Introduction
With many brands now operating their own direct-to-consumer ecommerce channels, product discovery has become a critical component of any ecommerce storefront. Surfacing the most relevant products to the right customers at the right time is a constant challenge. However, AI and data-driven solutions have significantly simplified this task. Successfully implementing a next generation product discovery platform is almost guaranteed to lead to tangible increases in conversion rates and average order values.
In this article, we will explore the evolution of product discovery, examine how Cotopaxi leverages Nimstrata’s Retail Cloud Connect solution to integrate their store with Google’s proprietary search algorithms, and provide guidance on how to get started powering your own Shopify store with Vertex AI Search for Retail.
Meet Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is an outdoor gear and apparel company founded in 2014 by Davis Smith. The retailer is often known for its colorful, high-quality outdoor gear, including backpacks, jackets, and accessories. They emphasize sustainability by using recycled materials and employing fair labor practices. One of their most popular products is the Del Día backpack, which is made from repurposed materials, making each bag unique.
The Evolution of Search Platforms
Ecommerce search is hardly a new concept. Leading tools have progressed from rigid SQL-like queries to more flexible full-text search engines like managed Solr and Elasticsearch offerings, which introduced advanced features such as fuzzy matching and relevance scoring.
Today, the integration of natural language processing (NLP) and AI-powered large language models (LLMs) like Google Cloud’s Gemini and Vertex AI Search for Retail has revolutionized search capabilities, allowing for intuitive, context-aware queries and conversational interactions that are focused on intent. These advancements have significantly improved search accuracy and relevance, leading to increased conversion rates and better shopping experiences across the board.
Search is just one component of the broader field of product discovery. In general, leading product discovery platforms offer the following three components:
Search Results: Algorithms analyze written or spoken user queries and return the most relevant products based on keywords, product attributes, user intent, and historical user behavior.
Category Merchandising: Categories, or Collection pages on Shopify, organize products into easily navigable sections. Product discovery platforms can dynamically sort results to ensure the most relevant and appealing products are prominently displayed.
Recommendations: Many product discovery platforms use machine learning algorithms that collect user behavior data and then suggest products to prospective customers. Common model types include, “Frequently Bought Together,” “Others You May Like,” and “Recommended for You.”
Vertex AI Search for Retail
Vertex AI Search for Retail, previously known as Discovery AI or the Retail API, is a suite of tools offered by Google Cloud specifically designed to enhance product discovery on various ecommerce platforms. It encompasses all features expected from robust product discovery platforms, such as synonyms and redirects, while utilizing machine learning to personalize search results, browsing experiences, and product recommendations for customers.
The Shopify Ecosystem
The Shopify App Store was launched in 2009 to provide merchants with an ecosystem of third-party applications designed to enhance and customize their online stores. Initially, it featured a modest selection of apps developed by Shopify partners, but it has since grown into a comprehensive marketplace with thousands of apps spanning various categories such as marketing, sales, customer support, inventory management, and more.
There are several search solutions available on the Shopify App Store, but none have performed as well as Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Search for Retail. Cotopaxi was migrating to Google Cloud from their legacy search solution, Fast Simon.
Build vs. Buy
After an initial search quality and relevance evaluation of Google’s Vertex AI algorithms, Nimstrata and Cotopaxi were planning to build a custom integration between Cotopaxi’s back end systems and Google Cloud. However, the upfront costs and ongoing maintenance of a custom installation quickly became an expensive capital outflow for an untested solution.
Instead, they installed Nimstrata’s Shopify App, Retail Cloud Connect, to sync their Shopify product catalog with Google Cloud in real-time and return product discovery results on their storefront utilizing Nimstrata’s fully-managed, low-latency global serving infrastructure.
Catalog Sync
Importing Cotopaxi’s Shopify product catalog to Google Cloud was fairly straightforward, but there was a particular catalog attribute that Nimstrata’s solution excelled at: Colors and Color Families.
As mentioned earlier, each Del Día backpack is a unique set of colors. However, Google Cloud has specific requirements around colors and color families to ensure the best performance and filtering experience. Mapping hundreds of Del Dia colors to Google’s color families would have been a time-consuming process that was greatly simplified using the Retail Cloud Connect dashboard.
Theme Installation
Retail Cloud Connect includes three drag-and-drop Shopify Online Store 2.0 App Blocks to activate search, collections, and recommendations with no code. However, Cotopaxi has a fully custom storefront and has invested significant effort into perfecting their merchandising experience. Matching their existing designs was crucial to success.
While Nimstrata offers no-code components, the App Blocks can also be deployed as customized packaged components that any custom storefront can render. The Nimstrata team quickly matched the CSS and Collection page requirements, preparing a version ready for testing within 72 hours.
Summary
Product discovery is vital for ecommerce, and AI-driven solutions like Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search for Retail significantly improve these experiences. Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear retailer, now uses Nimstrata’s Retail Cloud Connect app to connect their Shopify store directly to Google's search algorithms, and was able to improve product discovery and customer experiences in days, not months.
The evolution from basic search engines to advanced AI models has improved search accuracy and relevance at record speed, boosting conversion rates across stores. Nimstrata's solution simplifies integration and customization, making it easier for brands like Cotopaxi to offer personalized and efficient product discovery on their platforms.
Getting Started
Are you interested in learning more about implementing Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Search for Retail on Shopify? You can request a demo, begin a free trial, or email hello@nimstrata.com with any questions.
If you're new to Google Cloud and want to try these solutions for free, new customers currently receive $300 in general-purpose free trial credits AND $600 in Recommendations AI credits.
