Debenhams Group turns to AWS to implement GenAI

Debenhams Group, the parent company of fashion retailers PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen and Boohoo, has signed a multi-year AI agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to streamline operations and change how customers discover and purchase products across its brands.

The Debenhams brand, which vanished from UK high streets in 2021, was bought out of administration by Boohoo group in 2022 and now operates solely online. Boohoo decided to rebrand as Debenhams Group in March this year as the online fashion firm hailed the turnaround of the department store brand. AWS has been a core IT partner for the business for some time, with the new AI implementation building upon Debenhams' existing cloud-first architecture which sits on AWS and already powers its marketplace model.

“Collaborating with AWS is a key part of our long-term strategy to transform Debenhams Group into a modern, technology-led retailer, said Dan Finley, chief executive of Debenhams Group. "We’ve successfully replaced outdated legacy systems with scalable, cloud-first architecture that’s adaptable, resilient and built to support innovation well into the group’s future.”

The partnership leverages AWS's generative AI capabilities, (via Amazon Bedrock) to deliver personalised shopping experiences at scale. Following successful trials on the Debenhams platform, the technology is now being rolled out across the group's portfolio, including recent implementation at Boohoo. AWS's AI service can automate product descriptions and translations at a quoted twenty times the previous speed, processing thousands of items simultaneously. Debenhams is also launching an Interactive AI Room Styler that allows customers to upload photos of their spaces, select design preferences, and receive personalised decor recommendations linked directly to purchasable products.

Debenhams is a great example of an organisation that has not only had to reinvent itself as high street trends changed, but also invested in strengthening their technology foundations to enable them to quickly build and deploy innovative new AI-powered products and services at scale. Whilst Debenhams deal with AWS is focused on using AI to enhance the customer experience, we have also seen it applied to streamline back-office operations as well. For example JD Sports announced in May it was partnering with supply chain software supplier o9 to implement AI in an effort to transform its assortment planning operation (See - JD Sports and British Airways look to AI for efficiency gains)

Posted by: Simon Baxter at 09:16

Tags: retail   AI   customer+experience