Innovation of the Week: Debenhams Group partners with AWS for AI acceleration

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Innovation of the Week is a series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our team. Every week, we bring you new ideas and case studies across consumer, technology, sustainability, economy, policy and industry.

What is it?

Debenhams Group, formerly known as Boohoo Group, has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help accelerate its AI adoption.

The online retail group which operates Debenhams, Pretty Little Thing, Boohoo, Boohoo Man and Karen Millen, has entered a multi-year agreement with AWS, which will help streamline its operations and scale new brands through AI tools.

Both have collaborated before, as the group uses AWS cloud services on its platform to power its marketplace model by aiding faster onboarding of third-party sellers, a broader product range, and an effortless buying experience.

The extended partnership means Debenhams can deploy advanced technologies like generative AI to deliver business value through “increased operational efficiencies and improved personalisation”.

The AI-generated content by Amazon Bedrock will allow the group to automate product descriptions and translations across 10s of thousands of products with the aim of improving consistency, localisation and speed to market.

Why does it matter?

A successful trial showed that automating product descriptions made the process 20 times faster, while translations into six languages happen automatically with no extra work. Products can then be sold across different countries at a faster rate.

Debenhams’ interactive AI room styler developed with AWS’ prototyping investment programme, has also been created for customer experience.

It lets customers upload an image, select a design style, and receive personalised decor suggestions that can link directly to shoppable listings.

AI-powered product attribution and taxonomy will also make search and navigation more intuitive for customers to find the right products at speed.

Strategic implications

Following the initial rollout across Debenhams Group, it will now use AWS technology across its other brands. Boohoo will adopt these AI technologies in the coming weeks.

The collaboration is part of Debenhams Group’s strategy to become a “modern, technology-led retailer,” according to chief executive Dan Finley.

“Our strategic investment in AI and emerging technologies will not only future proof the business, but create a faster, smarter and more personalised experience for our customers. Working closely with a hand-picked team of engineers and AWS specialists, together, we’re not only accelerating our digital road-map, but making Debenhams Group an exciting place to work for the next generation of tech talent.”