UK retailers are doubling down on AI to enhance the post-purchase experience.
According to research from Scurri and IMRG, UK e-commerce businesses are rapidly adopting AI solutions to streamline and improve the customer journey after purchase. By 2025, AI will power everything from personalised recommendations to automated returns processing.
As consumer expectations for AI-driven experiences continue to rise, retailers are turning to automation to meet these demands while also boosting operational efficiency. In 2024, UK online retailers’ most popular AI applications included generative AI for content creation (57%) and AI-powered customer service chatbots (43%), generative AI for marketing content (33%), AI-informed product search (31%), AI for data cleaning and enrichment (25%)This trend is predicted to accelerate in the coming year as retailers seek to gain a competitive edge through the innovative use of AI.
A recent survey of UK retailers reveals that many are investing in AI solutions to tackle the growing problem of ‘where is my order’ (WISMO) inquiries.As WISMOs remain the top customer question, retailers recognise the need to streamline their operations and improve the overall customer experience.
To address this issue, 33% of UK retailers plan to expand their AI use in 2025. By leveraging AI-powered technologies, retailers can provide more accurate and timely tracking information, reducing customer frustration and improving operational efficiency.
According to Scurri’s research, 73% of UK shoppers want instant answers to WISMO inquiries, and 80% expect customer service teams to have access to real-time delivery data.
Rory O’Connor, founder & CEO of Scurri said – “As UK ecommerce brands and retailers compete for share of wallet, customer experience – both pre-and post-purchase – is increasingly the defining factor in driving repeat purchase and customer loyalty. But this is often costly and resource intensive.”
“By integrating AI-powered post-purchase solutions into customer service platforms, alongside the utilisation of carrier data, online retailers and brands can answer the great majority of WISMO queries effectively, reducing the involvement of customer service teams while providing the timely and accurate responses needed to keep customers informed and happy.” – he added.
AI is essential for enhancing the post-purchase customer experience in UK e-commerce. By integrating these solutions and carrier data, retailers will automate WISMO inquiries, reduce the need for human intervention, and improve customer satisfaction.