How AI Revolutionizing Fashion Retail in Middle East ?
What was once an exclusive privilege of the wealthy—personal styling services—is now accessible to everyone, thanks to advancements in generative artificial intelligence. This innovation is transforming shopping experiences by helping consumers effortlessly find looks tailored to their body types and special occasions.
Leading the charge in the Middle East and North Africa is Taffi, a Riyadh-based AI-powered fashion marketplace. Its latest creation, Amira, is redefining how shoppers engage with fashion. This AI-driven personal stylist uses advanced machine learning and generative AI to deliver personalized, trend-inspired recommendations rooted in the region’s fashion sensibilities.
Launched in September, Amira was developed with insights from over 180 expert fashion stylists across the Middle East. These professionals contributed tens of thousands of recommendations, ensuring that the AI reflects local tastes and cultural preferences.
Taffi’s co-founder and CEO, Shahad Geoffrey, describes Amira as “the best friend who knows your style better than you do, eliminating the guesswork in shopping.” Geoffrey highlights that Amira engages users at every stage of their shopping journey, helping them make faster, more informed decisions.
Amira’s key features include:
- Search Assistant: Allows users to find complete styles directly from the store’s search box, eliminating irrelevant results.
- Discovery Assistant: Recommends new, relevant products based on preferences.
- Product Stylist: Suggests complementary items for upselling.
Integrated through a floating chat widget, Amira offers real-time, conversational advice tailored to individual preferences. This transforms the shopping journey into a seamless, AI-assisted experience.
Geoffrey notes, “Amira provides hyper-personalized recommendations based on style, lifestyle, size, physical attributes, budget, and even existing wardrobes. It also inspires users with ideas for mixing and matching outfits, while reducing choice overload and simplifying decision-making.”
The impact of AI on the shopping experience is significant: it saves time, provides trusted recommendations, and helps shoppers discover new trends and purpose-driven outfits efficiently.
Booming Fashion Market
Saudi Arabia’s fashion industry is expected to grow by 48% annually from 2021 to 2025, as the Kingdom diversifies its economy, according to a 2024 report by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority. The fashion sector’s total value, including international brands, reached $24.6 billion in 2022.
Taffi was born out of Geoffrey’s personal frustration with traditional online shopping. She recalls, “I always dreamed of having a virtual fashion assistant that truly understood my needs and preferences. Taffi brings that vision to life, empowering shoppers with a simplified, personalized shopping experience.”
Founded in 2021 by Geoffrey and Pradeep Bisht, Taffi leverages machine learning, ChatGPT-4, and generative AI to recommend outfits tailored to users’ preferences, occasions, and budgets. This innovative approach has already delivered impressive results:
- Users engaging with Taffi achieved a 15% sales conversion rate, compared to just 0.67% for non-users.
- Average order values were 55% higher for purchases made via the platform.
These statistics underscore the challenges of traditional e-commerce, particularly in fashion. Originally designed to sell books, e-commerce platforms have struggled to adapt to modern consumer demands. Fashion e-commerce, in particular, often overwhelms shoppers with impersonal choices, leading to high cart abandonment rates and poor conversion metrics.
Amira addresses these issues head-on, offering a more engaging and tailored shopping experience. Brands integrating Amira into their platforms have reported increased customer satisfaction and elevated brand perception.
Future of AI in Fashion
Geoffrey envisions AI fundamentally reshaping the fashion industry—from garment design and smarter inventory management to streamlining manufacturing and enabling greater sustainability. “AI will transform the entire shopping experience, from discovery to checkout,” she says. Innovations such as virtual try-ons and real-time fashion assistants are just the beginning.
By enhancing supply chains, driving inclusivity, and optimizing operations, AI has the potential to unlock significant revenue growth and cost efficiencies for brands. “What we see today in AI is merely the tip of the iceberg,” Geoffrey concludes. “The possibilities for revolutionizing the fashion industry are endless.”
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