On November 3, Zalando launched its first AI shopping agent. And in the wake of that, Zalando Extended was announced: tomorrow, from the Zalando app, an agent will be able to buy for you products sold… on other sites. A first pilot is already running with Westwing, the home décor specialist.
Read slowly: the European online fashion leader is willing to sell what it does not have in stock, provided that the customer does not leave its app.
Why? Because the starting point of shopping is shifting. We no longer type a search; we ask an AI to compare, to verify stock, to recommend. Zalando prefers to be the place where the question is asked rather than a line in someone else’s answer.
Thus: An agent is not swayed by a red banner. It reads clear information, verifiable prices, reviews, a reputation. But it chooses for a human. And a human, between two proposals, will go toward the brand they know and already love.
If I’ve understood correctly: the more purchases are automated, the more the brand matters. Creativity no longer serves only to make people click. It serves to be preferred even before the question is asked.
Who knows, this Black Friday will probably be the last “old-fashioned” one… See you next year.
#AI #Ecommerce #BlackFriday #Marketing #Brand #AIAgent #Nextage