Sports company Puma is moving its e-commerce infrastructure, elevating its capabilities to support future innovations in generative AI and virtual technologies, and centralizing its data efforts.
The company has partnered with Google Cloud to create a global e-commerce data platform, moving parts of its e-commerce ecosystem, including Puma.com, and integrating artificial intelligence-driven features into the over the next few years.
A system powered by data
Puma’s increased accessibility to valuable, consolidated data has helped the company translate deeper consumer insights into frictionless commerce and more personal shopping experiences, both online and offline, said Pancho Ortuzar, global director of e-commerce engineering at Puma, in a statement. This effort creates a unique data engine providing increased visibility into how audiences interact with the brand and its digital content.
“Migrating our e-commerce infrastructure to Google Cloud will significantly accelerate our efforts to make Puma’s direct-to-consumer channels a significant driver of the company’s overall growth,” he added.
Ortuzar said the centralized customer data platform will provide Puma with high-quality technology to support analytics, data governance and security, taking into account common data standards and API management .
Delve deeper into AI
AI capabilities include AI-powered search, an AI generative shopping assistant, and a virtual try-on option that leverages AI-generated content. Additionally, Puma will scale up its loyalty efforts using AI, creating more targeted promotional offers and speeding up the rewards transaction process.
“Family has always played an important role in the Puma experience, and our AI-driven approach to loyalty will help us better understand and reward customers based not only on their individual needs, but also their family needs ” said Ortuzar.
Ortuzar added that streamlining the company’s technology stack will break down data silos and enable associates to pursue innovative uses of AI and other technologies to build stronger relationships with consumers.
According to Google, the initiative is showing initial results, including an average order value increasing by 19% thanks to Big Query and Google Analytics integrations. The technology company reports that Puma has gained a better understanding of its customers and inventory to better leverage personalization tactics and communicate stock levels to consumers looking to shop at nearby stores.
More Consumer Goods Companies Step Up Their Tech Efforts
Puma joins the ranks of other consumer goods companies leveraging Google’s cloud and AI technologies to improve their IT infrastructure.
For example, European lingerie brand Hunkemöller International BV has moved to the cloud to meet its growing data needs so it can offer more personalized shopping insights as part of its omnichannel sales strategy.
Additionally, UK-based DTC fitness Gymshark clothing brand leverages data warehousing, analytics tools, and AI and machine learning technologies to leverage AI-Driven Assistants which will guide consumers through the online product selection process
