Aimie
Thousands of wedding dresses in silk, satin, tulle, and lace. A world of glitter, champagne, and romantic dreams. It’s no joke that the salespeople at Panayotis are called dream interpreters because it’s the dream of the perfect wedding that they help brides-to-be bring to life – and soon, the dream interpreters will be able to rely on AI support when brides from all over Denmark come to Vejle or Lyngby to find the dress for their big day.
Aimie talked to Michael Panayotis about how AI will transform his business
At Panayotis, there are always around 2000 dresses hanging in the stores. It’s a lot to keep track of, and Michael Panayotis explains that, until now, certain experienced employees have been the business's "oracles" - those who have in-depth knowledge about a specific brand, the ones you go to with questions from customers or colleagues. "But the oracles don't always know everything – and sometimes they’re not at work. So I’ve long wanted a system that can assist our salespeople at all times, so they can provide even better service."
Michael Panayotis, who has been in charge of Panayotis since 2006, has always been open to using technology to improve business operations and service. "We had a custom system developed fairly early on that included some degree of automation: when a bride-to-be registers on the website to book an appointment for a dress fitting, she enters the system and, for example, automatically gets notified when the dress is delivered and it's time for the first fitting. The system was 'state of the art' at the time, but now it's hopelessly outdated, primarily because you can’t search across data."
That’s why Michael has decided to go with a new, tailored AI solution that - when it is completely implemented - will transform both the customer experience and business operations by optimizing customer service, sales, and strategy.
AI as a personal sales assistant
One of the major challenges is the vast amount of information that salespeople need to handle. For example, a customer might ask if a particular dress can be made with a different type of sleeve or in another fabric. Until now, salespeople have relied on asking their colleagues or searching through manual systems for information. This is both time-consuming and inefficient. With the new AI solution, salespeople will be able to quickly get answers to customer questions directly from the system. The AI will have access to detailed information about each dress from all the suppliers, so salespeople can give customers accurate and up-to-date information immediately. This means that brides will have an even better experience in the store when choosing their dream dress – and a better customer experience will also positively impact sales.
AI for business analysis and strategy
Another major benefit of the AI solution is the ability to analyze data across the board and predict trends. In the past, it has been challenging to gain insights from sales data in an efficient way. For example, it was difficult to determine whether customers preferred a specific style or cut of dress without the staff manually going through each transaction. The new AI solution will make it possible to analyze customer preferences, purchasing patterns, and popular dress types. The AI will identify trends and provide recommendations based on the latest sales and emerging trends. This will not only help Panayotis optimize its inventory but also give the business a competitive advantage, as it will be able to adapt more quickly to changing customer preferences. Additionally, the AI will be able to forecast which styles and cuts are likely to become popular in the future based on past data and current trends, allowing Panayotis to be proactive in purchasing and marketing.
From “gut feeling” to data driven decisions
"So far, we’ve relied a lot on gut feelings and manual work – and those are important parts of any business. But I look forward to us being able to let data support the gut feelings and vice versa. There’s no doubt that it will make a huge difference."