A.S. Watson to offer AI online skincare advisor service in Asia next year

share on

twitter /
facebook /
linkedin /
- email
- telegram
- whatsapp
- wechat
- pinterest
- line
- snapchat
- reddit

As the pandemic has changed consumers' preferences and their behaviours, many brands have pivoted their strategies to enhance their digital offerings which could help drive sales. A.S. Watson said in the upcoming year, the company will expand an AI offering to Asian markets.

A.S. Watson has introduced a Tech Partner programme to accelerate digital transformation with an investment of US$1.6 billion investment since 2012. Within its Tech Partner ecosystem, A.S. Watson has been working with its Tech Partner Revieve to develop an AI-powered Skin Advisor, which analyses skin conditions to give suitable product recommendations based on biometric data. Currently, Superdrug’s customers in the UK can take a selfie and answer some simple questions to receive personalised and in-depth skin analysis, as well as a bespoke list of product recommendations on a mobile device.

Since its introduction, Superdrug has seen an over 20% increase in average order value and over 100% improvement in conversion rates. The company said the AI online skincare advisor service will roll out in Asia in the first half of 2022.

"Leveraging the online plus offline AI solution, we can make the new digital experience personalised, pleasant and effortless to our customers. Our eLab team will continue to utilise the latest retail technology to make shopping across any touchpoint with our brands - whether digitally or in-store - a real pleasure," said Dan Jarvis, chief digital officer of A.S. Watson Group (Europe).

Meanwhile, the group's ColourMe service, available in a number of markets such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore, which makes product recommendations and allows customers to virtually try on s cosmetics, has reached 33 million try-ons since launch, with the conversion rate increasing by up to five times.

"A.S. Watson has recently been named in the Retail Week Tech 100 List, the annual index of technology leaders influencing retail, in recognition of our seamless strategies in offline and online presence. We will continue to develop new solutions that truly put our customers at the core of our business, giving them the best possible O+O shopping experience while surprising and delighting them during their shopping journey," said Freda Ng, chief digital officer of A.S. Watson Group (Asia).

share on