical environment. This includes using data to improve store efficiency and potentially integrating robotics for deeper interactions, ensuring the physical space is as responsive and data-informed as the digital one.

How can generative AI produce unique content without losing brand vision?

Generative AI allows companies to produce unique content at scale by unlocking data and production capabilities that were previously limited. Historically, even when retailers identified specific customer segments or “personas,” they were forced to show the same content to everyone within that group due to the difficulty of producing numerous variations. Generative AI solves this by using customer data to create individualised content dynamically.

To ensure this unique content does not compromise the brand vision, the process relies on the following principles:

• Adherence to Core Creativity: The brand vision remains firmly in the hands of the creative director and the company. The content produced by AI serves as variants of this central vision rather than independent creations, ensuring that the foundational aesthetic and message provided to the customer remain consistent.
• Strict Guidelines: Businesses can “teach” the AI to provide outputs that adhere strictly to the exact guidelines of the brand, ensuring that automated content stays within the established identity.
• Human-Centric Finalisation: While AI is excellent for brainstorming and providing “divergent,” out-of-the-box ideas to spark inspiration, human creatives are still considered “much better than AI” at creating the final, polished output. The AI acts as a tool to expand possibilities, not a replacement for the creative mind that defines the brand.

This approach allows brands to move beyond generic segmentation to true personalisation without the fear that the technology will distort the brand image.

How can AI identify customers across online and physical stores?

AI identifies customers across online and physical stores by integrating specific “technicalities” into the customer journey that link data points, rather than relying on “magic” or passive observation.

According to the sources, AI achieves this cross-channel identification through the following methods:

Payment and Loyalty Integration
One of the most effective ways to identify customers is through advanced payment solutions. By applying AI to payments, retailers can use tokenisation and blockchain to create safe, secure connections that link transactions directly to loyalty programmes. This allows the system to instantly recognise the client via their payment method, unlocking their history and preferences to customise the experience without requiring complex manual logins.

Leveraging Digital Intent in Physical Spaces
AI bridges the gap between the two worlds by analysing a customer’s online browsing history to enhance their in-store experience. For example, in the luxury sector, e-commerce conversion rates can be as low as 1%, meaning 99% of visitors are merely browsing. AI can capture this “intent to buy” or interest shown online and make it accessible to store staff when the customer eventually visits a physical location, transforming a “stranger” into a known prospect with specific preferences.

Designing Identification Touchpoints
The sources emphasise that technology alone cannot identify people without a strategy. Retailers must engineer specific “moments in the journey” where the customer is prompted to reveal their identity. Whether through a mobile app interaction, a loyalty scan, or a tokenised payment, these intentional touchpoints provide the data AI needs to connect the online user with the physical shopper.

What are the hidden costs of implementing AI in fashion?

While the surface narrative of AI often suggests a “plug and play” solution, there are several hidden costs and challenges associated with its implementation in the fashion industry.

Unpredictable Financial Costs A significant hidden cost lies in the pricing models of corporate AI tools. While individuals may be accustomed to free versions of tools like ChatGPT, corporate environments face costs based on consumption. This variable pricing makes financial planning highly volatile; while CFOs and boards may request three-year forecasts, it can be difficult for technical leaders to predict consumption costs even one week ahead. Without proper knowledge and management, companies risk wasting money rather than investing it effectively.

Organizational and Cultural Reinvention Implementing AI is not merely a technical update but requires a complete “reinvention of the organization”. The costs involve:

• Cultural Shift: There is a need for a deep change in mindset and culture to adopt these new instruments, as they cannot simply be used from scratch without preparation.
• Education and Literacy: Companies must invest in educating their workforce. There is a risk that without “literacy” (understanding) and “fluency” (ability to use), employees will struggle to adopt the technology.
• Underutilization: A historical hidden cost of technology is that companies often pay for tools with huge potential but only utilize 20% to 25% of their capabilities because they are too complex for staff to use effectively.

Data and Process Preparation Before AI can be effective, significant resources must be spent on the “boring” background work.

• Data Quality: AI operates on the rule of “garbage in, garbage out.” High-quality output requires high-quality structured and unstructured data, necessitating substantial work to clean and organize existing databases.
• Process Mapping: Companies must invest time in mapping their actual processes to understand what they want to achieve, rather than applying AI to obsolete workflows which would result in little more than a faster version of a broken process.

What strategies help manage the consumption-based costs of corporate AI?

To manage the unpredictable consumption-based costs of corporate AI, businesses must shift from a fixed-budget mindset to a value-driven strategy rooted in education and process efficiency. Unlike consumer tools like the free version of ChatGPT, corporate AI vendors typically charge based on consumption, making financial forecasting difficult for CFOs and boards.

Based on the sources, the following strategies help manage these costs:

Invest in “Literacy” and Preparation
The most critical cost-management strategy is education. Leaders must possess “literacy” (understanding) and “fluency” (ability to use) regarding AI technologies. Without deep knowledge, it is impossible to determine whether the organisation is “wasting money or investing money”. Thorough preparation allows companies to unlock actual value, whereas jumping in unprepared leads to financial loss and reduced competitiveness.

Optimise Processes Before Automation
Implementing AI requires a “reinvention of the organization” rather than a simple software installation. A major hidden cost arises from applying AI to obsolete processes; this merely results in a faster version of a broken workflow without generating real value. To control costs, companies must perform rigorous process mapping to ensure the AI is solving a valid problem efficiently.

Focus on Efficiency and Sustainability
Strategies should aim for maximum efficiency across the value chain, from sourcing to logistics and marketing. This approach aligns cost management with sustainability: by using technology to identify and eliminate waste (whether materials or energy), companies can simultaneously reduce costs and meet environmental goals.

Avoid “FOMO” Driven Adoption
Entrepreneurs are advised to be “bold but not a fool.” Rushing to adopt AI due to the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) often leads to wasteful spending on tools that are not fully understood or utilized. Taking the time to understand the specific value proposition for the business ensures that the consumption costs incurred actually drive return on investment.

How can AI identify waste and improve sustainability in fashion?

Based on the sources, AI identifies waste and improves sustainability in the fashion industry by reframing the concept of sustainability from a regulatory “burden” to an exercise in maximum efficiency.

Here is how AI achieves this across the value chain:

Redefining Waste as Inefficiency
AI helps retailers understand that waste—whether it is energy, materials, or products—is simply something that has not been utilised effectively. Instead of viewing sustainability solely as compliance with regulations, AI allows companies to view it as the elimination of inefficiency. If a resource is “put apart because it’s not useful to anyone else,” it represents a financial loss as well as an environmental one.

Granular Visibility and Root Cause Analysis
To improve sustainability, AI acts as a diagnostic tool that illuminates the “road ahead”. It provides access to data across the entire value chain—from sourcing and logistics to sales and distribution. By analysing this data, AI can:

• Pinpoint Origins: Identify exactly where waste is coming from in the production or supply process.
• Analyse Consumption: Monitor and reduce the usage of materials and energy.
• Forecast Accuracy: Help forecast the future to prevent overproduction, ensuring that what is produced is actually needed.

Maximizing Asset Utility
Once waste or potential waste is identified, AI helps determine how to maximise the value of every item produced. If a product fails in its primary channel, AI can calculate the best alternative path, such as:

• Selling the item in a different market.
• Repurposing it for a different use.
• putting it back into circulation rather than discarding it.

Aligning Profit with Planet
The sources highlight that cost reduction and sustainability are now intrinsically linked. With the costs of doing business in fashion (sourcing, advertising, logistics) skyrocketing, AI drives the efficiency needed to lower expenses. This creates a scenario where the “perfect company in terms of efficiency” is also a sustainable one, fulfilling both business objectives and legal requirements (such as those in the European Union) simultaneously.

Key takeaways from NRF 2026

Based on the discussion regarding the NRF (National Retail Federation) and the state of digital transformation leading up to 2026, the key takeaways focus on moving beyond the “hype” of AI to practical, structural, and “invisible” implementations. The sources suggest that by 2026, the industry focus will shift from simply adopting new tools to a fundamental reinvention of the organisation and the customer journey.

Here are the central themes discussed in the context of NRF 2026 and Fashion AI:

1. From Omnichannel to “Seamless” and “Invisible” Experiences The speakers argue that the industry is moving past the concept of “omnichannel,” which can feel disjointed, toward “seamless” experiences. In this model, the customer moves between e-commerce, physical stores, and mobile apps without consciously thinking about the channel.

• Invisible Technology: A major takeaway is that technology should be “invisible,” operating in the background to enable the user’s desires rather than being the focus itself.
• Unified Identity: A critical component of this seamlessness is using AI to bridge the online-offline gap. For instance, using payment tokenisation and blockchain to recognise a customer in a physical store and instantly access their online browsing history and preferences.

2. The Rise of Agentic AI “Agentic AI” is identified as a dominant trend at NRF, though the sources caution that much of it is currently marketing noise.

• Paradigm Shift: True Agentic AI shifts the paradigm from users adapting to software rules to software adapting to users. Instead of navigating complex interfaces, users (both employees and customers) can use natural language to command the software to perform complex tasks, such as creating a landing page by fetching data from disparate databases.
• Current State: While promising, the sources note that the industry is still “far away from actually adopting the real Agentic AI potential,” as it requires robust data structures that many companies currently lack.

3. The End of “Plug and Play” A recurring theme is the demystification of AI as a simple add-on. The sources emphasise that AI is “not plug and play”.

• Organisational Reinvention: Successful implementation requires a complete reinvention of the organisation, including culture shifts and extensive employee education.
• AI Literacy vs. Fluency: There is a distinction made between “literacy” (understanding the concepts) and “fluency” (the ability to use the tools). Leaders must possess both to avoid wasting money on technologies they do not understand.
• Process Mapping: Before applying AI, companies must map and optimise their processes. Applying AI to an obsolete process merely results in a faster version of a broken workflow.

4. Hyper-Personalisation via Generative AI The sources highlight that Generative AI is finally unlocking the true potential of personalisation, which was previously limited by production capacity.

• Scaling Content: Retailers can now use GenAI to produce unique content variants for specific individuals based on their data, solving the problem of having customer segments but only one piece of content to show them.
• Brand Integrity: This can be achieved without compromising the brand vision. The creative director sets the core vision, and AI generates variants that strictly adhere to these guidelines, ensuring consistency while increasing relevance.

5. Sustainability as Efficiency In the context of 2026, sustainability is reframed not as a regulatory burden but as an exercise in maximum efficiency.

• Waste Reduction: AI provides visibility across the value chain (sourcing, logistics, sales), allowing companies to identify “waste” as simply “inefficiency”—resources that are not being used effectively.
• Profit Alignment: By using AI to forecast accurately and maximise asset utility, companies can simultaneously reduce costs and meet environmental standards, such as those in the European Union.

6. The Financial Reality of AI Finally, a practical takeaway for the roadmap to 2026 is the shift in cost structures. Unlike consumer tools, corporate AI often operates on consumption-based pricing.

• Budget Volatility: This makes financial forecasting difficult for CFOs, as costs fluctuate with usage. The sources warn that without proper knowledge (“literacy”), companies risk “wasting money” rather than investing it, making education essential for financial control.

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Learn Ecommerce & Digital Skills for Fashion from Industry Experts

Build real-world ecommerce skills for the fashion industry with professional online courses created by senior digital leaders from fashion and luxury brands.

✔ Industry-recognised certification
✔ 100% online & flexible learning
✔ Practical case studies & real projects

Digital Fashion Academy is a specialised online academy focused exclusively on fashion ecommerce, digital marketing, merchandising, UX, buying and finance.

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Our Best Ecommerce Courses for Fashion

1. Ecommerce & Digital Marketing for Fashion

Learn how to grow fashion ecommerce sales through digital marketing, performance strategy and omnichannel thinking.

You will learn

• Ecommerce strategy for fashion brands
• SEO, paid media, email marketing & CRM
• Customer journey and conversion optimization
• Analytics, dashboards and KPIs

Course highlights

• Approx. 58 hours of content
• Industry certification
• Practical projects and quizzes
• One-to-one mentoring sessions

View Course Details

Ecommerce & Digital Marketing: A to Z training on Digital Business

€ 2’150

2. Fashion Ecommerce Management

Develop the skills required to manage and scale a fashion ecommerce business end-to-end.

You will learn

• Ecommerce business models and value chain
• Merchandising, pricing and promotions
• Logistics, payments and operations
• Ecommerce KPIs and performance management

Course highlights

• Flexible self-paced learning
• Industry certification
• Strong focus on strategy and management

View Course Details

Fashion eCommerce Course & Certification

€ 1’750

Learn how to manage a successful fashion e-commerce business with a focus on sustainable growth. Develop hands-on experience with essential tools, workflows, and KPIs trusted by leading professionals and luxury brands. This comprehensive course covers the e-commerce value chain from strategic planning to day-to-day store operations, with clear learning goals, practical tools, case studies, exercises, quizzes, and workshops to apply what you learn. Update your skills, accelerate your career, and learn flexibly online while earning a globally recognised certification.

3. Ecommerce Merchandising for Fashion

Master online merchandising techniques to increase conversion, sell-through and profitability.

You will learn

• Digital merchandising strategies
• Category structure and product hierarchy
• Pricing, promotions and markdowns
• Data-driven merchandising decisions

View Course Details

eCommerce Merchandising

€ 75

Learn the principles, tools, and strategies of luxury eCommerce merchandising.
On-demand: start immediately
Class 1.5 hours
Teacher: Matteo Trombetta, Head of E-Merchandising at Loewe

4. Ecommerce Fashion Photography

Learn how to create high-performing product images that improve conversion and brand perception.

You will learn

• Ecommerce photography standards for fashion
• Styling for product and editorial shoots
• Image optimization for ecommerce platforms
• Workflow between creative and ecommerce teams

View Course Details

Ecommerce Fashion Photography

€ 75

Learn how to create high-impact ecommerce photography that elevates your fashion brand and drives conversions. Discover the best practices of leading fashion and luxury brands for ecommerce photography: photo studio set-up, talent management, types of shots, styling and workflow optimisation. Boost your online sales or accelerate your career with this ecommerce fashion photography course.

5. Fashion Buying for Ecommerce

Understand how buying strategies change in an ecommerce-driven fashion business.

You will learn

• Ecommerce buying strategies
• Budget planning and assortment building
• Demand forecasting and stock optimization
• Collaboration between buying and merchandising

View Course Details

Ecommerce Buying

€ 75

Learn the fundamentals of fashion buying for e-commerce. Gain an overview of tools and metrics used by Ecommerce buyers. Learn buying techniques, best practices and essential skills in range planning, and sales analysis. Designed by fashion professionals.

6. UX Design for Fashion Ecommerce

Design user experiences that convert and support the fashion customer journey.

You will learn

• UX principles for fashion ecommerce
• Navigation, filters and product pages
• Conversion-driven UX design
• Usability testing and optimization

View Course Details

UX design for Fashion Ecommerce

€ 75

Learn how to design high-performing fashion eCommerce experiences that convert. Discover best practices, tools and KPIs used by professionals to create luxury-inspired shopping journeys that build trust and drive sales.

7. Fashion Ecommerce Finance

Understand the financial drivers behind profitable ecommerce growth.

You will learn

• Ecommerce P&L for fashion brands
• Cost structure and margin management
• CAC, LTV and profitability metrics
• Financial planning for ecommerce expansion

View Course Details

Fashion eCommerce Finance: From P&L to Profitability

€ 450

Learn how to manage e-commerce financial performance and drive profitability in the online fashion industry. Master the fundamentals of P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and financial reporting using best practices adopted by global fashion brands. This comprehensive course equips you with the tools to strengthen your financial decision-making, optimise margins, and support sustainable e-commerce growth. Update your skills, accelerate your career, and learn flexibly online while earning a globally recognised certification.

Shopify free training at Shopify Academy

For a basic introduction to ecommerce I recommend the free training available at Shopify Academy online. There is a good free introductory course to ecommerce that cover the essentials of

• User Experience Design,
• Wireframing,
• Copywriting
• Product Photography
• Pricing
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Email Marketing
• and how to set up a Shopify Ecommerce Website.

The course is called First Day to First Sale and it’s available for free after registering.

What Our Students Say

“The most practical fashion ecommerce courses I’ve attended — everything is applicable immediately.”

“Clear structure, real fashion case studies and expert instructors.”

1. AI Literacy and Tech Fluency Understanding AI tools for design (e.g., generative AI for concepts), trend forecasting, customer service, content creation, and supply chain optimization is the top opportunity cited by executives. Brands are scaling AI deeply, requiring professionals who can adapt workflows without losing creative essence.
2. Digital Marketing and E-commerce Expertise Proficiency in platforms like Shopify, Google Analytics, Meta Ads, CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Klaviyo), and social media strategies remains critical as brands operate as digital-first entities. Omnichannel thinking, blending online and offline experiences, is essential.
3. Sustainability Knowledge Skills in ethical sourcing, circular economy practices, eco-friendly materials, supply chain transparency, and regulatory compliance (e.g., upcoming laws on unsold stock) are increasingly mandatory, driven by consumer demand and legislation.
4. Data Analysis and Analytics Advanced use of Excel, data tools for merchandising, inventory planning, consumer insights, and performance metrics. Quantitative skills help in trend forecasting and personalized marketing.
5. 3D Design and Digital Tools Mastery of software like CLO 3D, Browzwear, Adobe Suite, or PLM systems for virtual prototyping, reducing waste and accelerating production.
6. Soft Skills: Adaptability, Communication, and Teamwork Critical thinking, curiosity, cross-cultural collaboration, and agility in volatile environments (e.g., tariffs, economic shifts) are valued over purely technical proficiencies.
7. Customer Understanding and Experience Design Insights into consumer behavior, personalization, and omnichannel retail to drive engagement amid value-conscious spending.

To stand out in 2026, focus on building a portfolio showcasing these hybrid skills, e.g., projects using AI for design or data for merchandising. Upskilling via online courses (e.g., in AI tools or sustainability certifications) and a strong LinkedIn presence will be key in a competitive market.

The industry rewards multi-skilled, adaptable professionals who connect creativity with efficiency and ethics

Discover our new Executive Master in AI for Fashion

Sources and further readings

Article written with the help of grok.com

• Fashion industry challenges in 2026: How brands can overcome sustainability, supply chain, and innovation hurdles – Heuritech
• The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change

In fashion and luxury companies, the role of the merchandiser is often misunderstood or confused with creative direction. Fashion merchandising sits at the very heart of a brand’s commercial success, focusing on the commercial and business potential of the collection. The fashion merchandiser acts as the bridge between creativity, market demand, and financial performance.

To better understand what fashion merchandising really means today, we spoke with Mirko Buccianti, an experienced fashion merchandiser, about responsibilities, KPIs, tools, common mistakes, and advice for the next generation of fashion professionals.

Mirko Buccianti is an experienced Merchandising Manager and Consultant, he worked for global luxury brands such as Gucci, Brunello Cucinelli, Thom Browne and Furla.

Working at the intersection of creativity, data and strategy to shape strong, relevant and commercially successful collections.

“I translate brand vision, market insights and performance data into clear product strategies, effective range plans and coherent assortments.”

“My work bridges creative and commercial teams, helping brands turn intuition into structure and product decisions into long-term value”.

What is Fashion Merchandising?

Fashion merchandising is the function that manages the entire lifecycle of a fashion product, from the initial idea to the end of its commercial life, including markdowns. It is both a role and a team within a fashion company, responsible for turning creative concepts into profitable products.

A fashion merchandiser works at the intersection of multiple departments. They collaborate closely with design and style teams during product development, with marketing and commercial teams to promote and sell the right products, with eCommerce to ensure correct product presentation, and with finance to guarantee the required margins.

At its core, fashion merchandising is about making the right decisions every day: defining the right price, managing costs, building a balanced collection, and ensuring that each product meets both customer needs and business objectives. One of its key responsibilities is finding the right balance between opportunity and efficiency, avoiding collections that are too small to compete or too large to sustain.

In essence, fashion merchandising ensures that a brand offers the right product, at the right price, in the right quantity, while keeping the company focused, profitable, and aligned with the market.

What Does a Fashion Merchandiser Do?

“A merchandiser is a person – or a team – that manages the entire lifecycle of a product.”

This definition captures the essence of the role. Fashion Merchandising does not start when the product is ready to be sold, and it certainly does not end at launch. Instead, it spans from the initial product idea all the way to markdowns and end-of-life decisions.

Along the way, the merchandiser collaborates with many different teams:

• Style and design, to shape products that align with brand identity and market demand
• Marketing, to push the right products at the right time
• Commercial and eCommerce teams, to ensure correct product assortment, imagery, and positioning
• Finance, to guarantee sustainable margins and profitability

In short, the merchandiser ensures that creativity meets business reality.

The Key Goals and KPIs of a Merchandiser

At the end of the year, how is a merchandiser evaluated? According to Buccianti, there are a few critical KPIs that define success.

1. Collection Marginality & Profitability

One of the primary responsibilities of the fashion merchandisers is protecting and optimizing margins. This means managing costs, defining the right retail price, and positioning products correctly in the market, while respecting financial targets set by the company.

2. Collection Size and Structure

Another crucial KPI is the size of the collection. A collection that is too small may miss market opportunities, but an oversized one creates inefficiencies across the supply chain, burns cash, and disperses focus.

Fashion Merchandisers must constantly balance opportunity and discipline, understanding that every product decision has a direct impact on the company’s P&L.

What are the Tools of Modern Fashion Merchandising?

Despite digital transformation, many fashion companies are still heavily Excel-based when it comes to merchandising. Spreadsheets remain a core tool for managing data, budgets, and product performance.

That said, more advanced organizations support fashion merchandisers with:

• Business Intelligence tools, providing daily insights and performance tracking
• Benchmarking and trend analysis platforms
• Fashion trend websites and runway analysis
• Trade fairs and industry events, which remain essential for market understanding

The goal of these tools is always the same: helping merchandisers make faster, smarter, and more informed decisions.

What are the Most Common Mistakes Fashion Brands Make in terms of Merchandising?

One of the biggest mistakes companies make is trying to do more than what the market actually needs.

Often driven by competitive pressure (“others are doing this, so we should too”), collections become overly complex and disconnected from real customer demand. The result is wasted energy, overstretched teams, and diluted performance.

For this reason, the fashion merchandiser plays a critical strategic role: helping the company stay focused on what truly matters, cutting what is unnecessary, and prioritizing what creates value for the customer and the business.

What you your Advice for Aspiring Fashion Merchandisers?

For young professionals who want to pursue a career in fashion merchandising, Buccianti’s advice is clear: stay curious!

The fashion market is constantly evolving:

• Products change
• Materials evolve
• Technologies advance
• Customers shift, with Millennials and Gen Z redefining expectations

Doing “the same thing every day” is no longer an option. Successful merchandisers must remain alert, adaptable, and open to continuous learning.

As Buccianti puts it:

“You need to be very alive and change every day.”

Why Merchandising Is More Strategic Than Ever

Today, merchandising is no longer just about numbers or assortment planning. It is a strategic role that sits at the intersection of creativity, data, customer insight, and financial sustainability.

For fashion companies navigating increasingly complex markets and omnichannel environments, strong merchandising capabilities are not optional — they are essential.

At Digital Fashion Academy, we believe that understanding merchandising is a fundamental skill for anyone working in the fashion industry, wheter you are in eCommerce, Retail or Sales. This is why we continue to invest in high-level education led by experienced industry professionals.

Do you want to learn Fashion Merchandising?

Enrol now on the Fashion Merchandising Online Course

Learn Fashion Merchandising from collection briefing to the product in store. With instructor Mirko Buccianti – Collection merchandising manager with experience in Gucci, Brunello Cucinelli, Furla, Bally, Thom Browne.

• Detailed course programme
• Learning outcomes
• Who is this masterclass for
• Certificate of attendance
• Tools, Template and KPIs
• FAQ

Discover the Course

Fashion Merchandising course topics

Based on the course materials, the masterclass covers the full product lifecycle of fashion merchandising, divided into five main modules and a bonus section:

• Module 1: The Basics: Core definitions, the merchandiser’s role within the company, and the strategic collection calendar.

• Module 2: Collection Brief & Development: Creating the strategic brief, analyzing competitors, building the range plan, and managing the development process up to the sample set.

• Module 3: The Sales Campaign: Setting up the showroom (physical and virtual), defining the selling offer, and presenting the collection to stakeholders.

• Module 4: The Product in Store: Monitoring production, setting up retail/e-commerce, and analyzing sell-out performance.

• Module 5: End of Lifecycle: Managing markdowns, stock transfers, and exit strategies (outlets/stockists).

• Bonus: AI for Merchandising: Practical tips on using AI for data analysis, efficiency, and market intelligence.

The course also includes three practical exercises: Range Planning, Competitor Benchmarking, and In-Season Decision Making

Launching an eCommerce website for an affordable jewellery brand is an exciting step, but it’s also one that requires a business plan, a vision and expertise. Too often, brands think of eCommerce as simply “building a website”. In reality, a successful online store is the result of a well-defined process that combines strategy, content, user experience, technology and marketing.

At Digital Fashion Academy, we help brands and retailers design and launch Shopify eCommerce stores that are not only visually appealing, but also ready to sell, scale and compete in a crowded market.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the complete process of setting up a Shopify eCommerce website for an affordable jewellery brand, and explain how our consultancy and implementation service supports you at every step.

Why Shopify Is the Ideal Platform for Affordable Luxury Brands

Shopify is one of the most powerful and flexible eCommerce platforms available today, particularly for fashion and luxury brands. It allows you to:

• Launch quickly without complex technical development
• Manage products, prices and collections easily
• Offer a seamless mobile shopping experience
• Integrate payments, shipping and taxes in a scalable way
• Connect marketing channels such as Google, Instagram and Facebook

For affordable luxury brands, where high volume, mobile traffic and efficient operations are key — Shopify provides the ideal balance between simplicity and performance.

Step 1: Strategy & eCommerce Foundations

Before building anything, we start with strategy, to ensure that the Shopify store is aligned with your brand positioning and commercial goals.

Key activities include:

• Defining the target customer and their buying behaviour
• Clarifying price positioning and value proposition
• Analysing competitors and reference brands
• Identifying key collections and hero products
• Defining the markets as country-language combinations and rules to serve them
• Defining success metrics (conversion rate, average order value, traffic sources)

For affordable luxury brands, strategic clarity is essential to avoid competing only on price and instead build perceived value and trust.

Step 2: Product Content Creation – The Heart of Your Store

Product content is the most critical element of any affordable luxury eCommerce website. No theme or advertising campaign can compensate for weak product presentation.

We support brands in structuring and creating:

• High-quality product photography (studio and/or lifestyle)
• Clear and consistent product naming
• Detailed product descriptions including:
  • Materials and finishes
  • Sizes and dimensions
  • Usage and styling suggestions
  • Care instructions
  • Tags and attributes
• Variants such as colours, sizes or sets

Strong product content increases conversion rates, reduces returns and improves SEO performance.

Step 3: Shopify Store Setup & Visual Experience

Once the foundations are defined, we move into the Shopify setup phase.

This includes:

• Theme selection and customization
• Homepage structure focused on best sellers, collections and trust elements
• Product page layouts optimized for conversion
• Mobile-first design (essential for fashion, jewellery, beauty shopping)
• Consistent branding across all pages

The goal is to create a clean, elegant and trustworthy experience that reflects the brand while remaining fast and easy to navigate.

Step 4: Collections, Navigation & Filters

As your catalogue grows, structure becomes essential for usability and conversion.

We teach you how to configure, and support you in the configuration of:

• Smart collections (by product type, price range, material, style or occasion)
• Clear navigation menus
• Advanced filters to help customers find products quickly
• Internal linking for better SEO and discoverability

For affordable luxury brands, good navigation helps customers browse more products, increasing both time on site and average order value.

Step 5: Legal Compliance & Trust Elements

Trust is fundamental in online luxury sales, especially for new or emerging brands.

We configure all essential legal and trust components, including:

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Returns and Refund Policy
• Cookie consent and GDPR compliance
• Payment icons, guarantees and customer reassurance elements

This step protects your business and reassures customers at the moment of purchase.

Step 6: Payments, Shipping & Tax Configuration

A smooth checkout experience directly impacts conversion rates.

We set up:

• Payment gateways (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Klarna and others)
• Shipping methods and pricing rules
• Tax configuration based on your markets
• Automated order and customer notifications

Everything is tested to ensure reliability before launch.

Step 7: Marketing & External Integrations

A Shopify store should be built with growth in mind from day one.

We connect and configure:

• Google Analytics and GA4
• Google Ads
• Google Merchant Center for Shopping Ads
• Google My Business
• Meta (Instagram and Facebook)
• Social commerce integrations

This ensures accurate data tracking and allows you to activate digital marketing campaigns immediately after launch.

Step 8: Testing, Launch & Team Training

Before going live, we conduct a full quality check:

• Checkout and payment testing
• Mobile and desktop usability tests
• SEO and performance checks

We provide training and coaching so your team can confidently:

• Manage products and collections
• Process orders
• Handle basic marketing and content updates

How Digital Fashion Academy Supports Your Shopify Project

At Digital Fashion Academy, we don’t just “build websites”. We guide fashion and jewellery brands through the entire eCommerce setup process, combining:

• Fashion & Luxury eCommerce expertise
• Shopify technical implementation
• UX and conversion optimization
• Digital marketing readiness

Our approach is ideal for affordable luxury brands that want a professional Shopify store that is ready to sell, compliant, scalable and aligned with long-term growth.

Ready to Launch or Improve Your Jewellery eCommerce?

If you are planning to launch a Shopify store for your jewellery brand — or want to improve an existing one — our team can support you from strategy to launch and beyond.

Contact us to discuss your Shopify eCommerce project and discover how we can help you build a store that truly performs.

By Aisha Khalid

Aisha K. is Global Vice President of Digital at Ulla Johnson, where she leads global digital strategy and eCommerce growth. With extensive experience in digital transformation, performance marketing, and omni-channel expansion, she specializes in building scalable strategies that enhance customer experience and drive measurable results.
Passionate about blending storytelling with data-driven insights, Aisha has a proven track record of optimizing online platforms, streamlining digital operations, and delivering innovative solutions for the fashion industry.

Working with fashion brands of all sizes, I often see small and emerging labels struggling with similar issues. Running a fashion business today isn’t just about having a great product, it’s about building the right foundations to grow and compete in a very crowded market. Here are some of the most common challenges I see:

1. Lack of Strategic Foundations
Many small brands operate in a reactive way, chasing trends or short-term wins, rather than following a clear strategy. It’s easy to get caught up in daily survival mode, but without a long-term vision and scalable processes, growth becomes very hard.

2. Overdependence on Quick Conversions
The pressure to make sales today often overshadows the need to invest in brand-building and customer loyalty. This “short-term only” mindset can prevent the innovation and risk-taking needed for sustainable growth.

3. Knowledge Gaps
Unlike big players, small brands don’t always have access to market data, best practices, or years of experience to guide them. Founders wear multiple hats, which leaves little time for in-depth analysis or strategy building.

4. Talent & Team Building
“You’re only as good as your team” is especially true in fashion. But for small brands, attracting and retaining skilled talent can be tough. Budget constraints often lead to reliance on freelancers, which makes building a consistent culture or long-term structure harder.

5. Scaling & Operational Complexity
Growing from a founder-led business to an efficient organization requires expertise in areas like logistics, growth marketing, and margin optimization, not just creativity. Many brands spend too much time on aesthetics and not enough on the systems that actually fuel growth.

6. Brand Visibility in a Saturated Market
Standing out is harder than ever. Many young brands lean too heavily (or not enough) on Instagram and TikTok. Without a clear identity, it’s easy to get lost in the noise.

What Should Fashion Start-ups Prioritize?

If you’re building a fashion brand today, where should your focus be? A few key priorities stand out:

• Define a Clear Objective
  Set a concrete, measurable goal (e.g. “Grow to $3M revenue in 5 years”). This becomes your north star for every decision.
  
• Build Strategic Pillars
  Decide on 3 – 5 growth drivers that will get you there: brand positioning, product-market fit, customer acquisition, operations, and customer retention are usually the essentials.
  
• Find and Own Your Niche
  Don’t try to appeal to everyone. Focus on a cultural whitespace, unique aesthetic, or unmet need , and build a loyal community around it.
  
• Strengthen Your Brand Identity
  Trends can be copied, but your brand DNA can’t. Everything from pricing to photography to customer service should reflect your positioning.
  
• Set Up an Efficient Structure
  Invest in the right systems from the start, tech platforms that save time, processes that scale, and documentation that avoids dependency on individuals.
  
• Stay Curious & Connected
  Talk to other founders, go to trade shows, find mentors. Continuous learning and networking are underrated but extremely powerful growth tools.
  

The Must-Have Tools for Small to Medium Fashion Brands

In today’s market, small brands don’t need hundreds of tools , they need the right ones. The secret is simplicity, clarity, and execution. Pick tools that align with your goals, then make sure you’re using them to their full potential.

Here are my essentials:

• E-commerce Platform → Shopify (easy to scale, great UX, app-rich ecosystem).
  
• Analytics & Customer Journey → Google Analytics 4 + Hotjar for heatmaps and session recordings.
  
• Marketing & Retention → Klaviyo for email/SMS automation, segmentation, and predictive insights (CLV, churn, next purchase).
  
• CRM & Customer Data → Shopify + Klaviyo already cover a lot.
  
• Returns & Operations → Loop Returns for a seamless, revenue-retaining return process.
  
• Customer Support → Gorgias, built for e-commerce, integrates with Shopify and social platforms.
  
• Content & Social → Dash Hudson for social scheduling and performance tracking.
  
• Advertising → Meta, Google, and TikTok Ads Manager are more than enough , if managed by skilled marketers or the right agency.
  

At the end of the day, small and medium fashion brands succeed not by having everything, but by being clear about what matters most, staying focused, and building smart, flexible systems that support growth.

Deep dive: the full interview questions

Enrico Fantaguzzi: As someone who works closely with fashion brands of all sizes, what do you think are the biggest challenges facing small fashion businesses today?

Aisha Khalid: One of the biggest issues I see is that many small brands operate in a reactive way. They tend to make decisions based on taste or trends, rather than following a clear, strategic plan. It’s hard to stay focused on long-term goals when you’re constantly in survival mode.

Small brands often operate in a reactive way (problem > solution) instead of focusing on their medium and long term goals.

A lot of founders also don’t have the experience or resources to build scalable business models. They often overlook the importance of systems, processes, and platforms that could really help them grow efficiently.

Another major challenge is the pressure to generate quick sales. That pressure can make it difficult to invest in brand-building or long-term growth strategies. And let’s be honest, fear of failure can sometimes stop founders from taking the kind of risks that lead to real innovation.

There are also big knowledge gaps. Unlike established brands, smaller companies don’t always have access to insights, benchmarks, or best practices. Founders are juggling so many roles that there’s often little time left for deep market research or performance analytics.

Enrico: So it’s not just about making the product and selling it?

Aisha: Exactly. Many small brands underinvest in understanding customer lifetime value, retention strategies, or how to create an effective omnichannel experience. And let’s not forget the talent issue. Building a strong team is tough when you can’t offer big salaries or long-term career paths. You often end up working with creatives or freelancers who value freedom – which is great – but it can make it harder to build a stable company culture or leadership structure.

Enrico: And once they do start to grow, I imagine things get even more complex?

Aisha: Totally. Scaling a brand requires a different skillset. Suddenly you’re dealing with localization, personalization, marketing efficiency, margin optimization… all while trying to maintain your creative identity. Many founders spend too much time on things that look good but don’t actually move the business forward.

And of course, visibility is a massive challenge. The market is saturated, and it’s tough to stand out, especially without a big ad budget or in-house performance marketing expertise. Some brands rely too heavily on platforms like Instagram or TikTok without a strong brand foundation, and that can backfire.

Enrico: Given all these challenges, what do you think should be the top priorities for fashion start-ups? Should they focus on building a strong image, finding a niche, or creating an efficient structure?

Aisha: All of the above, but in the right order and with a clear goal in mind. First, define a non-negotiable objective. Something like, “We want to grow to $3 million in annual revenue within five years.” That goal becomes your north star. Every decision, whether it’s about product, marketing, hiring, or partnerships, should ladder up to it.

Then you build a focused roadmap with quarterly and annual milestones. From there, identify 3 – 5 key pillars that will drive your growth. For example:

• Brand Positioning & Identity: Know exactly who you are and why you exist.
  
• Product-Market Fit: Solve a real need for a specific audience—consistently.
  
• Customer Acquisition: Choose one or two channels and get really good at them before expanding.
  
• Operational Excellence: Build smart systems for inventory and fulfillment early on.
  
• Retention & Community: Use storytelling, CRM, and great customer experience to keep people coming back.

Enrico: And in terms of market positioning?

Aisha: Find and own your global niche. Don’t try to please everyone. Look for a cultural whitespace or a unique aesthetic or functional need that’s underserved—and build a community around it. Niche doesn’t mean small, it means focused and defensible.

You also need to create and maintain a strong brand identity. Product trends can be copied, but your brand DNA can’t. Your brand isn’t just your logo or tone of voice—it’s how you price, how you ship, how you photograph your items, how you hire… all of it.

And finally, set up an efficient, flexible structure. Use tech tools that scale with you, document processes early, and don’t rely too much on any one person.

Enrico: Great advice. One last question. You’ve worked in eCommerce for some of the biggest names in fashion and luxury. What software solutions do you think small and medium brands absolutely need to be competitive?

Aisha: Keep it simple. I always say—clarity of objective and strong execution beat fancy tech stacks. Too many tools can lead to confusion, fragmentation, and wasted budget. Choose tools based on your actual business goals, not what’s trendy.

Here’s what I’d recommend:

• E-commerce Platform: Shopify. It’s the best for fashion—scalable, app-rich, easy to use, and mobile-friendly.
  
• Analytics & Customer Insights: Google Analytics 4 for macro insights, and Hotjar for user behavior (heatmaps, session recordings).
  
• Email & SMS Marketing: Klaviyo is fantastic—deep segmentation, automation, and predictive analytics for churn and CLV.
  
• CRM: Honestly, Shopify + Klaviyo already gives you a solid customer data setup.
  
• Returns Management: Loop Returns works well with Shopify and helps retain revenue.
  
• Customer Support: Gorgias is purpose-built for eCommerce and integrates with all key channels—Shopify, Instagram, Facebook, email, and SMS.
  
• Content & Social: Dash Hudson is great for planning and tracking social content.
  
• Advertising: Stick with platform-native tools—Meta, Google, TikTok Ads Manager. Just make sure you’re working with an agency that understands fashion eCommerce and can deliver strong ROAS without blowing up your CAC.

Date: 22 September 2025

Digital Fashion Academy is proud to announce a new strategic partnership with the African Fashion Futures Incubator (AFFI), a visionary platform committed to building resilient creative enterprises across the continent. Together, the organizations aim to empower the next generation of African fashion leaders by providing the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to transform creativity into global influence and impact.

This partnership goes beyond fashion design: it is about fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and long-term economic value for Africa’s creative industries also thanks to the engagement of a top-level digital academy whose efforts are addressed to leverage on advanced skills both in the fashion and the digital fields.

As a leading online platform for digital fashion education, the Digital Fashion Academy brings cutting-edge training in areas such as fashion tech, e-commerce, digital marketing and AI, that are critical for success on international markets. This partnership marks a shared commitment to democratizing access to industry knowledge and ensuring that African designers are heard on the world stage.

Quotes

“We believe in the transformative power of education and digital innovation.” said Enrico Fantaguzzi, Founder of the Digital Fashion Academy. “Our partnership with AFFI goes beyond fashion, it’s about empowering young entrepreneurs to shape the future of Africa’s fashion industry and connecting them with best practices from leading managers at global brands.”

“Through our collaboration, the AFFI-II’25 is shaping resilient enterprises that can drive long-term value for Africa’s creative economy,” said Roberta Annan, Founder of African Fashion Foundation. “At the African Fashion Foundation, we act as a convener of ecosystem players for those in our network. We promote collaboration amongst African and non-African creative stakeholders. Through AFFI-II’25, we are strengthening pathways for African creatives to thrive, while empowering local communities and inspiring diversity in the global creative economy.”

AFFI-II’25 represents the next chapter in a bold initiative to nurture the talents and visions of Africa’s emerging fashion entrepreneurs, positioning them to lead, inspire, and create value at both local and global levels.

For further information, please contact:
info@digitalfashionacademy.com

About Digital Fashion Academy

Digital Fashion Academy is a global online school dedicated to Fashion and Luxury professionals who want to enhance their digital expertise. The flexible training programs in digital fashion and e-commerce management cover key areas such as e-commerce, digital marketing, customer relationship management (CRM), business intelligence and web analytics, fashion technology, and marketplaces with a focus on the latest trends and best practice in these fields.

Designed with industry needs in mind, the courses provide the practical skills and knowledge required to succeed in today’s digital fashion landscape. The aim of the Academy is to equip the professionals with the tools to advance their career and thrive in a fast-changing industry.

Find out more: www.digitalfashionacademy.com

Follow the DFA on LinkedIn and Instagram

About the African Fashion Foundation

The African Fashion Foundation (AFF) is a non-profit organization committed to supporting Africa’s creative industries. Through capacity-building programmes, international partnerships, and access to global platforms, AFF empowers designers, entrepreneurs, and communities to thrive in the creative economy.

AFF uses its programmes and facilities to empower local African communities and entrepreneurs, working at the intersection of culture, creativity, and commerce. With AFFI-II’25, the Foundation continues to scale its impact by promoting innovation, investment, and long-term industry growth for African designers.

AFFI-II’25 builds on the success of the inaugural incubator, which supported a dynamic cohort of designers who have since expanded their brands internationally. This next phase will deepen collaboration, foster cross-border partnerships, and position African fashion more prominently in the global economy.

Find out more: https://africanfashionfoundation.org/

For more information, please contact:

African Fashion Foundation
Joel-Karl Keku
joel-karl@africanfashionfoundation.org

Anna-Stephanié Ayemene
anna.ayemene@africanfashionfoundation.org

Measuring success goes far beyond financial metrics: while topline growth, cost efficiency, and ROI remain central, true value also lies in strategic and intangible benefits, customer experience, organisational agility, and long-term competitiveness. In short, omnichannel is both a growth engine and a cultural shift, enabling brands not just to survive but to lead.

Gilles has spent the past 16 years working around the world (US, Asia and Europe) for Fashion companies such as Philipp Plein and Michael Kors in different roles around Finance & Operations.

He is currently MD of SpectR Consulting, working on consulting projects covering topics around Strategy, Finance and Operations

Omnichannel retailing is not a luxury but a requirement for competitiveness. It delivers both financial returns and intangible benefits, such as enhanced customer experience and loyalty, creating long-term value.

What are the main strategic and operational benefits of omnichannel for modern companies?

Omnichannel retailing offers a range of crucial strategic and operational advantages for modern businesses, turning it from an option into a competitive necessity.

Strategic Advantages

• Improved Customer Engagement and Loyalty: Companies with an omnichannel strategy report a retention rate of 89% compared to 33% for those relying on a single channel. This is a key indicator of the impact omnichannel strategies have on enhancing customer experience.
• Revenue Growth:
  • Companies that implement omnichannel strategies see topline growth of 9.5% per year, versus 3.4% for others.
  • More opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling increase the value associated with each customer.
  • Omnichannel customers, while only representing 7% of the total, generate 27% of overall sales.
  • Expanding the scope of business across multiple sales channels (such as Buy Online, Pick-up In Store – BOPIS, or mobile ordering) helps drive conversion rates. During the pandemic (2019–2021), the conversion rate for BOPIS rose from 2.3% to 3.3%.
  • Brands using three or more channels report a 494% increase in order rates and a 250% increase in engagement compared to single-channel players.
• Meeting Consumer Expectations: Consumers already live in an omnichannel world, and businesses must keep up to avoid falling behind. 60% of shoppers expect to use services like BOPIS, whose sales have grown by 208%.
• Organizational Agility and Cultural Transformation: Omnichannel is a catalyst for cultural change, requiring marketing, IT, and operations to work together and share objectives. This creates intangible but essential benefits, such as improved organizational agility.

Operational Advantages

• Cost Efficiency:
  • Omnichannel integration reduces stockouts, optimizes the supply chain, and lowers customer acquisition costs, as each interaction becomes more effective.
  • Better inventory management is critical; the most profitable brands have superior stock control. Brands with an EBITDA margin above 40% typically maintain lower inventory levels.
  • 27% of online customers would leave a site if a product was out of stock, moving to a competitor. Stock management is therefore a key priority.
• Operational Efficiency:
  • Streamlined processes and faster customer service.
  • Integration of online and offline channels eliminates duplication and waste.
  • Brands gain the opportunity to rethink processes and internal organization to reduce redundancies and improve workflows.
• Better Product Availability Management: This includes inventory optimization and the ability to offer personalized services to each customer.
• Change Management and Incentives: For a successful omnichannel strategy, managing organizational change is crucial, as is defining a new sales incentive plan—an often-overlooked factor.

How does omnichannel transform internal and customer relationships?

Omnichannel retailing introduces profound transformations both in internal company relations and in the way a business interacts with its customers.

Transformation of Internal Relations

Omnichannel acts as a catalyst for cultural change within the organization. It requires unprecedented integration and collaboration across departments:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: It forces marketing, IT, and operations to work together and share common goals. Operating in silos is no longer sufficient.
• Review of Organizational Processes: Each brand has the opportunity to reassess its processes and internal organization to reduce redundancies and improve workflows. This leads to greater organizational agility.
• Change Management: Implementing an effective omnichannel strategy requires strong change management involving all departments. This aspect is often underestimated.
• New Incentive Systems: Defining a new sales incentive plan is crucial. It is an essential component of a properly functioning omnichannel strategy, yet often overlooked.
• Sharing of Insights: Departments must share their knowledge about customer behavior and preferences (customer insights and trends). Merchandising should also be involved, as this information can influence collection development and pricing decisions.
• Strategic Alignment: The goal is to align marketing strategies across all channels and markets to maximize customer engagement and campaign effectiveness.

These internal benefits, such as organizational agility, are considered intangible advantages which, while difficult to measure, make the difference between a company that merely exists in the market and one that leads it.

Transformation of Customer Relations

Omnichannel is essential to meeting consumer expectations, as customers already “live in an omnichannel world.” The transformation of customer relations is expressed through:

• Improved Engagement and Retention: Companies with an omnichannel strategy report a retention rate of 89% compared to 33% for those relying on a single channel. Brands using three or more channels see a 250% increase in engagement.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Omnichannel is not just about multiplying touchpoints but about ensuring continuity and consistency in the customer journey. This includes seamless integration, better product availability management (through inventory control), and the ability to deliver personalized services throughout the customer’s relationship with the brand.
• Increased Customer Value: With stronger retention and more cross-selling and up-selling opportunities, the value of each customer grows. Leveraging cross-selling and up-selling also enhances engagement, enabling the development and promotion of additional initiatives.
• Adaptation to New Shopping Modes: Consumers expect to use options such as Buy Online, Pick-up In Store (BOPIS), whose sales have grown by 208%. In fact, 60% of shoppers expect this option to be available. Mobile e-commerce is also expanding rapidly, reflecting customer expectations of flexible shopping experiences.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Expanding across multiple channels drives higher conversion rates. For example, the conversion rate for BOPIS increased from 2.3% to 3.3% during the pandemic.
• Importance of Stock Management: Product availability is critical, as 27% of online customers would abandon a site and switch to another if an item were out of stock. Effective inventory management and better product allocation contribute to a positive customer experience.

How can you effectively measure the return on investment of an omnichannel strategy?

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of an omnichannel strategy effectively goes beyond simple financial analysis. It must include strategic and operational metrics, while also recognizing the importance of intangible benefits.

Here is how the ROI of an omnichannel strategy can be measured, based on key points:

1. Direct Financial Metrics

These are fundamental and often the CFO’s main focus:

• Revenue Growth:
  • Topline Growth: Companies with an omnichannel strategy record annual topline growth of 9.5%, compared to 3.4% for others.
  • Omnichannel Sales: Measure the percentage of sales generated through omnichannel activities (e.g., 13% of physical sales and 20% of online sales, according to Mins).
  • Contribution of Omnichannel Customers: Omnichannel customers, while only 7% of the total, generate 27% of overall sales.
  • Conversion Rate: Expanding business scope across multiple channels (such as Buy Online Pick-up In Store – BOPIS – or mobile ordering) is aimed at improving conversion rates. For example, during the pandemic the BOPIS conversion rate rose from 2.3% to 3.3%.
  • Cross-Selling and Up-Selling: Quantify the increase in cross-selling and up-selling opportunities that boost customer lifetime value.
  • Order Rate Growth: Brands using three or more channels record a +494% increase in order rates.
• Cost Efficiency:
  • Reduction of Stockouts and Supply Chain Optimization: Measure the impact of reducing lost sales due to stockouts and improving supply chain efficiency. Better inventory management is correlated with higher profitability (brands with EBITDA margins above 40% typically have lower inventory levels). Since 27% of online shoppers abandon a site when an item is out of stock, inventory management is critical.
  • Lower Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC): More effective interactions enabled by omnichannel strategies can reduce the cost of acquiring new customers.
• Net Profit Margins: A fundamental metric for CFOs, who focus not only on topline growth but also on gross margin to identify potential issues (e.g., excessive discounting that erodes profitability).
• Return on Investment (ROI): Ensure that the benefits outweigh the investments made.

2. Strategic and Operational Metrics

These focus on the impact on customers and organizational performance:

• Customer Retention: Companies with an omnichannel strategy achieve an 89% retention rate compared to 33% for single-channel businesses. Measuring this rate is a key indicator.
• Customer Engagement: Brands using three or more channels see a 250% increase in engagement compared to single-channel players. Cross-selling and up-selling opportunities also strengthen engagement.
• Adoption of New Shopping Methods: Track the use of services such as BOPIS, whose sales grew 208%, with 60% of shoppers expecting to use it. Growth in mobile e-commerce (from 4.4% to a projected 10.4% of total sales) is another key indicator.
• Operational Efficiency: Assess process streamlining, faster customer service, and the elimination of duplication and waste thanks to online/offline integration. This may include warehouse optimization and better product allocation.
• Customer Experience Quality: While difficult to measure directly, improvements are reflected in consistent integration, better product availability management, and the ability to deliver personalized services throughout the customer journey.

3. Intangible and Organizational Benefits

ROI is not just about numbers—intangible benefits are crucial:

• Customer Loyalty and Experience: Hard to quantify, but they make the difference between a company that is present in the market and one that leads it. They contribute to long-term value creation.
• Organizational Agility: Omnichannel acts as a catalyst for cultural change, pushing marketing, IT, and operations to collaborate and share goals. This creates greater agility—an essential intangible benefit.
• Reduced Redundancies and Improved Workflows: Each brand has the opportunity to review processes and internal organization to enhance efficiency.

Key Considerations for Measurement

• Change Management: Often underestimated, but fundamental to the success of any omnichannel project, requiring the involvement of all departments.
• New Sales Incentive Plans: Defining an adequate incentive scheme is essential to an effective omnichannel strategy, though often neglected.
• Sharing of Insights: Departments must share customer behavior and preference insights (consumer insights and trends), with merchandising also involved in decisions around collections and pricing.
• Tailored Adaptation: There is no universal “magic recipe.” Each omnichannel project is unique and depends on the company’s strategy, history, and level of technological and organizational maturity.

Conclusion

Omnichannel retailing is not a luxury but a requirement for competitiveness. It delivers both financial returns and intangible benefits, such as enhanced customer experience and loyalty, creating long-term value.

Ultimately, omnichannel retailing enables businesses to build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with customers, ensuring greater satisfaction and loyalty. At the same time, it streamlines internal dynamics, transforming the company into a more agile and cohesive organization.

Measuring the ROI of an omnichannel strategy requires a holistic approach that combines concrete financial metrics with analysis of strategic, operational, and intangible indicators. It must be recognized as a transformational journey that generates long-term value.

How AI is Helping Fashion Merchandisers Make Smarter, Faster Decisions

By Benito Zaccone, CEO & Co-founder of Intuendi

In fashion, delivering the right product at the right moment is everything, but also, it’s never been harder to get right. 

I’ve spent the last several years working closely with fashion companies across Europe and the US, and what I’ve consistently heard from buyers and merchandisers is that the job has never been more complex. 

Demand is more unpredictable, customer tastes are more volatile, and there is relentless pressure to launch new products, fast and frequently.

At Intuendi, our mission is to empower fast-growing companies, including those in the fashion industry, to meet these challenges head-on, using a combination of AI and human insight to support better decision-making across the buying and distribution lifecycle.

Let’s walk through what that looks like in practice.

The Buying Phase: Making the best bet a year in advance

One of the most challenging aspects of fashion is that you need to plan, purchase and stock your product line almost a year ahead.  

In fashion, forecasting starts long before buyers place their orders. Merchandisers begin building forecasts during the collection development phase, when products exist only as prototypes, and have no sales history. Once the collection is presented in sample form, the sales campaign and buying begins. 

How can a fashion company forecast the sales of a new product? 

I’ve personally been in meetings with seasoned planners at luxury fashion houses where forecasts for the same product differed drastically from one person to another. It wasn’t that anyone was necessarily wrong, some predictions simply turned out to be more accurate than others. The reality is, forecasting demand for a new product remains one of the most complex challenges in the fashion industry. With no historical data to rely on, you’re essentially making an educated guess about what consumers will want a year from now, while trends, preferences, and market conditions can shift in entirely unpredictable ways.

Ok, so which data and metrics do fashion buyers use to forecast sales of products with no history of sales? 

Unlike other industries, fashion companies can’t survive on heritage products alone. Newness drives relevancy. 

While many companies rely heavily on carryover products, especially when certain styles become iconic or consistent bestsellers, no brand can opt out of the high-stakes game of launching new models in the hope they’ll become the next season’s standout. Trends evolve, and brands aim not only to follow them, but to anticipate or even influence them. This dynamic applies across all market segments and customer personas. And a significant portion of the budget, time, resources, investment, and marketing is poured into navigating this inherent uncertainty.

The complexity arises when you realize analyzing and forecasting the demand for a product is not just a matter of style. Guessing wrong when it comes to sizing, assortment, or quantity can mean missed targets, excess stock or lost sales.

This is exactly where smart tools like Intuendi come in. 

Our strategy is simple: learn from the past, but through a qualitative lens. Thanks to the capabilities of AI, we can now analyze the historical performance of products with similar attributes, such as style, fabric, function, color, size, and more. Additionally, we can use that data to forecast the potential success of new items. This approach combines the power of AI-driven modeling with human expertise to deliver more accurate, nuanced forecasts. And it becomes even more sophisticated when we incorporate external factors that influence demand, such as pricing strategies and marketing investments.

How does AI forecasting work?

Let’s move to the practical side: our Product Comparison tool leverages our Intuendi AI to compare new items with similar products that already have a history of sales and sales data to analyse and feed to the algorithm. 

We analyze product attributes like category, material, color, seasonality, and price to detect similarities to new products and then can forecast demand for the new product based on that similar product’s historical demand data and future trends. 

Why is this so valuable? Over the years, we’ve collaborated with numerous fashion companies and observed firsthand just how large and complex their product catalogs can be, often encompassing tens of thousands of items, not including size and color variants. Even when merchandising teams focus only on top-level categories, analyzing historical sales data to generate meaningful insights for future planning remains a time-consuming and resource-heavy task. When done manually or in spreadsheets (which often crash under the weight of this volume), the process can take weeks. With Intuendi’s AI-powered platform, it now takes just minutes to deliver faster, more accurate forecasts at scale.

To give you an idea, a leading Italian fashion brand used our AI to compare around 300 new styles with similar products from previous seasons. When compared with the manual analysis performed by their visual merchandising team, our AI models reached an 82% overlap in similar item detection. That’s not just a technical success, it’s a massive time-saver and a strong foundation for smarter buying.

What are the benefits for fashion brands and retailers?

Long story short, the use of AI in forecasting brings significant benefits across the entire product lifecycle. 

Before buying, AI can help product teams shape new collections and styles by assessing their commercial potential before they even hit the market. 

During buying, it supports buyers in making data-driven decisions on the right quantities to purchase by size, color, and fabric, reducing the risk of over- or under-stocking. 

And during the sales period, AI optimizes merchandise allocation across channels and markets, ensuring that each product reaches the right customers at the right time, maximizing sell-through and profitability.

The Distribution Phase: Inventory that works smarter

Once a season begins, the focus shifts. Now it’s about keeping inventory as healthy and agile as possible. You need to continuously monitor store and warehouse performances, as well as shift stock between locations. This can be a weekly or even daily task as it’s often based on real-time data.

This is where metrics like sales velocity become critical. We help Intuendi clients monitor their sales velocity by easily calculating, for example, the ratio of units sold in the last 15 days versus the last 30 days. With that input, our AI Assistant, Symphonie, recommends how to reallocate stock across your supply chain, from central warehouses to individual stores.

Our optimization tools don’t just suggest what to move, they tell you why, and they let you tweak the logic. That’s part of our philosophy at Intuendi: our AI will assist you, but you stay in full control of your forecast, plan and orders. We give you the visibility and information you need to make smarter, more confident decisions.

Will AI replace specialised fashion professionals?

No, AI won’t replace you, the human in this role. Our goal at Intuendi isn’t to replace human intuition, but instead to strengthen it, to give you the data you need to back up your gut-instincts and your decisions. Fashion is a human-driven industry, shaped by the creativity, intuition, and decisions of designers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and customers. When it comes to trends, taste, and creative direction, human sensibility remains central. But it doesn’t have to work alone. Now, the human touch can work brilliantly alongside the insights provided by a platform like Intuendi, creating a powerful collaboration between instinct and intelligence.

Better forecasts, better margins, more sustainable operations

Whether you’re launching a new line, or fine-tuning store allocations, Intuendi gives fashion planners and merchandisers like you more confidence in every decision. Instead of relying on gut instincts, our clients are able to test scenarios, compare options and forecast with clarity and confidence.

Fashion will always have an element of unpredictability. That’s part of what makes it exciting. At Intuendi, we believe our AI-powered technology can make that unpredictability manageable, and yes, even profitable. What we offer is more than just automation. It’s a new rhythm for fashion businesses, one where planning is proactive, not reactive.

If you’re ready to bring more intelligence to your merchandising and buying strategies, we’re here to help. Together, we can make merchandising, procurement and forecasting feel as intuitive as your best instincts, but enriched by AI. We’re here to support you in making smarter, more confident decisions.

Do you have any questions?

Contact us or reach out to Benito and Intuendi team

Fashion buying and merchandising lie at the heart of what we wear, what we see in stores, and how trends become part of our everyday lives. To explore this critical area of the fashion industry, we sat down with Sabrina Compagno, a seasoned fashion buyer and merchandising consultant with over 15 years of experience. Sabrina also teaches aspiring professionals, sharing her insights through lectures and workshops. In this interview, she offers invaluable advice for anyone looking to enter or grow in this dynamic field.

Interview by Anamaria Tushishvili

Sabrina Compagno

is a Fashion Buying & Merchandising Consultant with over 20 years of experience in the luxury and contemporary fashion industry.

She works with both brands and retailers, helping them define product strategy, optimise assortments, and align creativity with commercial goals. Passionate about education, she teaches post-diploma courses and workshops, guiding students to develop both analytical and creative skills to thrive in today’s fast-changing fashion landscape.

Anamaria Tushishvili

Global Headhunter | Executive Search | Recruiting Team Lead for MENA @ BYYD | Founder of TalentVibe

TalentVibe is a leading recruitment agency specialising in beauty, fashion & advertising industries — connecting visionary companies with top talent and helping job seekers land standout roles across MENA & Europe.

Teaching Fashion Buying: Bridging Theory and Practice

Sabrina’s teaching approach blends foundational knowledge with practical application. “In my classes, I teach the basics of fashion buying and merchandising: how to plan collections, understand trends, manage budgets, and analyze sales data,” she explains. Students participate in real-life case studies, simulations, and product assortment exercises. The goal? To equip future buyers with decision-making skills that mirror industry reality.

Key Skills for Today’s Merchandisers

When asked about the most important hard and soft skills for beginners, Sabrina emphasizes data literacy and flexibility. “This job is all about numbers,” she says. “Understanding sales data, managing stock, and being able to act quickly are all critical.” On the soft skills side, teamwork, communication, and adaptability are essential. She encourages students to master tools like Excel, PLM systems, Power BI, and Tableau, which are widely used across fashion companies today.

This job is all about numbers. Understanding sales data, managing stock, and being able to act quickly are all critical

Building a Network: Online and Offline

Networking, Sabrina notes, is easier than ever thanks to digital platforms. “LinkedIn is your best friend,” she says, recommending students create a professional profile and actively participate in webinars and fashion communities. Offline, attending trade shows, showroom visits, and volunteering at events can open doors. “Fashion is all about people and connections.”

Balancing Creativity and Analysis

Is fashion buying more creative or analytical? “It’s 50/50,” Sabrina says. “You can learn numbers, but creativity is harder to teach.” In her classes, she encourages students to build collections based on trend research and sales data, helping them merge instinct with logic. “Understanding both sides is essential to succeed in buying.”

A Day in the Life of a Fashion Buyer

No two days are alike in Sabrina’s role. “Every morning starts with reviewing sales and stock,” she shares. “Then it’s meetings with suppliers, reviewing trends, and aligning with marketing and planning teams.” The work is a mix of analytics, creativity, and cross-functional collaboration, keeping the job dynamic and engaging.

The fashion buyer work is a mix of analytics, creativity, and cross-functional collaboration

How the Industry Has Changed

Reflecting on her 15-year career, Sabrina notes that the industry has evolved significantly. “There used to be more time for personal judgment and relationships. Now everything moves faster, and decisions are more data-driven.” She sees both positives and negatives in this shift, citing improvements in sustainability and efficiency through technology—but also a move away from quality and individuality.

In today’s fashion buying work everything moves faster, and decisions are more data-driven than taste-based.

Starting Out in Fashion Buying

For newcomers, Sabrina suggests a mix of education and hands-on experience. “I started as an assistant designer, then took a buying course at Istituto Marangoni, which led to my first role at YOOX.” She also sees value in retail experience:

“Many buyers start as store assistants. Being on the shop floor teaches you what sells and why.”

Online vs Offline: Different Worlds

Today, Sabrina works in an omnichannel environment. “Offline retail is more about people, emotions, and high operational costs,” she explains. “Online is data-driven, scalable, and sometimes more efficient. The balance between both worlds is where the future lies.”

The Role of AI in Fashion Buying

Artificial intelligence is beginning to influence the role of buyers, Sabrina acknowledges. From demand forecasting to user experience, AI offers new tools, but she cautions against seeing it as a replacement. “It should empower professionals, not replace them. Human intuition and creativity are still irreplaceable.”

AI should empower fashion buying professionals, not replace them

Final Advice for Aspiring Buyers

Sabrina’s advice to her younger self, and to students, is simple yet powerful: “Be curious, ask questions, and don’t rush. Build real relationships and don’t fear the numbers, they’ll make your creative ideas stronger.”

Join Our Upcoming Fashion Buying Masterclass

Inspired by Sabrina’s insights? Later this year, Digital Fashion Academy will host an exclusive Fashion Buying Masterclass, where Sabrina will lead a practical and immersive session on collection planning, data analysis, and trend forecasting.

Stay tuned for dates and registration details, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to be the first to know.

Full Interview

What are three hard and soft skills that are necessary to learn and have as a beginner merchandising beginner in the industry? And what digital tools should the students learn nowadays? What is the newest one and important?

That’s a tough question. But you know, usually people think you need to know all the brands and be very focused on that — like who the creative director is, and so on. Of course, that’s important, but in reality, this job is all about numbers.

I would say the key hard skills are understanding data and knowing how collections work. Brands come and go, but numbers stay — they really tell the story and guide best practices. Also, managing stock is crucial. You need to be quick in responding to out-of-stocks and fast in making decisions, because right now, it’s all about inventory and maintaining a balanced stock.

As for soft skills — teamwork is really important. Some merchandisers may work more independently, but in reality, it’s about networking and collaboration. Communication is key — you need to be able to speak to all departments clearly and effectively. And flexibility is essential, because everything is constantly changing. You have to stay adaptable and ready to shift directions when needed.

And you know, I always suggest that they learn Excel — especially at an advanced level. It’s important to be comfortable with PLM systems and other software used to manage collections, as well as data tools like Power BI or Tableau. These tools are widely used in many companies today.

What advice would you give students on how to build strong networking connections, both online and offline? Are there any specific websites or platforms they can explore to connect with professionals from different areas within the fashion industry? How should they approach this? If you could share your suggestions, that would be really helpful.

Today, it’s definitely easier than in the past to make connections — networking has become much more accessible. Right now, the main platform for professional networking is LinkedIn. It’s a social network for careers, and it really works.

Online, I always recommend students to open a strong LinkedIn profile, join fashion webinars, and become part of industry communities. Great platforms include WGSN, Business of Fashion, and others that help you stay constantly updated — because today, every piece of information counts.

Offline, it’s really important to attend trade shows. Wherever you are, try to find relevant events — especially in countries like Italy, the UK, or France, which are central to the European fashion scene. Of course, there are great shows in the US as well. Even helping out at events or attending showroom visits can lead to real opportunities. That’s why I always say fashion is all about good people and strong connections.

Fashion buying seems to include both analytical and creative sides. Which one is more important for building a career in fashion merchandising? And how do you help students develop both skill sets?

That’s also a tough question. Ideally, it would be a 50/50 balance. But I believe that creativity is something you’re born with, while numbers — although difficult for some — can be learned. So, if we had to assign weight, I’d give a slight edge to creativity.

That said, I always help students bridge numbers and creativity. We do exercises where they analyze sales data and then create a visual assortment based on current trends. They take images from the internet to build a sample collection, and then I ask them to explain their choices: Why that style? Why that price? This helps them develop both taste and business sense, which are essential for buying roles.

Could you share what a typical working day looks like for you as a fashion buyer or merchandiser?

Every day is a bit different, but one consistent task is checking sales and stock first thing in the morning. Even if the numbers don’t shift drastically daily, it’s important to track trends — especially toward the end of the week or month when key changes happen.

Then comes communication with suppliers, reviewing trends, preparing and analyzing orders. You also work closely with teams like marketing and planning to ensure the product aligns with the brand and season. So, it’s a constant process of coordination. Overall, it’s a mix of numbers, creativity, and teamwork — and every day brings something new.

With your 15 years of experience in fashion, what major changes have you seen? How did things look in the beginning, and what’s different today? Are there aspects you miss from the past or things you appreciate more now?

Fashion has changed a lot — both in good and not-so-good ways. In the past, there was more time for personal relationships and using individual judgment. Today, things move much faster, and data plays a much bigger role in every decision.

That said, I do appreciate how technology has improved efficiency and made certain processes more sustainable and cost-effective. For example, processes that used to require a lot of financial resources can now be done more quickly and affordably.

However, I feel that we’ve moved away from the human side of the business. Previously, the personality of the designer or the identity of the brand played a much bigger role. Now, trends dominate, and unfortunately, this has led to overproduction and mass consumption.

About 20 years ago, it was more about quality and craftsmanship — especially with “Made in Italy” being a symbol of excellence. Today, many consumers have lost faith in brands, and I think the future will shift toward individuality and personal style rather than mass trends.

So, we’re really looking at three phases: the past, the present, and what’s coming next. And I believe we’re ready for the future.

What advice would you give your younger self? It’s my favorite question for experienced professionals. What would you have done differently, or what would you worry less about?

That’s a lovely question. I would tell my younger self not to stress too much. Things take time, and experience truly shapes your perspective. I’d remind myself to trust the process, stay curious, and be open to change. It’s important to stay grounded, but also to take risks when the opportunity feels right.

And most importantly — always be kind to yourself while learning.

Yeah, so I would tell myself to take time to learn and to ask questions. Always be very curious — and if you don’t know something, don’t be ashamed to ask. You’re young, and your job is to learn. I believe curiosity is truly what drives a career forward.

Fashion often feels very fast-paced, but the best careers grow step by step. Don’t rush just to “be there” quickly, because along the way, major changes often happen unexpectedly.Another piece of advice I’d give is: don’t be afraid of numbers. They actually help you make better creative decisions. And always focus on building real relationships, because often the people you meet along the way become your biggest opportunities.

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If you’re a small fashion brand owner or fashion marketing professional juggling 13847 tasks at once – writing ALL your marketing copy on a tiny budget can feel like you’ve been hired to style an entire editorial shoot with just three pieces. Impossible! 

Evelina Kaganovitch

Fashion Marketer, Creative Strategist, and Copywriter | Founder of Evelina Kreative
Melbourne, Australia

Evelina helps fashion entrepreneurs craft messaging strategies that convert into high-performing copy for websites, sales pages, ads, emails, and other marketing assets.

If you’re stuck in the middle of pumping out product descriptions, social media posts, ads, emails, and new weekly blog posts… AND you don’t have a fashion copywriter on call 24/7, then you need to read this. 

Here is everything you need to know about making ChatGPT your new copywriting and marketing assistant. If you learn to use AI in your fashion marketing workflow the RIGHT way – you’ll see that it’s 100x MORE reliable than the *assistant* Miranda Priestly always dreamt of.

This isn’t about replacing human creativity; AI hasn’t mastered the art of a perfectly timed fashion reference yet. It’s about using fashion tech to streamline, scale, and speed up your content creation process, giving you MORE time to focus on what you do best… creating amazing fashion experiences for your customers.

Even McKinsey published a report titled Generative AI: Unlocking the future of fashion – confirming what marketers have been saying that AI is NOT going anywhere.

Why ChatGPT is perfect for fashion marketing

Small fashion businesses are turning to AI tools faster than shoppers rush to a sample sale, and here’s why. When you’re bootstrapping a brand, every dollar counts. Traditional copywriting services can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars monthly (and as a fashion copywriter, I can guarantee you they are 100% worth it, BUT they are not worth going into debt for). ChatGPT costs less than a cup of coffee a day and can still create content that grows your marketing and saves you time.

ChatGPT is SO good at doing the 80% of grunt work that in a fashion agency setting, a more junior marketer or copywriter would do. Think of it as a marketing assistant that brings your vision and strategy to life. 

Need social media captions that capture the vibe of your latest collection? Done. 

Want to draft email campaigns for your seasonal sale? Consider it handled. 

Looking for product descriptions that actually sell? ChatGPT can generate these fast.

The best AI for copywriting shines when you’re dealing with high-volume content needs. Instead of staring at a blank page, wondering how to describe your fifteenth pair of earrings this week, you can generate multiple variations and choose the one that resonates most with your brand aesthetic and voice.

The benefits (good) and limitations (bad) of ChatGPT

Benefits of using ChatGPT in fashion marketing:

Speed is ChatGPT’s superpower. What might take you an hour to write can be drafted in minutes, leaving you more time for strategic planning or creative development. Cost-wise, it’s great for small business content marketing. You’re looking at a monthly subscription that costs less than a single freelance blog post.

The versatility factor can’t be ignored either. ChatGPT handles everything from Instagram captions to email sequences to blog posts about styling tips. It’s like having an LBD for your content needs.

Limitations of using ChatGPT in fashion copywriting:

AI generated copy can feel as generic as fast fashion if you don’t add your personal touch. ChatGPT doesn’t understand the subtle emotional triggers that make your brand unique. It can’t capture the feeling of slipping into that perfect vintage jacket or the confidence boost from wearing a piece that truly represents your style.

As I usually tell my clients… “AI works well for tasks like generating product descriptions or email drafts, but it needs a human touch to ensure the messaging resonates with your audience.”

How to Use ChatGPT for copywriting and marketing in your fashion business

Using AI for Email Campaigns 

Email marketing is a great marketing channel for all fashion business owners and fashion marketing professionals. Add ChatGPT to your email marketing tech stack to brainstorm and organise content ideas, draft click-worthy subject lines, and engaging copy.

How ChatGPT can write Product Descriptions

For many small fashion brands, product descriptions are a big time taker. With new styles dropping monthly, or even every few months, it can feel demanding to constantly think of what to write to win over customers to buy your product. Try using ChatGPT to generate your product descriptions, which can help speed up your workflow. 

The best use of ChatGPT for Social Media content

Social Media can feel like a never-ending grind. Many fashion brands rely on social media as a key marketing channel to connect with loyal customers and attract new ones. This means there’s always a need to create new, engaging social media content across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn… and the list goes on. Integrate ChatGPT into your workflow to accelerate the process, reclaim your time, and generate content ideas that genuinely engage your audience. 

Speed up Blog Content creation with AI

If you’re creating educational content like blog posts, authority driven pieces, or writing long form articles, that positions you as a fashion authority, ChatGPT can help. Ask ChatGPT to help create topic outlines, draft blogs, and even edit and spell check final versions. You can ask AI to help you with anything from writing guides, seasonal trends, to styling guides, or industry insights that keep your audience coming back for more.

The 80/20 rule of using ChatGPT in fashion and still sounding human

10% – You come up with the overall strategy and direction of the content and give ChatGPT a really insightful prompt to give you the best output. 

80% – The generative AI does the heavy lifting of coming up with outlines, first drafts, and headline ideas.

10% – You come in for a final edit to give it a ‘human’ touch at the end, ensuring the content still carries your brand’s personality, voice, and tone. 

Simple editing tips for making AI sound *On Brand*

The magic happens in the editing phase. Once you have your ChatGPT generated draft, then adjust the tone to match your brand personality. Make sure you’re clear on your brand values and brand voice so all your content across different channels sounds like YOU or your brand. 

The extra hidden layer is sprinkling in personal anecdotes or specific details that only you would know about your products or design process. 

Pay attention to vocabulary/word choices. If your audience consists of eco-conscious millennials, incorporate sustainability language naturally. If you’re targeting luxury consumers, elevate the sophistication level of your descriptions. 

Use ChatGPT’s regenerate feature strategically. If the first version feels too corporate, ask for a more conversational tone. If it’s too casual, request something more polished. Think of it as having multiple drafts at your fingertips.

Remove anything that looks and feels like the typical ChatGPT content

Here’s a quick checklist of the most commonly used AI nuances and words that make it obvious you used ChatGPT to write your content.

Ready to give your fashion marketing and copywriting a glow up?

ChatGPT is a TOOL. It’s not an entire solution. And it’s a powerful tool to have in your fashion tech stack, especially for small fashion businesses and fashion brand owners balancing multiple responsibilities. 

AI won’t replace the nuanced understanding of a seasoned copywriter, but it can be a great starting point if copywriting and content creation are something you find difficult. Look at AI as your fashion copywriting partner, not your replacement. Use it to overcome writer’s block, generate ideas, and handle routine copywriting tasks, then add your unique perspective to make the content authentically yours.

ChatGPT will never replace hiring a strategic high conversion fashion copywriter

A skilled fashion copywriter can work with you to streamline your entire marketing strategy and funnel. They can create copy that performs above industry averages. 

For brands that rely heavily on content to generate revenue, a fashion copywriter is a great investment to scale your business and connect with your audience on a deep, psychological level. 

When the time comes, if you would like to learn more about hiring a copywriter, DOWNLOAD this FREE GUIDE “How to Hire a Professional Copywriter,” and discover WHEN it’s time to invest in human expertise alongside your AI tools. 

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ChatGPT for Fashion Marketing: AI Copywriting Guide 2025 [Download your free guide – created by high-conversion fashion copywriter]

By Diletta Bortesi, Marketing Director, Fashion & Lifestyle, at Studio Mirari.

Anticipating Uncertainty and Managing the Tariff Impact While Preserving Premium Brand Positioning

If you’re an Italian fashion brand selling in the U.S., chances are you’ve found yourself wondering:
How should we respond to rising tariffs? Should we increase prices? Cut margins? Leave the market altogether?

In spring 2025, these questions became pressing when the U.S. announced potential new duties on Made in Italy apparel. For brands with significant exposure to the American market, the implications went far beyond pricing, they threatened long-term brand perception and customer loyalty.

In this article, we’ll walk you through a real case: a premium Italian fashion brand (with 100% production in Italy) facing this exact challenge. The approach we took, a multi-tiered plan that combined communication strategy, pricing intelligence, logistics and market diversification, offers a model you might find helpful too.

The Challenge: How to Stay Premium Without Losing Customers

Tariffs create a domino effect: production costs rise, prices may need to increase, and customers, especially in the premium and affordable luxury segments, can be quick to walk away.

While some brands chose to pass the cost onto the customer through price hikes, that strategy is risky: it can erode trust and dilute the brand’s value proposition, especially if not handled with care.

Deloitte forecasts show that rising tariffs could significantly dampen U.S. consumer spending in the coming years, highlighting the long-term risks of relying solely on price increases. ¹

¹  Tariffs will impact the economy … and so will uncertainty – Deloitte.com

Meanwhile, new data from Vogue Business (July 2025) confirms that U.S. apparel prices are already rising, with handbags showing some of the steepest increases: Burberry (+12%), Bottega Veneta (+8%), Louis Vuitton (+5%). T-shirts and sunglasses are also climbing across top brands, while only sneakers and wool coats remain stable. As pricing pressure intensifies, even affluent consumers are starting to scale back spending.²

² “Tariffs’ impact on fashion is finally here — here’s what the data shows”, Vogue Business, July 18, 2025.

This highlights the limits of relying solely on price hikes to absorb the cost of tariffs. The goal here was to stay premium, preserve customer trust, and avoid panic, all while building resilience.

Objectives

• Preserve relationships with U.S. customers
  
• Limit the potential financial impact of tariffs
  
• Strengthen the “Made in Italy” brand positioning
  
• Activate alternative strategies to offset potential market losses
  

A Multi-Level Response

1.Direct, Calibrated Communication with End Customers

Rather than staying silent or going full alarmist, the brand added a subtle banner to its U.S. site:

“Shop before it’s too late: your favorite Made in Italy brand may be subject to increased duties.”

It was just enough to prompt action, without creating anxiety. Messaging in email and social channels reinforced this with a sense of exclusivity and timing, rather than fear.

2. Reinforced the Brand Story

Email campaigns targeted at U.S. customers were redesigned to spotlight:

• the craftsmanship behind Made in Italy,
  
• the uniqueness of their production model,
  
• and the opportunity to buy before macroeconomic changes took effect.
  

By weaving these elements into a compelling and authentic narrative, we not only reinforced the brand’s positioning but also encouraged immediate engagement. Remember: consistent storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for building long-term brand equity.

3.New Market Scouting and Strategic Budget Reallocation

Recognizing the need for geographic diversification, the brand launched test campaigns in receptive markets such as Canada, Australia, and the Middle East. This was made possible by a new digital strategy that included:

• shifting focus away from top-of-funnel activity in the U.S.
  
• reallocating budget toward acquisition campaigns in target markets,
  
• using these campaigns to test resonance, price elasticity, and messaging effectiveness to support future distribution opportunities.

By exploring new geographies with agility and strategic intent, the brand positioned itself to mitigate risk and build resilience over the medium term.

4. Strategic Pricing Adjustments and Smarter Shipping 

We didn’t just raise prices across the board. Instead, we:

• adjusted pricing on selected SKUs, avoiding distortions compared to other markets,
  
• optimized shipping and returns costs to preserve customer trust and perceived value on the product
  
• and bundled offers where it made sense ensuring overall business sustainability
  

The goal was to absorb part of the tariff impact while keeping the customer experience seamless.

5. Improved Logistics with a U.S.-Friendly Model

To avoid delays and keep costs down, the brand considered:

• warehousing inventory at wholesale value in the U.S.,
  
• experimenting with on-demand shipments: grouping orders in Italy, shipping in batches to the U.S., and fulfilling locally.
  

This allowed to maintain a seamless and unchanged shopping experience for customers, while improving delivery speed and lowering duties.

The Results

This strategy helped the brand achieve several medium- to long-term goals, including:

• Maintaining a stable performance in the U.S. despite the tariff pressure,
  
• Strengthening brand trust among customers through transparent and timely communication,
  
• Increasing net U.S. revenue by +22.2% YoY, with a +32.3% peak in May 2025,
  

Laying the foundation for sustainable growth in new markets.

Monthly growth in U.S. direct-to-consumer sales throughout 2025

Key Takeaways for Fashion Brands Facing Tariff Pressure

1. Start communicating early but keep it calm, clear, and customer-first.
   
2. Reinforce your brand story, because price adjustments alone won’t win.
   
3. Don’t panic-price, adjust carefully, strategically, and only where needed.
   
4. Use testing to prepare new markets for scalable growth.
   
5. Optimize logistics creatively to cut costs without killing your D2C model.
   
6. Turn the challenge into a brand moment: transparency and agility build long-term trust.
   

If you’re facing similar questions in your organization, we hope this case gives you some good inspiration. Tariffs may be outside your control, but how you respond can shape your brand’s future.

About the author

Diletta Bortesi is a Marketing Director with 20+ years of experience in marketing and communications, focused on the Fashion & Lifestyle sectors. She brings a 360-degree perspective to the field, combining strategic vision with hands-on expertise.

Video commerce is emerging as a powerful tool reshaping the way fashion brands connect with customers and sell products online.

So what is video commerce?
Video commerce refers to selling products directly through video content—either live or pre-recorded—where viewers can click and shop in real-time, without leaving the video. Think of it as QVC meets TikTok, but fully shoppable and digital-first. This trend is already booming in Asia and is steadily gaining traction in Europe and the U.S.

Why is it important now?
Attention is the new currency, and consumers, Gen Z and Millennials in particular, are spending more time watching short videos than browsing traditional eCommerce catalogs. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are not just for entertainment anymore, they are becoming shopping environments, and fashion brands and retailers should be aware of this. Video creates emotional engagement, shows products in action, and builds trust with creators and brand ambassadors.

As Eitan Koter points out, creators are becoming the new commerce engines. They bring authenticity, community, and influence—qualities that static product pages simply can’t match.

“Video commerce is not just the next step in retail and e-commerce evolution, it’s a fundamental shift in how we connect, communicate, and convert attention into action. It empowers brands and creators to merge storytelling with commerce, creating seamless journeys where content becomes the storefront”.

Eitan Koter, Co-CEO at Vimmi

How should fashion brands and retailers approach video commerce?

1. Start small but consistent: Don’t wait to launch a perfect livestream shopping strategy. Begin with shoppable Instagram Reels, TikToks, or styling videos integrated into your PDPs (Product Detail Pages).
2. Collaborate with creators: Influencers and micro-creators can present your products in relatable, real-life contexts.
3. Leverage platforms: Use tools like Bambuser, Livescale, or directly integrate TikTok Shop to make video instantly shoppable.
4. Educate and entertain: It’s not just about “buy now”—use video to tell the brand story, explain materials, and show versatility.

What’s the difference between eCommerce, social commerce, and video commerce?

• eCommerce is the digital storefront—your Shopify or Magento site.
• Social commerce is selling through social platforms like Instagram Shop or TikTok Shop, where discovery and purchase happen within the app.
• Video commerce is a subset of both—using video content to directly drive sales, whether it’s embedded on your site or hosted on social platforms.

The fashion world is flooded with content and products, video commerce cuts through the noise. It’s a format designed for attention, built for engagement, and optimized for conversion.

At Digital Fashion Academy, we believe in continuous professional development that goes hand in hand with digital transformation, and as part of this transformation we recommend to start looking at ways to integrate video commerce your marketing and ecommerce strategies, as this could become as a core pillar of your omnichannel strategy.

The Video Commerce at QVC

QVC, the original home shopping giant, is undergoing a bold transformation.

With a massive decline in traditional TV viewership, 44% down since 2018, the company is now livestreaming on TikTok 24/7, becoming the first constant stream of shoppable content.

This pivot is part of a broader strategy to reinvent itself as a “live social shopping company,” targeting $1.5 billion in sales through social platforms within three years.

For legacy brands like QVC, embracing platforms like TikTok is a survival tactic, and a strategic shift that validates the massive potential of live social commerce.

Glossary of Video Commerce

📘 Glossary: Key Terms in Video Commerce

1. Video Commerce
The use of video content—live or pre-recorded—to showcase and sell products online. It allows viewers to watch, interact, and purchase directly from the video interface.

2. Shoppable Video
A video that includes clickable links or interactive elements allowing viewers to purchase featured products without leaving the video.

3. Livestream Shopping / Live Shopping
A live broadcast (often on social media or eCommerce platforms) where hosts or influencers present products, answer questions, and sell in real-time. Popular in China and gaining ground globally.

4. Short-form Video
Bite-sized video content, usually under 60 seconds, designed for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. Often used to showcase products in a dynamic and entertaining format.

5. Product Tagging
The practice of linking specific products to moments in a video, allowing viewers to click and view product details or make a purchase instantly.

6. Creator Commerce
A model where content creators (influencers, stylists, brand ambassadors) promote and sell products directly through their video content and social media platforms.

7. Social Commerce
Selling products directly through social media platforms like Instagram Shop, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop, or Pinterest. Often includes video, but not exclusively.

8. eCommerce
Traditional online commerce via brand-owned websites or marketplaces (e.g. Shopify, Magento, Amazon), where users browse digital catalogs and complete purchases.

9. PDP (Product Detail Page)
A product-specific page on an eCommerce website that includes images, pricing, size options, and now increasingly includes video content to boost engagement and conversion.

10. Conversion Rate
A key performance metric in eCommerce that measures the percentage of viewers or visitors who take a desired action—usually completing a purchase.

11. Engagement Rate
A measure of how users interact with a video (likes, comments, shares, click-throughs), often used to gauge the effectiveness of video content in video commerce.

12. Video CMS (Content Management System)
A platform or tool used to manage, host, and distribute video content across websites and social media. Some platforms also include analytics and shoppable integrations.

13. Omnichannel Strategy
A unified customer experience across multiple platforms: web, mobile, social, in-store. Video commerce supports omnichannel by merging storytelling, content, and transactions.

14. Interactive Video
Video content that includes user-triggered actions (clicks, hovers, swipes), such as choosing product colors, adding to cart, or jumping to different video sections.

15. Platform Integration
The technical connection between your video content and eCommerce system, enabling real-time product data, pricing updates, inventory sync, and purchase flow.

Andrea Dell’Olio
Head of Marketplaces Boggi Milano

Enrico Fantaguzzi
Co-founder Digital Fashion Academy

Fashion eCommerce is continuously evolving, and events like Shoptalk Europe give us a front-row seat to what’s coming next. We caught up with Andrea Dell’Olio to unpack the biggest takeaways – from AI and brand control to what’s actually driving digital performance right now.

Fresh from attending Shoptalk in Barcelona, Andrea Dell’Olio, Head of marketplaces at Boggi Milano and experienced fashion professional, shares his reflections on the evolving landscape of fashion eCommerce after attending the ShopTalk event in Barcelona. 

In our conversation, we covered the most current topics in fashion digital business from artificial intelligence to the critical role of brand control and logistics performance. Here are the key insights from our discussion.

Shop Talk Barcelona: A Curated, Insightful Experience

Andrea described the Shop Talk Barcelona as “molto ben organizzato, ben curato” (well-organised and thoughtfully curated). Unlike broader industry events, this one was focused, manageable, and filled with high-calibre companies and quality sponsors. A standout feature was the one-to-one meeting format, likened to a “business speed dating”, which helped forge highly relevant connections.

The ancillary events, including a closing party hosted by the Ministry of Sound at Citadelle De Monjuïc, elevated the experience and contributed to valuable networking. However, connecting with major retailers like MyTheresa, Harrods, or Mr Porter proved more challenging, signaling a potential area for improvement.

AI-Powered Product Data: Efficiency and Scalability

One of the most pressing themes from the event – and our conversation – is the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence to enrich product data. Andrea notes growing interest in tools that generate attributes and content directly from product images, helping brands meet marketplace demands without intensive manual effort.

This is particularly crucial for working with platforms like Zalando, whose Z Direct system shows a direct link between enriched product data and performance metrics such as Add to Basket and Return Rate. As this guide on engagement rate and product discovery explains, optimizing how products are surfaced and interacted with is central to driving conversion on marketplaces. AI’s role in automating structured data, enriching content, and improving SEO visibility cannot be overstated.

From Product Images to Performance: How AI Drives Marketplace Success

Tools and partners like Dressipi, IEN, and emerging integrations with DAM/PIM systems (like Salesforce Commerce Cloud) are redefining product information pipelines. 

💬 “A brand must adapt to the environment… without losing its true nature.” – Andrea Dell’Olio

Brand Control is Non-Negotiable

With an increasingly conscious consumer base, especially Gen Z, brand control has become a competitive differentiator. As Andrea puts it, brands must maintain control over pricing, stock, and image to avoid diluting their identity.

“In a constantly changing world, a brand must adapt to the environment, which includes macroeconomic contingencies of a certain type – duties, adverse markets conditions and so on. However, it’s important to maintain relevance and a consistent brand identity, adapting to market conditions without losing your true nature.”

Boggi Milano was cited as a strong example, evolving from a heritage formalwear brand into a full-fledged lifestyle label, now thriving on platforms like Farfetch. But success comes with strategic discipline: avoiding discounting wars, carefully selecting channels, and protecting long-term brand equity, even if that means saying no to Amazon-level reach. As outlined in this overview of luxury fashion eCommerce KPIs, tracking the right performance metrics – while maintaining exclusivity and brand perception, is key to succeeding in the premium space.

Logistics and Last-Mile Excellence

Operational excellence extends beyond product content and brand equity. Andrea emphasised the importance of logistical agility, citing conversations with Zeos (Zalando’s logistics division) about leveraging hybrid business and fulfillment models. Brands are increasingly mixing internal and external logistics to optimise cost-performance ratios and scale efficiently.

In urban markets like Milan, Paris, and London, Same-Day Delivery is fast becoming a benchmark. Consumers now expect Amazon-like speed and service across all premium segments, pushing brands to innovate or risk being left behind.

A Final Note on Barcelona

Having not visited Barcelona in over 15 years, Andrea was struck by the city’s transformation: cleaner, more organised, and deeply international. A fitting backdrop to an event that reflects the spirit of evolution and reinvention permeating the fashion eCommerce world today.

Key Takeaways

• AI is revolutionizing product data creation and SEO performance.
• Brand control across pricing, image, and channel strategy is vital for long-term growth.
• Same-Day Delivery and hybrid logistics are shaping consumer expectations in urban markets.
• Events like Shoptalk are valuable for insight, but execution remains the differentiator.

Conclusion

From AI-driven product data to safeguarding brand integrity and mastering last-mile logistics, fashion brands are navigating a complex digital terrain. Events like Shop Talk offer critical insights and connections, but as Andrea Dell’Olio reminds us, the real challenge lies in how we execute these learnings. The brands that balance innovation with strategic control will shape the future of fashion commerce.

Author: Enrico Fantaguzzi
Co-founder and Director
Digital Fashion Academy

Former Gucci, Yoox, Tod’s
PMP(r), Prince2

From Boutique to Algorithm: How AI is Redefining the Role of the Fashion Sales Assistant

In the age of AI, fashion eCommerce is finally catching up with the personalized attention shoppers once received in physical stores. At the heart of this transformation is Dressipi, now part of the MAP Digital, an AI-powered product data enrichment platform that helps fashion brands deliver personalised shopping experiences at scale.

Speaking during a Digital Fashion Academy session, Dressipi co-founder Sarah McVittie described how the platform was inspired by the intuitive skill of a brilliant shop assistant. “I once walked into a boutique in New York and a stylist picked out five outfits for me—all perfect. I bought them all. That kind of intuition is what we’ve worked to replicate using AI.”

I once walked into a boutique in New York and a stylist picked out five outfits for me—all perfect. I bought them all. That kind of intuition is what we’ve worked to replicate using AI.

Sarah McVittie

Decoding Style with Data

Initially a B2C project, Dressipi shifted to B2B after major UK retailers expressed interest in licensing its taxonomy system. Today, Dressipi enhances product feeds with a deep layer of styling, contextual, and dynamic data—including neckline types, fabric flows, and trend alignment—based on thousands of attributes.

This data doesn’t just optimize websites for conversion. It helps retailers understand what drives customer preferences, return rates, and even emotional resonance. For example, women with larger busts are more likely to return a crew-neck top than a scoop neck, these details impact algorithmic product recommendations.

Real-World Impact: The House of Bruar

John Hodge from The House of Bruar, a Scottish luxury retailer, shared how integrating Dressipi’s technology improved their recommendations. “We tested Dressipi against our existing engine and saw a 5% uplift in incremental value,” he said. “Outfits now reflect our brand DNA and are personalized to the customer’s preferences and context.”

Their team also benefited operationally—reducing manual effort for product tagging and visual merchandising while improving consistency across imagery and attributes.

“Outfits now reflect our brand DNA and are personalised to the customer’s preferences and context.”

John Hodge

Returns, SEO, and the Future of Discovery

Beyond styling, Dressipi tackles a critical challenge in fashion eCommerce: returns. By identifying patterns, such as whether returns are due to size, style, or stock fragmentation—the platform optimises for kept items, not just purchases.

Moreover, as search evolves to prioritize natural language (think “What should I wear to a summer wedding in Edinburgh?”), enriched product data becomes crucial. Dressipi supports brands in creating semantic layers for SEO, marketplaces, and even AI chat interfaces, bridging brand language with customer language.

The evolution of Customer Journey with AI

Drawing on the discussion with Sarah and John, the introduction of AI like Dressipi is significantly changing the customer journey in online fashion retail, aiming to replicate and enhance the personalised experience previously only available in physical stores.

Here are some key ways the customer journey is evolving:

Natural language search

Shift to Natural Language Interaction: The way customers search is changing from traditional keyword-based queries (like “black dress wedding”) to more natural language phrases (such as “looking for a pencil skirt for work that’s smart but a bit glamorous”). AI helps retailers optimise their product data and metadata to be discoverable through these natural language searches.

Highly personalised recommendations

Generic recommendations like “customers like you bought X” are ineffective in fashion due to variations in size, shape, height, weight, gender, and changing preferences. AI uses detailed product data (physical attributes, context, dynamic trends) and understands how specific features look or feel good on different people. This enables the system to create tailored outfit and product suggestions based on the customer’s taste, lifestyle, colour palette, and even physical characteristics, showing them their “best possible shop window”. The system learns from customer interactions over time.

Reduce ecommerce returns

Improved Fit and Reduced Returns: Understanding factors that contribute to returns, such as sizing issues (15-20% of returns) and style suitability (30-50% of returns), is crucial11. By incorporating fit data and understanding how attributes (like necklines) impact suitability for different body types, AI can help predict return likelihood2…. Algorithms can be optimised for “kept items” rather than just conversion rate, meaning customers are shown products they are more likely to keep12. This leads to a more positive post-purchase experience and reduces the frustration associated with returns.

Increase engagement

Style Guidance and Outfit Inspiration: Customers often need guidance on how to put items together. AI creates on-brand outfit suggestions that help customers visualise how to wear products for different occasions (e.g., work, evening, weekend). This helps customers see the versatility of items and encourages investment. The system understands what occasions are applicable for a specific product and suggests items that go well together8.

Consistent and Relevant Browsing: AI ensures that recommendations and product listings use consistent imagery, avoiding a jumbled look1314. Crucially, it takes into account current stock levels, including specific sizes, so customers are only shown products that are actually available to them. The rich, consistent data also allows for more effective and consistent filters and facets on the website, improving the browsing experience.

Marketing analysis

Deeper Customer Understanding and Segmentation: The detailed data generated by AI allows retailers to move beyond basic demographics and create powerful customer segments based on behaviour, preferences, and lifestyle (e.g., equestrian customer, pro farmer). This understanding enables the delivery of experiences and language tailored to these specific segments, making the customer feel understood and increasing engagement.

Integrated Brand Experience: The AI works closely with the brand’s creative team to absorb and reflect the brand’s DNA and styling principles. This ensures that the personalised recommendations and guidance remain true to the brand’s identity and help build resonant brand experiences online. Tailored landing pages can also be created based on customer intent and context.

Final Takeaway

Fashion retailers are realising that data is not just about optimization—it’s about storytelling, styling, and service. As AI reshapes the fashion landscape, tools like Dressipi are making it possible to scale the art of the sales assistant and build genuinely personal digital shopping experiences.

In essence, AI like Dressipi moves the online customer journey from a potentially overwhelming, static catalogue experience to a dynamic, personalised, and guided interaction that better reflects the nuances of fashion and aims to build a stronger connection with the customer

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Matteo Trombetta

Head of eMerchandising at Loewe (LVMH), Madrid

What Is Ecommerce Merchandising?

For Trombetta, digital merchandising is fundamentally about boosting online product sales through strategic visibility, presentation, and timing. But beyond the technicalities, he believes in a more profound role: acting as a product ambassador. In many digital teams where deep fashion or luxury knowledge may be lacking, Trombetta highlights the importance of bringing product knowledge into the digital context through compelling content, sleek design, and engaging marketing initiatives. 

The goal is to ensure every item shines online just as it would in-store.

He anchors his approach in a simple yet powerful merchandising framework:

• Right Product
• Right Place
• Right Time

Ecommerce merchandising, often referred to as digital merchandising, is defined as the “mix of strategies” employed to sell products online effectively through “smart product placement, presentation and product management”.

Its primary objective is to ensure the “right product in the right place and especially… at the right time,” displayed in the most effective manner to boost sales. Beyond simple product listing, it involves a complex set of activities, metrics, and technological integrations.

In practice, this means making sure the correct products are online, well-positioned within the site architecture, and launched in sync with customer needs and brand campaigns. This might be during major shopping events like Christmas or more niche moments such as Father’s Day, which require extra advocacy to gain internal support.

What does an Ecommerce Merchandiser do?

An ecommerce merchandiser acts as a “product ambassador” within an ecommerce team. They serve as a central hub bridging the gap between deep product knowledge and the technical or commercial requirements of the digital team. Their responsibilities require collaboration with various departments:

• Content Teams: Ensuring online assets accurately represent the product to maximise sales.

• IT and UX: Developing functionalities like “virtual try-on” or visual filters.

• Performance Marketing: Influencing which products are highlighted in traffic-driving campaigns.

• Operations: coordinating logistics for sales peaks and special packaging.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Unlike marketing teams that focus on driving traffic, digital merchandising focuses on what happens after a customer arrives. It influences four critical KPIs:

• Conversion: The primary focus is ensuring browsing turns into buying.

• Units Per Transaction (UPT): Increasing the number of items purchased (e.g., through “complete the look” suggestions).

• Average Basket Value (ABV): Encouraging the purchase of higher-value items or enriching the experience to justify premium prices.

• Returns: Merchandising plays a significant role in reducing returns by ensuring accurate sizing information, fit details, and realistic product imagery.

Online Visual Merchandising: The Art of Display

A core component of the role is online visual merchandising, which focuses on “making things beautiful” while boosting brand image and visibility. This involves strategic decisions on how products are sorted and displayed:

• Manual Sorting: Often used by high-end luxury brands to maintain precise aesthetic control and brand storytelling.

• Algorithm-Based: Preferred by mass-market and fast-fashion retailers, where display priority is automated based on stock levels, newness, or conversion rates.

• Hybrid Approach: A common strategy involving manual control for prime page areas (like the top rows of a category page) and automated sorting for lower sections.

The Product Detail Page (PDP)

The PDP is considered a crucial touchpoint for maximising value. Merchandisers optimise this page through:

• Imagery: Using still life, styling shots, and close-ups to “multiply the selling occasions”.

• Detailed Information: Providing specific size and fit data (including model measurements) to reassure customers and prevent returns.

• Cross-selling: Utilising “Shop the Look” features or recommending complementary items (e.g., bag charms with bags) to increase basket value.

The Impact of AI and Technology

Ecommerce merchandising is increasingly driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which offers efficiency and new capabilities:

• Operational Efficiency: AI can automate copy translation, product tagging, and look creation.

• Customer Experience: AI powers virtual try-ons, size prediction based on return data, and personalised product recommendations.

• Generative AI: This technology can now generate complete outfits on models, resolving issues related to sample availability

A career in Ecommerce Merchandising

Few professionals have bridged the gap between luxury branding and digital strategy as seamlessly as Matteo Trombetta. With nearly 13 years of experience working at the intersection of fashion, product, and technology, Trombetta has built a career that exemplifies the power of digital merchandising as both an art and a science.

A Career in Luxury and Passion

Matteo Trombetta began his journey in digital fashion at Louis Vuitton in 2012, where he quickly developed a passion for product presentation and strategy in the online space. His career then expanded through roles at premium high-street brands such as 7 For All Mankind, Guess, and En Rose, gaining cross-segment experience that would become the foundation of his strategic insight.

Eventually, his career came full circle when he returned to LVMH Group, this time as Head of E-Merchandising, leading the digital merchandising function at the very brand where his journey began. For him, this return was not only professional but deeply personal—representing growth, expertise, and a heartfelt connection to the brand and its values.

Key E-commerce Metrics for Digital Merchandising

Through Trombetta’s lens, digital merchandising directly impacts some of the most crucial KPIs in e-commerce:

• Conversion Rate: A core metric influenced by product visibility and presentation.
• Units Per Transaction & Average Basket Value: Areas where tactics like cross-selling, curated looks, and personalized recommendations play a role.
• Return Rate: Often overlooked, returns can be reduced through accurate product content, sizing information, and customer education.

He points out that while traffic generation is usually owned by marketing and performance teams, conversion and return prevention are squarely within merchandising’s control. In his view, the merchandiser is the first line of defense in ensuring the customer gets what they expect, the first time.

Cross-Functional Approach to Digital Merchandising

Trombetta’s approach is deeply collaborative. He positions digital merchandising as a central hub in the broader e-commerce structure, working closely with:

• Content teams to align content marketing with sales objectives.
• UX and design to develop tools like visual filters and product try-ons.
• Analytics to monitor product performance and conversion metrics.
• IT and operations to ensure technical readiness and fulfillment planning.

His hands-on experience ranges across small startups, mid-size fashion labels, and global luxury giants—each offering insights into how merchandising adapts based on organizational scale.

Embracing Change and AI Innovation in Ecommerce Merchandising

A firm believer in staying ahead of the curve, Trombetta acknowledges the growing role of AI in digital merchandising. From personalization engines to automated categorization and performance prediction, AI is reshaping the landscape. While he remains grounded in the fundamentals, he supports the thoughtful integration of AI tools where they can elevate efficiency and decision-making.

He also emphasizes the need for flexibility and openness to change—a trait he considers essential in both the fashion and tech worlds. With new collections, new tools, and evolving customer behaviors, adaptability is key.

How does AI help ecommerce merchandisers?

AI helps predict the best size for customers by analyzing collective shopping behaviors rather than just relying on static measurements.

Specifically, AI algorithms review “what other people have bought” and, crucially, “what other people have returned” to calculate the most accurate fit. By processing this data, the technology can suggest the size that is likely to be the “best for you,” thereby addressing one of the most significant causes of returns in online fashion.

In addition to data-driven sizing recommendations, AI also supports sizing through “Virtual Try-On and Augmented Reality,” which allows customers to visualize products (such as sneakers or bags) on their own bodies to better judge scale and fit

What is the difference between Manual and Algorithm-based merchandising?

The difference between manual and algorithm-based product sorting lies primarily in the balance between aesthetic control and commercial efficiency, often dictating which strategy a retailer chooses based on their market positioning.

These sorting methods are part of Online Visual Merchandising, the process of “making things beautiful” while boosting visibility and sales.

Manual Sorting

This approach is typically favoured by high-end luxury brands where the brand image and storytelling are paramount.

• Purpose: It allows for “precise aesthetic control and asset placement”. Merchandisers manually curate the page to tell a specific story, ensuring that colours, styles, and “looks” complement each other perfectly.

• Application: It is used when the visual narrative is more important than raw speed, requiring a merchandiser to painstakingly arrange products to maintain a “spotless” and high-quality “flagship store” experience online.

Algorithm-Based Sorting

This method is the standard for mass-market and fast-fashion companies dealing with large inventories and high turnover.

• Purpose: It prioritises efficiency and commercial metrics over strict visual curation. The system automatically arranges products based on hard data such as “stock, newness, [or] conversion rate”.

• Application: This is highly effective for maximizing sales volume and operational efficiency, though it is generally “less aesthetically driven” than manual curation.

The Mixed Approach

In practice, many retailers employ a “mixed approach” to balance these needs.

• Strategy: This involves using manual control for “prime page areas” (such as the top rows of a category page) to set the tone and inspire the customer, while allowing algorithms to automate the sorting for lower sections or specific high-volume pages like sales sections.

• Evolution: As a brand moves from high-end luxury toward more commercial sectors, the strategy typically shifts from being very manual to becoming “a little bit more algorithm based”

Can AI create full outfits without physical product samples?

Yes, Generative AI is capable of creating “complete outfits on top of models” without the need for physical product samples.

This technology provides a solution for logistical challenges such as “late samples or unavailable models,” allowing merchandisers to generate necessary visual content even if the physical items are not yet on hand. However, the sources note that while this capability offers efficiency, it also raises “ethical implications” regarding the creation of synthetic imagery

How does AI automate product tagging and categorization?

AI automates product tagging and categorisation primarily by analysing visual data. By scanning “product pictures,” AI algorithms can “automatically understand” the nature of an item—for instance, determining if a specific garment belongs on the “jackets page”.

This technology streamlines the merchandising process in two key ways:

• Automated Categorisation: It removes the need for manual sorting by automatically placing items into their correct product categories based on visual recognition.

• Tag Application: It can automatically apply specific status labels to items, such as the “new tag” for recent arrivals.

The implementation of these AI tools leads to significant improvements in both “efficiency and accuracy measures” within digital merchandising operations

What Makes a Great Ecommerce Merchandiser?

Trombetta identifies several core traits that define a successful digital merchandiser:

• Passion for product and sales
• Commercial mindset
• Attention to detail
• Flexibility and resilience to change
• Strong analytical thinking

At its best, digital merchandising isn’t just about presenting products—it’s about understanding them deeply, selling them smartly, and creating a seamless customer experience that reflects the brand’s identity.

Where Luxury Meets Logic

Matteo Trombetta’s work underscores the vital role digital merchandising plays in today’s retail economy. With his blend of strategic thinking, product knowledge, and digital fluency, he represents a new generation of merchandising leaders, ones who aren’t just selling products, but crafting experiences.

“A digital merchandiser is not just selling products, he’s crafting experiences.” 

Matteo Trombetta

As brands continue to compete in a saturated and digital-first world, voices like Trombetta’s offer a clear reminder: great merchandising is equal parts intuition, data, and storytelling. And when done right, it becomes the bridge between the heart of a brand and the fingertips of the customer.

Download the Guide. How to launch a product online 

To successfully launch a product online, you need four key components: product images, clear and localized descriptions, accurate pricing, and available stock. While this sounds simple, coordinating all these elements—especially translations and asset validation across internal and external teams—can be complex and time-consuming.

1. Pricing. Pricing is typically handled by a dedicated team, but it must be in place for a product to be shoppable. 
2. Stock availability, while monitored by planning teams, is also a merchandising concern to ensure that products with sufficient inventory are prioritized for visibility and promotion.
3. Assets
   1. High-quality photography—ranging from still-life shots to detailed styling and fit images—is essential in luxury e-commerce to showcase value and minimize returns.
   2. PDP Features. On the product detail page (PDP), cross-sell features like color selectors, alternate lengths, and style pairings help increase engagement and average basket size.
   3. Copy. Finally, the PDP copy plays a dual role: it supports SEO by being keyword-rich and informative, and it also reassures customers by providing sizing, fit, and traceability information—especially important for sustainability-conscious shoppers.
4. Visibility. Once the assets are ready, the product must be “activated”—this means placing it in the right categories and ensuring it’s visible across the site. This step is the digital equivalent of a store associate unpacking and displaying merchandise.
5. Presentation & Visibility. After a product is live, the focus shifts to how and where it’s presented. The homepage acts as digital prime real estate, used for major brand messages and commercial pushes. Navigation, once purely functional, now includes visual elements and campaign highlights to guide the customer journey.
   1. Landing pages provide storytelling and editorial content, while product listing pages (PLPs) drive direct product discovery and conversion. Together, these help users move from inspiration to purchase. Gifting pages and curated product edits—such as “wedding guest outfits”, are increasingly used to match seasonal trends and customer intent, especially around key events.
   2. In fast fashion, “new in” pages are critical because customers expect high turnover and constant freshness. These pages often drive the highest engagement.
   3. Internal search bars, used by 10–20% of visitors, tend to lead to higher conversion rates—especially when optimized to reflect what users are actively looking for.
   4. Filters & Sorting tools, especially visual ones, enhance mobile browsing by helping users quickly refine their searches.
   5. Product tags like “New In” or “3D View” help communicate unique selling points immediately, often before users even click through to a product page.
   6. Live chat & Chatbots support, often triggered after a delay, offers help at key points in the journey without being intrusive. 

Download the Ecommerce Merchandising Checklist

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By Enrico Fantaguzzi, Editor-in-Chief, Digital Fashion Academy

May 25th 2025, updated

At Google’s annual I/O conference for developers, Google announced several new advances, including a more personalised multimodal AI search experience for shopping queries, agentic checkout capabilities and an enhancement to its virtual try-on tool that will allow users to see products on their own body.  

What does “agentic” checkout mean?

Agentic checkout, it’s an ecommerce check out that behaves autonomously. I.e. the check out acts like an agent that completes a series of actions without you being involved. For example the agentic checkout could ask you, “Do you want to buy this product?” and, if you say yes, it might be able to complete the purchase on it’s own.

How is the agentic checkout able to complete a purchase on your behalf?

The agentic check out can complete the purchase on our behalf if it has all the necessary information to complete the checkout. First of all it needs the payment method saved – Google Pay wallet – and then it may need confirmation of your shipping address.

Google’s AI virtual try-on (VTO)

Virtual try ons are not new to the digital fashion industry, I personally used virtual try ones and virtual fitting solutions in some of the companies I worked for (Twinset, 7 For All Mankind) with excellent results in terms of conversion rate but recently the improvements in AI have made possible to achieve more efficiency (savings) to implement VTO for fashion products.

At I/O 2025, Google unveiled a significant upgrade to its AI Mode shopping experience: a powerful virtual try-on feature that allows users to upload their own photos and visualise garments on their bodies. Powered by advanced generative AI, the system simulates fabric fit and texture across various body types, promising a new level of personalization in online shopping.

This development has the potential to be a game-changer for fashion e-commerce. But beyond the consumer-facing benefits, what does this mean for fashion brands, especially those navigating the complexities of digital transformation?

Organizational Impact

Fashion brands will need to rethink how they organize their product content. To fully take advantage of AI-powered platforms like Google’s, brands must invest in rich, structured product data, including detailed images, accurate sizing information, and standardized metadata. Product photography will likely need to evolve to include multi-angle, high-resolution, and fabric-dynamic visuals that AI models can effectively process.

Furthermore, cross-functional teams, marketing, merchandising, IT, and customer experience, will need to collaborate more closely to align content creation, technology integration, and user experience. This may drive brands to create or expand dedicated digital innovation teams.

Business Strategy Implications

From a business perspective, these AI tools could significantly impact conversion rates, return rates, and customer satisfaction. By reducing the uncertainty associated with fit and appearance, virtual try-on tools may decrease returns, one of the biggest operational costs in online fashion retail.

Additionally, AI-powered personalization could improve customer loyalty by offering a more tailored experience. Brands that successfully integrate these tools may also gain a competitive edge in SEO and product discoverability, especially if they are early adopters and featured in Google Shopping results.

However, brands must also consider data privacy, AI ethics, and moderation challenges. Reports have already highlighted potential misuses of generative AI in retail contexts, including the generation of hypersexualized imagery. This underlines the need for responsible implementation, clear user safeguards, and rigorous testing before adopting such features at scale.

The Road Ahead

As AI redefines how consumers interact with products online, fashion companies must evolve, not just in terms of tech adoption, but in mindset and internal workflows. This is not just a marketing opportunity, but a strategic inflection point: the brands that adapt their structures, teams, and processes for a digitally immersive future will be the ones that thrive.

Supporting and integrating with third party applications such as Google AI or ChatGPT is just a first step in a digital transformation process that need to create value for the customer

Enrico Fantaguzzi

However, supporting and integrating third party applications such as Google AI or ChatGPT is just a first step in a digital transformation process that need to create value for the customer. Google’s “Shopping Graph now has more than 50 billion product listings, from global retailers to local mom and pop shops, each with details like reviews, prices, color options and availability”, so that customers have more options to select from, however people don’t just buy a new product everytime they go on a trip or to a party, therefore customers should be allowed to integrate the AI features within their own wardrobe. This would allow people to integrate their current selection of garments with new products that their missing. This step is critical for user experience but also to create a sustainable digital fashion industry,

At Digital Fashion Academy, we believe that understanding and leveraging these technologies is no longer optional, it’s essential. We’ll continue to monitor these developments and support fashion professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to lead in the age of AI.

Sources

• Google Blog: AI Mode and Virtual Try-On Update
  
• The Atlantic: Google’s Shopping Tool and AI Image Ethics
  
• Google I/O 2025 Recap (for context on product announcements)

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