eBay Introduces AI-Powered ‘Shop the Look’ Feature to Find Personalised Outfits

eBay, the popular US-based ecommerce platform, has added a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based feature for iOS app users. The feature, dubbed ‘Shop the Look' allows users to check outfit inspirations and shop for similar items through generative AI capabilities. The company said the feature will be personalised based on the user's on-platform behaviour and help them shop for particular looks and understand how different items complement each other. The feature is currently only available in the US and the UK.

In a community post, eBay announced the new feature on Tuesday. Announcing the AI-powered Shop the Look feature, the post stated, “Shop the Look is an immersive carousel of looks, tailored to our customers' shopping history, complete with interactive hotspots that reveal similar items and outfit inspirations.”

An iOS user residing in the US or the UK can open the app and find the Shop the Look carousel on the home page as well as the fashion landing page. The section is a simple carousel where users will see models wearing different outfits categorised into different styles and themes. When clicking on an outfit, users will see interactive hotspot buttons for different outfit items. For instance, a woman wearing a top, skirt and boots will show three hotspots corresponding to the item. Clicking on any of the buttons will then open a panel with similar items. eBay says the options will include both luxury items as well as pre-owned items.

The feature also uses the ecommerce platform's recommendation engine and suggests outfits in the carousel based on a user's shopping and in-app behaviour. An algorithm analyses this behaviour and identifies other outfits that they might like which is then shown in the carousel. “With this approach, we offer a shopping experience that not only understands our customers' preferences, but also evolves with them over time,” the post added.

eBay also highlighted that the feature can be helpful for users to identify the latest trends and develop an understanding of how to integrate fashion items naturally with a particular wardrobe. The feature will show up for users who have viewed at least 10 fashion items in the past 180 days. The ecommerce platform also said that an Android app is in the works and could launch later this year. However, it did not share any plans to expand the feature in other regions.