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The Future of Secondhand Shopping Is Here
The Future of Secondhand Shopping Is HereWhat would you think if a robot appeared on your screen and helped you thrift on the web?
That reality is already here, and you might not even realize it!
With the rise of AI (artificial intelligence), many apps, websites, and plugins are now utilizing special features to help us find the exact secondhand clothes we’re looking for or get the best deal online.
ThredUp, the largest secondhand clothing website, is the latest to release new AI features to help you navigate their platform and become a better thrifter.
In this post, I’m going to explore these new features and share how I’m using them and what my honest thoughts are about them.
What is AI?
AI is defined as artificial intelligence, a technology that allows you to generate, classify, and perform tasks like image analysis and speech recognition.
It’s been around since the 1950s and is more a part of your life than you think.
Most people became cognizant of it with the rise of ChatGPT, but it does so much more than write poorly structured social media captions for your Instagram.
I honestly am in favor of AI and how accessible it makes things for many people. I’m not afraid of it taking my job, but I am in favor of how it can help me and you!
Now that we have covered that, let’s take a closer look at how AI is being used on the ThredUp platform!
AI-Powered Thrifting: How ThredUp is Transforming the Thrifting Experience
Search Bar
The first change to appear on ThredUp was an improved search bar. I was excited to be part of this Beta testing earlier in the year and was impressed with how quick it sped up my searches for specific pieces!
According to ThredUp, this feature is meant to help you search for anything you want–from brands you love, specific pieces, or trends you can’t get enough of and they’ll show you endless options to add to your cart.
Image Search
The next AI tool being implemented is an image search. This is already a popular feature on other apps like Gem or Beni, and now ThredUp is getting in on the fun.
Upload any photo (even from Instagram) and they’ll find the picture-perfect pieces to match.
In my experience with this feature, I found it to be very accurate! It was able to detect multiple pieces in one photo (despite a messy background or a human being featured) and found matches every single time. I’ll be utilizing this feature most to help search for Halloween costumes this year!
Style Chat Bot
The last AI technology that ThredUp is using is a style chat bot.
Just tell ThredUp what inspires you–a look, an aesthetic, or even a celebrity–and they’ll instantly show you options that bring your imagination to life.
How does this differ from the search bar? While the search bar is great at finding singular pieces (ie: purple tank top, black strappy high heels) the style chat bot can collaborate with you to build the perfect look or share new ideas with you.
I entered a few style scenarios into the bot and it came back with collections and searches I wouldn’t have thought of. This would be so great to use if you need help getting dressed for an event or want to revamp your personal style.
Is AI The Future of Thrifting?
Whether we like it or not, AI is going to continue popping up on our favorite thrifting platforms and change the way we shop. Are those changes going to be good or bad? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
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