Course Overview & Objectives
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the world of e-commerce and retail, transforming both the online shopping experience and physical store management. Through simple but powerful tools, even a small business can improve customer relationships, streamline inventory management, and reduce operating costs.
AI is not an abstract concept: it is software capable of analysing data and proposing concrete solutions. Some practical examples:
- Personalisation: suggests relevant products by analysing user history and behaviour.
- Customer service: intelligent chatbots respond automatically 24/7, increasing satisfaction.
- Operational management: predictive algorithms estimate demand and optimise inventory.
- Marketing: generates text for products, social media posts, and targeted campaigns.
- Logistics and sustainability: optimises the supply chain and reduces waste.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the main applications of AI in e-commerce and retail.
- Use practical tools to create content and analyse customer feedback.
- Assess how to integrate AI solutions into their business context.
Tools Introduced
In this course, we will explore some concrete and intuitive AI tools designed to help businesses of all sizes improve their operations.
ChatGPT is a virtual assistant that intelligently generates text. It can create product descriptions, emails, social media posts, or answer frequently asked questions. For SMEs, this means being able to produce marketing content quickly and consistently. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to write a description of a new model of sneakers and immediately get an engaging, personalized text.
Claude AI is a versatile writing assistant ideal for personalised marketing. It helps you create emails, social media posts, and promotional messages tailored to your target audience. You provide short inputs—such as who the campaign is for, what you’re promoting, and the tone you want—and Claude generates polished, ready-to-use text. You can then refine, shorten, or adjust the style directly within the chatbot. This makes it easy to produce consistent, high-quality marketing content without writing everything from scratch.
Jasper AI is designed for personalized marketing. It helps you create emails, social media posts, and advertisements tailored to your target audience. Enter information about your target audience and products, and Jasper generates ready-to-use text that you can then adapt to the desired tone or style. This allows you to create effective marketing campaigns without having to write each message manually.
Step-by-Step Activities
Scenario 1: Create a product description
Context:
You work for a company that sells sneakers online. You are asked to update the catalog with new, more persuasive descriptions.
Task:
Write a clear and engaging description for a new model of lightweight, comfortable shoes.
Tool: ChatGPT
How to proceed:
- Log in to ChatGPT.
- Enter your detailed request.
- Review the text and request changes if necessary.
- Copy the final description and publish it.
Result:
Professional description ready to use, saving time and maintaining consistency in style.
Scenario 2: Analysing customer reviews
Context:
You are the customer experience manager for an online cosmetics store. You need to quickly understand which products are performing well and which ones have issues.
Task:
Identify sentiment and recurring themes in reviews.
Tool: Claude AI (https://claude.ai)
How to proceed:
- Register and choose the free plan.
- Paste the following reviews:
Review 1
“The candle looks great but the scent is way too strong. Gave me a headache after 20 minutes.”
Review 2
“Delivery was much faster than expected. Packaging was beautiful. I’ll definitely order again.”
Review 3
“The mug is gorgeous but the handle feels loose. Not sure how long it will last.”
Review 4
“Customer service replied within minutes and solved my issue immediately. Really impressed.”
Review 5
“I’ve bought from this shop three times now. Quality is consistent and the colours never fade.”
Review 6
“The website was very confusing. I couldn’t find the size information anywhere.”
Review 7
“The textile placemats are stunning, but one arrived with a stain. Replacement process was slow.”
Review 8
“Absolutely love these products! The craftsmanship is amazing and the designs feel unique.”
Review 9
“I expected the candle to last longer. Burned out in less than two hours. Not worth the price.”
Review 10
“The ceramic bowl arrived broken, but the team sent a new one right away. Accidents happen — happy with the resolution.”
- Use the following prompt:
Prompt to Claude:
“Analyse these 10 customer reviews.
- Identify the top 3 positive themes
- Identify the top 3 negative themes
- Classify each review as positive, negative, or mixed
- Suggest two immediate actions the business should take to improve customer experience.”
- Review Claude’s output and compare it with your own interpretation.
Result:
Clear overview of customer opinions, ready to guide targeted interventions.
Scenario 3: Create personalized marketing campaigns
Context:
You work for a company that sells household products. You need to send a personalised newsletter to customers who have purchased bathroom items.
Task:
Create personalised texts for targeted email marketing and social media posts.
Tool: Jasper AI ( (https://www.jasper.ai)
How to proceed:
- Sign up for Jasper AI (free trial available).
- In the dashboard, choose a template such as “Email Campaign”, “Social Media Post”, or “Marketing Copy.”
- Copy and paste the following information into Jasper:
Business: Handmade eco-friendly lifestyle products
Product: EcoGlow Handmade Soy Candle
Target Audience:
Women 25–45, urban, eco-conscious, online shoppers, interested in home décor and sustainability.
Tone: Warm, friendly, inspiring
Prompt 1 — Promotional Email (copy/paste)
- “Write a warm, personalised promotional email for the EcoGlow Handmade Soy Candle.
- Use the target audience profile above.
- Highlight sustainability, aesthetics, and the cosy atmosphere it creates.
- Keep it friendly and under 150 words.
- Include a gentle call-to-action but no discounts.”
Prompt 2 — Instagram Post
- “Write a short, upbeat Instagram caption promoting the EcoGlow Handmade Soy Candle for eco-conscious women 25–45.
- Emphasise the natural ingredients, reusable jar, and cosy vibes.
- Add 5 relevant hashtags.”
Prompt 3 — Call to Action
- “Write three variations of a simple, gentle call-to-action for an eco-friendly candle product.
- Tone: warm and stylish.”
Result
Learners will receive complete, ready-to-use personalised marketing content in minutes, showing how AI speeds up campaign creation and improves message targeting.
Assessment
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. [Project number: 2024-1-AT01-KA220-VET-000245796]