A Study to Understand Consumer Perception on the Role of AI-Driven ‘Trending Now’ Recommendations in Apparel Retail

Abstract

The use of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in the apparel retail business has dramatically changed the industry, especially in online and omnichannel retailing platforms. Among other AI uses, Trending Now recommendation features have become popular as mechanisms that control consumer browsing and product discovery, as well as purchase choices. These machine recommendations emphasize the most popular and frequently bought products as they happen, inform consumers about the relevance of the product, social evidence, and fashionability. The perception of consumers with such AI-driven recommendations can be seen as the key to successful retail strategy and brand positioning in an extremely competitive apparel market.
The paper is intended to explore the consumer perception of the role of AI-based Trending Now recommendation in retailing apparel using secondary research methodology. The research is premised on a systemic review and thematic analysis of the available literature generated by the peer review journals, books, and the industry reports published in the years between 2018 and 2024. The review allows combining the knowledge concerning AI-driven recommendation systems, consumer perception, and decision-making, trust in the retail situations. According to the literature findings, AI-powered recommendations of Trending Now have a beneficial impact on perceived usefulness, convenience, and purchase confidence, and also, bring up the issue of transparency and bias in the algorithm. The research is relevant to the literature because it presents the combined conceptual knowledge of the influence of AI-based recommendation cues on consumer perception in apparel retail. The managerial implications point to the necessity of ethical implementation of AI, balance of personalization, and transparency that will help to boost consumer trust and retail efficiency.