Artificial intelligence is everywhere — but it’s important to understand the data you feed it. Establishing a solid foundation of data involves understanding where your data is coming from, Carolyn Pollock, chief marketing officer at Tailored Brands Inc. told Digital Commerce 360 at the Salesforce Connections conference in Chicago.

“The fundamental questions are: Do you have your data in a shape and format where it’s usable? You have to have that foundation,” Pollock told Digital Commerce 360.

As a multi-channel retailer, Tailored Brands’ data comes from different sources, Pollock said.

“We have our retail business and our rental business. It’s a lot of very different data that isn’t super combinable,” she said. “We had to do the hard work to get all that into a place where you could run it across multiple channels.”

The retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 and has since gone private. Its four brands: Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, K&G Fashion Superstore and Moores Clothing, are selling to consumers interested in apparel and accessories. The retailer turned to Salesforce artificial intelligence software to better understand the customer and improve the customer experience, Pollock said.

Understand data before using it to make improvements

Tailored Brands wanted to improve the customer experience, she said.

“We’re changing how we use the data we have about our customer preferences,” Pollock said.

Prior to working at Tailored Brands, Pollock had a consulting business for a decade, she told Digital Commerce 360. During that time, Pollock “saw what technology was out there and learned while working with different people,” she said.

She said she discovered that figuring out what works requires constant testing.

“You need to test right away and make sure you build good tests, and define what you’re trying to get from it,” she said. “Then you take a leap and invest in something very significant.”

For Tailored Brands, AI is a great opportunity, she said. One example of how the retailer is using AI is through Men’s Wearhouse’s Wedding Wingman quiz for shoppers. Launched in all stores in April 2023, the tool is for both the bride and groom.

“It’s a very visual tool, which I think is one of the really cool opportunities with AI and where it’s going,” Pollock said at the conference. The process involves the shopper answering a series of questions about their personal style, wedding style and how formal vs. casual they want to be for that day. AI then makes recommendations to the customer based on the inputs received, Pollock said.

“So, whether a customer actually completes a transaction on our website, or a sales associate in the store can help them with a more personalized experience,” Pollock said at the conference.

Men’s Wearhouse launched its Wedding Wingman quiz in April 2023. Shoppers input preferences and AI suggests products for purchase.

Salesforce announces price increase

On July 11, Salesforce Inc. announced it raised prices for the first time in seven years after introducing artificial intelligence to its software.

According to the statement, base prices will increase about 9% across its major software product lines in August. Salesforce will charge additional fees for features.

Tailored Brands ranks No. 191 in the Top 1000, Digital Commerce 360’s database of the largest North American e-retailers.

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