Bodycare, which has opened five stores since July, has recruited 700 content creators as part of its return to the High Street using an AI platform to link social media trends with store operations.
The health and beauty retailer has partnered with PMC to develop AIMEE, a platform that analyses data on customers, stock, social media trends and store performance.
The system is designed to help Bodycare make decisions on stock allocation, demand forecasting and local marketing, using insights from its network of micro- and nano-influencers.
Bodycare has opened stores in Sheffield, Derby, Leicester, Bradford and Dudley since beginning its latest expansion in July.
The retailer has also introduced free content production studios in its stores, where creators can produce social media content. AIMEE helps manage the creator network, providing briefs and analysing regional trends alongside stock availability to inform the content produced.
Bodycare said it had recruited 700 creators since its first store opening, with their content generating 7.5 million views.
Insights from social media engagement are fed back into AIMEE to help inform decisions about which products to stock and how to distribute inventory across its stores.
Related Story
The platform also connects with PMC’s Interact digital display system, which allows Bodycare to show promotions, locally relevant content and user-generated content on screens in its stores.
PMC has additionally deployed its Graphene Engage platform to support Bodycare’s traditional, mobile and self-service checkout systems.
Bodycare chief marketing officer Tash Courtenay-Smith said the retailer wanted its stores to offer more than a place to shop, with community engagement and content creation forming part of the customer experience.
PMC technology and solutions director Elliott Winskill, who is also technical lead for Bodycare, said the systems connect social media activity with customer engagement and store operations.
The partnership comes as Bodycare rebuilds its physical store estate, with the retailer using its creator network and AI platform to connect its online activity with local demand.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
