Post by Alex Hamben

AI is about to break the traditional online shopping journey, and fashion brands need to adapt. Fast. Here’s a framework I’m using to think about what’s coming and how brands should respond: 💡 Two questions define the new online shopper: 1. How high is their intent to buy right now? 2. How strong is their affinity to a specific brand? Put those on a 2x2 grid, and you get four distinct shopping behaviors: 🔹 1. High Intent, Low Affinity "I need new sneakers." These shoppers care about price, features, and delivery - not brand. They’ll increasingly turn to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Daydream or Perplexity to get instant product suggestions. ✅ What to do: Optimize your product data - metafields, product descriptions, shipping times - so you’re favored by AI recommendation engines. Stay up-to-date on their integrations. 🔹 2. High Intent, High Affinity "I need new *Adidas* sneakers." These shoppers are brand-loyal and mission-driven. They’ll go directly to your site - but will expect an AI-native experience, not 2012-era filters. ✅ What to do: Bring conversational AI into your on-site discovery. Chat-to-shop won’t be a gimmick – it’ll be table stakes. (Yes, Depict is working on this.) 🔹 3. Low Intent, Low Affinity "I’m just browsing." This is classic top-of-funnel. They’re scrolling TikTok or Instagram looking for inspiration - not shopping yet. ✅ What to do: Invest in social. Think influencer drops, UGC, and aesthetic storytelling that earns attention when no one’s searching. 🔹 4. Low Intent, High Affinity "Let’s see what Acne just dropped." These users aren’t looking to buy, but they’re emotionally attached - you’re part of their identity. ✅ What to do: Keep them engaged. Nail your “New Arrivals” curation and use email/SMS to drive them back when you launch something fresh. --- 🎯 Bottom line: In the short term, AI will disrupt search-heavy, high-intent shopping first. But the long-term game is brand affinity - and smart brands will use AI to win both. Want to go deeper into how this impacts your brand’s product discovery or merchandising strategy? –> Shoot me a DM.