Trends · M02 · Big shift · 2027 to 2028
Shopping by Asking
People are starting to find clothes by asking an AI, not by scrolling a shop.
By The Editor · 16 October 2026
01 · The new search box
Ask, then buy.
02 · How fast
From test to every market in 18 months.
- Apr 2023 Zalando announces a fashion assistant built on ChatGPT, in beta.
- Oct 2024 Live in all 25 Zalando markets, in local languages.
- Mar 2025 Over 2 million customers have used it.
- 2027 to 2028 Our read · Asking becomes a normal way to shop.
Source: Zalando newsroom
03 · What shoppers do
Search, compare, ask.
01 Search by askingShoppers use AI chat tools to search, compare and get picks. Some use them as style advisers.
02 A new ranking signalLyst now counts AI discovery channels in its brand ranking, next to search and social.
03 No longer optionalMcKinsey calls AI "a business necessity", not an edge.
Source: McKinsey; Lyst Index methodology
04 · The idea sells
Shoppers buy the idea, not the label.
- Massimo Dutti +43%
- Celine +31%
- Miu Miu +30%
- Phoebe Philo +29%
Quarter on quarter. Lyst: shoppers buy "a seasonal idea rather than a specific label" · Source: The Lyst Index Q2 2026
05 · What brands do now
Write for the machine.
01 Exact wordsFabric, weight, fit, origin. Machines read text, not mood boards.
02 Name the shapePeople ask for the item, not the brand story.
03 Open dataClean, public product data. Hidden data cannot be picked.
Sources (8)
- Zalando newsroom, "Zalando to launch a fashion assistant powered by ChatGPT", 19 April 2023
- Zalando newsroom, "Zalando brings its AI-powered assistant to all markets", 1 October 2024
- Zalando newsroom, "More personal and smarter: the Zalando Assistant", 27 March 2025
- Image: Zalando SE press photo, "Zalando Assistant"
- McKinsey & Company, "The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change"
- McKinsey & Company, "How AI is shaping fashion's next chapter", 8 February 2026
- Lyst, The Lyst Index Q2 2026
- Lyst, The Lyst Index methodology