IN THE KNOW
July 2024
How AI Can Help Jewelers
Why there’s never been a better time to implement AI at your jewelry store.
Megan Crabtree
Joryel Vera
Fine Silver Jewelry
Sterling silver rhodium
finish with rhodolite
garnet: & white topaz
MSRP $485
561.508.2945
E.L. Designs
Men’s sterling silver
bracelet with 14K
gold wrap accents
MSRP $2,060
800.828.1122
Samuel B
Sterling silver & 18K
yellow gold twisted
cable “David Bangle”
with hammered gold
endcaps
MSRP $239
516.455.2615
Phillip Gavriel
Popcorn teardrop
cuff in silver &
18K gold with 12ct
diamonds
MSRP $640
800.622.0960
With tools like ChatGPT and AI art generators taking the internet by storm, the possibilities for artificial intelligence seem practically limitless. Which begs the question: Can AI have useful applications in the jewelry industry?
The truth is, AI in retail is nothing new, and will only grow in popularity in the coming years. According to a report by Fact.MR, global demand for artificial intelligence technology in retail is expected to increase at a CAGR of 30.3% in the next 10 years.
In this article, I’ll explain everything jewelry businesses need to know about AI, including what it is, how it differs from automation, and how it can help you at your jewelry business.
WHAT IS AI?
AI, or artificial intelligence, is technology that uses real-time data, algorithms, and machine learning to simulate human thinking. Depending on the tool, artificial intelligence can be programmed to perform any number of tasks human workers usually perform, including creating content, making product recommendations, and tracking inventory.
HOW AI CAN HELP JEWELERS
With so many different applications, AI offers a number of benefits that have already transformed the retail landscape and will continue to reshape retail experiences in the jewelry industry in years to come.
Let’s break down a few of the ways AI can benefit jewelers.
Encourages data-driven decision-making
AI relies on data to do its job, which in turn encourages retailers to use data to make better business decisions. Rather than taking hunches and guesses on customer preferences, you can use AI to make strategic, data-driven decisions that provide a better experience to customers.
Enhances the customer experience
Next, retail AI is designed to optimize the shopping process for both retailers and their buyers, so when done right, it improves customer satisfaction as a result. AI allows jewelers to offer shoppers things like personalized services, faster checkout times, and more relevant customer experiences. All things that customers increasingly expect from businesses today. And for the jewelers that are offering these kinds of services, it can do great things for their customer engagement and overall conversion rates.
Allows brick-and-mortar retailers to stay relevant
While physical stores certainly aren’t going away any time soon, the convenience of online shopping is always attractive for today’s consumers—which means brickand- mortar retailers need to offer real value for their shoppers to make the effort they make to visit your store worth it. AI is a great way to prove that your physical store can compete with online jewelry retailers and is still relevant in today’s retail market. Even if your use of AI is only on behind-the-scenes things like tracking inventory or financial planning, your customers will still feel the difference. After all, everything you do—even if it’s not immediately customer-facing—is ultimately done to better serve your customer.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AI AND AUTOMATION?
If you’re not ready for a total digital transformation at your retail store with AI, automation is a great step toward utilizing retail technology without entirely transforming your business with AI.
While AI uses machine learning to identify customer behavior patterns and adjust as needed, automation is amore basic tool that simply relies on a manual input of data to perform a task on repeat when triggered.
So, while AI is always learning and creating, automation will keep doing the same thing, day after day, rain, or shine. Which is great for when you want repeated reminders, a consistent cadence of emails to go out, or notifications alerting you to suspicious activity.
There are a number of tools in the retail industry that utilize both automation and AI. Clientbook is one of them. Clientbook is a mobile app and web platform that facilitates a variety of both manual and automated tasks for retailers, including client management, messaging, reporting, and more.
CONCLUSION
Given all the buzz around AI, it’s no surprise that it’s found its way into the jewelry industry. However, it can be a challenge for jewelers to keep up with all the changes. Luckily, there are smaller steps retailers can take to make the most of retail technology without completely altering their everyday practices. By implementing a tool like Clientbook, you can easily start tracking customer data, making personalized product recommendations, and offering the kinds of retail experiences today’s consumers expect.