Case Details
YOHO: Shopping with Generative Artificial Intelligence
Meet John. His birthday was on July 28, which made him a Leo. A specialist in sports and health appliances, John worked 24 hours a day, together with YOHO Jai, Janice, Yumi, and Yoshi. They were collectively known as YOHO Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant.
Since its establishment, YOHO had carved out a reputation as a pioneer of retail technology. From the outset, it adopted the online-merge-offline (OMO) model, combining sales channels and customer interactions from online and offline to foster a seamless shopping experience for its customers. By 2024, YOHO was a Hong Kong–listed company with over 1.2 million registered members, but YOHO’s executives had ambitions that did not cease there. Kathy Tsui, the company’s cofounder and chief operating officer, had more in mind.
In February 2024, YOHO launched YOHO AI Assistant. Powered by generative AI, it was envisioned as a virtual personal shopper that was able to process a vast amount of data in seconds and provide personalized shopping assistance and customer service to consumers.
Did the current deployment of the AI Assistant yield its intended benefits? Going forward, how could the AI Assistant be further developed? How could YOHO leverage it to realize its growth strategies?
Key concepts:
- What is generative AI? How can it be applied in sales and marketing activities of e-commerce platforms?
- In what context does generative AI best demonstrate its value? E.g. Which commercial activities best leverage generative AI? Which customer demographic(s) does it appeal to the most?
- What are the costs and benefits of businesses investing in generative AI?
Secondary learning:
- OMO e-commerce: What is the business model of e-commerce platforms? What is the OMO practice?
- The evolving deployment of AI by businesses: How has AI extend its influence in various industries?