Perry Ellis International Inc. is stepping up its ecommerce game with the help of Syte, an AI-powered recommendation platform designed specifically for apparel.

Announced in December, the partnership is already delivering results, with Syte claiming that data already shows boosts in conversion rates, average order value and revenue per user. The move is part of Perry Ellis’ effort to not only drive stronger online sales but also meet rising customer expectations for smarter, more seamless product discovery.

Perry Ellis ranks No. 714 in the Top 1000 Database, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers.

Perry Ellis International web sales by year

How Perry Ellis hopes AI will help bridge a gap between in-store and online shopping

Founded in 2015, Syte set out to transform fashion retail with AI technology capable of recognizing even the smallest details in clothing and accessories. The concept was simple but groundbreaking: Take a photo of an outfit, and Syte could identify the items — down to hats, scarves, and glasses — and tell a customer where to buy them.

The timing aligned with a boom in online retail. As ecommerce took off, online platforms struggled to replicate the intuitive in-store shopping experience. That’s where Syte stepped in.

“It was much harder to find what you were looking for, and much more difficult for brands to merchandise compared to the in-store experience,” Matthew McAlister, Syte’s vice president of marketing and business development, told Digital Commerce 360 by email. “Our technology was a perfect fit.”

Fast forward to today, and Syte’s AI tools are powering over 100 ecommerce sites, including six Fortune 500 brands.

Use of Syte for personalized recommendations at Perry Ellis

Among its latest partnerships is Perry Ellis International, whose global brand portfolio includes Callaway, Original Penguin and Rafaella. Perry Ellis signed a multi-year deal to integrate Syte’s recommendation engine across its entire ecommerce ecosystem.

According to data provided by McAlister, Perry Ellis has reported each of the following:

• 4.9x increase in conversion rates for products recommended by Syte versus those that aren’t
• 470% jump in average revenue per user
• 16% boost in average order value (AOV)

Fashion-focused AI delivers results for Perry Ellis

Unlike generic recommendation tools, Syte’s platform is tailor-made for ecommerce apparel. Its AI technology, trained on billions of shopper interactions and millions of product pages, considers details like size, fit, color, material, style, gender and occasion to deliver highly personalized recommendations — even when items are out of stock.

“We can literally understand why a customer is looking at a specific item,” McAlister said. “Pair that with the ability to monitor and predict a shopper’s motion through your ecommerce site, and you get hyper-personalized recommendations at scale that convert.”

For Perry Ellis, this means smarter suggestions wherever customers shop, especially on product listing and description pages. These are key spots where shoppers might like an item but want to explore similar, more tailored options.

“Our customers can find what they’re looking for faster, and we’re seeing measurable improvements in metrics like average order value and customer satisfaction,” said Jay Nigrelli, executive vice president of direct-to-consumer at Perry Ellis, in a statement.

Other Syte clients have seen similar gains, according to McAlister. For example, Hibbett Sports reported:

• 2.4x higher conversion rate for products recommended by Syte versus those that aren’t
• 162% increase in revenue per user
• 91% lift in AOV

Hibbett Sports ranks No. 294 in the Top 1000.

Shoppers expect better search and discovery

Demand for AI-driven tools like Syte’s is growing as many shoppers remain dissatisfied with current online options, according to Constructor’s latest State of Ecommerce Search and Product Discovery report.

In the survey of nearly 900 shoppers, 42% gave product discovery experiences on retail websites a “C” grade or below. Only 24% of shoppers described finding products online as “quick.”

Additionally, 42% say that while search results often match their queries — like searching for “shirts” and seeing shirts returned — the results fall short of expectations.

Shoppers, however, were clear about the importance of a strong search and discovery experience. If an ecommerce site delivered an excellent one, 62% said they would shop there more often, and 42% would choose it as their go-to option.

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