At the end of 2010, Google launched Boutiques.com – a personalized online fashion experience that allows users to create a profile of the styles, colors, and designers that they love in order to create their own customized boutique. The site is easy to use and includes a fun Stylyzer Quiz, and provides the ability to easily refine searches by genre, silhouette, pattern and color.

From a shopper’s perspective, Boutiques is unique (and did I mention fun?) in that the site “learns” what a user prefers and makes recommendations based on search algorithms and machine learning technology. A search for “little black dress” returns a selection of merchandise based on preferences that I’ve previously specified.

 

 
As consumers use the site, Google is able to accumulate a wealth of statistics on the hottest fashion trends. Never one to let good data go to waste, Google recently announced the addition of two new analytic tools to Boutiques.com - Designer Analytics for their design partners, and Trend Analytics for consumers. Designer Analytics provides designers with a visual presentation of how their products are “searched, shopped and loved”. After logging in, designers can see how their merchandise is performing compared to other similar brands.

Using aggregate data from Google search and Boutiques.com, Trend Analytics provides insight into the styles, colors, products, and brands that are presently loved and hated by consumers. The statistics in Trend Analytics can give savvy merchants an edge by allowing them to keep their product line current and in vogue. By paying attention to fashions that are currently trending, merchants can create displays and marketing campaigns (both online and in store) that are both timely and relevant to their consumers.