Mercari, the online marketplace connecting millions of people across the U.S., has announced the beta launch of Merchat AI, a conversational shopping assistant powered by ChatGPT. The AI tool combs through millions of Mercari’s secondhand items in seconds to provide real-time recommendations based on customers’ unique needs.
Mercari Launches Merchat AI Shopping Assistant
Merchat AI marks a turning point in the evolution of secondhand shopping according to John Lagerling, Mercari U.S. CEO. The transformative power of AI makes it easier for Americans to shop and explore Mercari’s extensive marketplace. Customers can now engage in real-time conversations with Merchat AI beyond browsing and searching for secondhand items. With Merchat AI, shopping becomes more personal and interactive.
Revolutionary Shopping Experience with Generative AI
Merchat AI is more than just a personal shopping assistant. It provides unique experiences that go beyond simple shopping needs. The Beta version of Merchat AI is currently live, with customers able to engage in natural conversation at www.mercari.com/merchat.
Merchat AI asks questions to better understand a customer’s shopping needs, brand, color, style, and event theme to provide personalized product recommendations. The possibilities are endless and include finding one-of-a-kind gifts for Mother’s Day, discovering the best and more affordable items to score fashionable outfits, searching for specific items such as turquoise ombré tumbler, styling for different occasions, or finding home decor items for a mid-century modern living room.
How Merchat AI is Transforming the Secondhand Shopping Experience
Merchat AI is aimed at unlocking more opportunities to iterate on the customer experience while also providing additional ways to make the secondhand shopping experience even more appealing to buyers and sellers. Mercari intends to continuously update Merchat AI based on user interactions, which will include screening for any inaccuracies or inconsistencies in Merchat AI conversations and search results.
Merchat AI is available nationwide to Mercari users on the web and is still a beta experience. The technology is committed to iterating the experience to improve offerings over time.
With the revolutionary approach of Merchat AI, shopping has transformed from a transactional activity to an interactive one. The release of Merchat AI is just the beginning of a new era of shopping experience.
