Amazon Broke The High Street, But Artificial Intelligence Could Save It

To fight back against online retail giants, more boutique operators are turning to artificial intelligence. But first, they need to change how people shop. “I think that five years from now, we’re going to say things like, ‘Remember when we used to have to wander around stores to find our clothes? When we had to know how we fit in every brand? What was up with that?’,” says Eric Colson, chief algorithms officer at Stitch Fix. The San Francisco-based startup is one of a growing number of companies trying to combine artificial intelligence with a human touch to take on big retailers, both online and off. Stitch Fix counts 2.7 million active customers in the US and plans to launch in the UK in 2019. Instead of expecting you to trek to the shops, the company combines the results of a series of algorithms with the insights of a human stylist to deliver a tidy box of new clothes straight to your doorstep. Delivery and returns are paid for by the company. Read more at Wired.