Walmart has introduced a new visual search tool called TrendGetter, aimed at helping customers find their desired items or similar products at lower prices during the holiday shopping season. The tool builds on Walmart’s previous experiments with image recognition technology, such as its 2017 launch of the Hayneedle iOS mobile app with visual search. Other retailers using visual search technology have reported success, with Forever 21 citing a rise in sales conversions and an uptick in average purchase value following its 2018 launch of a visual search function. In recent months, other companies, such as Etsy and Fast Simon, have also introduced visual search to their platforms.
Other retailers using visual search technology have reported success. Forever 21, for example, said the company saw a rise in sales conversions and an uptick in average purchase value following its 2018 launch of a visual search and navigation function for its website.
Meanwhile, other companies have been introducing visual search to their platforms. In October 2021, Fast Simon launched multiple AI visual search tools for sellers’ e-commerce sites. For customers, the technology helps them find products using images from Instagram, their smartphones or store catalogs.
In a similar move, Etsy debuted visual image search functionality last month. Within the app, Etsy users can tap the camera icon in the search bar, upload or take an image and search for similar items on the site. Other tech platforms, including Shnap, Pinterest and Google, have also added visual search features to help connect shoppers with merchants selling the products they’re seeking.
Here’s how it works
- Visit TrendGetter.com.
- Simply take a picture of an item you love, or upload an image from your device.
- Then, let TrendGetter get to work and find similar items at great prices on Walmart.com.
- Select and purchase your item in a fast and easy experience.
Highlights
- Joining other companies in creating visual search tools, Walmart has launched TrendGetter, an image recognition tool that helps shoppers find discounts on the items they’re searching for, the company announced Thursday in a press release.
- To use the technology, customers can go to the TrendGetter website, take a picture of the item they’re searching for or upload an image from their device, and pick the item or a similar product that the tool found, the company said.
- On its FAQ page, the retailer said it will delete photos after the tool searches for the item in its product catalog. While shoppers can look for everything from apparel and tech to toys and home decor, the tool can only look for one item at a time.
Hi, I’m Oren, founder at BIGINTRO, a content strategy agency that helps B2B companies drive growth. We develop search, social, PR, and content marketing strategies tailored to business goals. I also have a dog named Milo.