Without the right product images, nothing works. But: different style guides, missing samples, questions around color accuracy, videos - all of that can make costs skyrocket fast. Can AI help? Yes - when it acts as an on-set co-pilot for photographers and models, steering lighting, poses, style-guide compliance, and quality assurance. How this works in practice - and why it’s a real performance lever for fashion brands and sellers - is what Ingrid and Valerie discuss with Gianni Serazzi from Pixelmoda.

Takeaways:

• No GenAI renderings: Items are shot for real; AI optimizes the process.
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• Costs down, output up: According to Pixelmoda, up to −70% for photos and −90% for videos at consistent “luxury-grade” quality.
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• Speed in days, not weeks: Turnarounds usually < 5 days, in express cases same day - without compromising color fidelity or consistency.
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• Scaling without style drift: ≈ 3× more SKUs/day and pixel-perfect execution of Zalando, Amazon & Co. style guides.
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• Direct business impact: More content noticeably lifts conversion and reduces returns - Pixelmoda typically reports +5–15% sales and −5–20% returns.
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Who is it for?

Experienced sellers and brand teams (not only in fashion) who treat content ops as a revenue and P&L lever - not a cost center.

TikTok Shop polarises – is it chaos or the next big thing in commerce? Kristina Mertens sees clear potential. In this episode, she joins Ingrid and Valerie to discuss why Social Commerce is more than a trend and how creator communities drive real brand loyalty.

She shares how brands like 6PM or More Nutrition succeed by specifically tapping into content ecosystems. And she talks about her own TikTok experience – 11 seconds from video to purchase. They explore why About You’s quick retreat may have come too soon, what makes Social Commerce fundamentally different from classic marketplace logic, and why emotional community-building and AI-driven shopping agents are likely to coexist in the future. For marketplaces, the message is clear: evolve – or become just another data source.

Note from the sponsor Kaufland Global Marketplace:

Want to expand your marketplace business across Europe? Then Kaufland Global Marketplace is definitely worth a look. After launching in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria, Kaufland is now expanding its marketplace network to France and Italy – two of the largest e-commerce markets in Europe. France went live on August 12, Italy will follow in just a few weeks. And here’s the best part – there’s a special offer for new sellers: With the voucher code MP-UNI2025, you can sell without paying a base fee for 3 months on all Kaufland marketplaces. Valid only for new registrations until October 31, 2025. Register right now here: https://www.kaufland.com/join?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=B2BMarketplaceUniverse&utm_content=08_2025

Note from the sponsor Pixelmoda:

Founded in Milan in 2021, Pixelmoda specializes in AI-assisted image and video production. The key feature is that the AI does not generate the images, but supports the team and models in taking the best possible shots quickly by optimizing camera position, lightning, model poses, and so on. This significantly shortens production time and reduces costs up to 70 % for photo production and up to 90 % for video production. Pixelmoda produces over 14 million images and videos per year. Its customers include over 100 brands from more than 20 countries, including three of the top five global online marketplaces and lots of luxury brands. If you want to learn more about this, tune in next week. In Episode 126Ingrid and Valerie will be talking to Gianni Serratzi, CEO of Pixelmoda.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Social Commerce

05:57 The Rise of TikTok Shop

07:51 Social Commerce vs. Traditional E-commerce

11:24 The mistake of hasty withdrawal

14:45 The new way to shop on TikTok Shop

19:09 Logistics and Fulfillment in Social Commerce

24:59 The importance of social experience

30:26 The Future of Marketplaces and AI Commerce

ChatGPT is testing an enhanced shopping feature that includes checkout, Amazon is launching its AI agent Rufus, and Shopify is blocking its platform for AI bots. What we are witnessing these days is more of a revolution than an evolution, not least because of the rapid pace of change.

That's why Ingrid and Valerie are joined by AI expert Stefan Wenzel in this episode to take a look at the future. They talk about why the new e-commerce is no longer commerce, but a software protocol in which systems communicate with systems. They shed light on why brands will have to sell to machines in the future, why Retail Media 1.0 has had its day, and how the necessary visibility can be achieved. They also discuss why the battle for the customer interface has reignited and why Amazon could be left behind. And who could monetize customer access in the future.

Note from the sponsor eBay:

On Friday, September 25, 2025, eBay OPEN is coming back to Germany. After a two-year hiatus, this great family reunion of eBay sellers is returning to Berlin, at BrewDog DogTap in Marienpark. Look forward to the complete eBay experience: great keynotes – including a strategic outlook from Saskia Meier-Andrae, CEO of eBay Germany – insights into AI and Gen Z trends at the highest level, and plenty of networking opportunities. And it's also a celebration – eBay is turning 30, so it's part conference, part festival. Ingrid will be there in person because she is on the jury of the eBay Awards for the sixth time in a row, which honors the best sellers in Germany. Secure your ticket now: https://www.visitberlin.de/en/event/ebay-open-2025

Note from the sponsor bol:

Bol has established itself as a local hero in the Netherlands and Belgium and has become the market leader in the region thanks to a clear focus on customer satisfaction and innovation. As a generalist marketplace, it offers more than 42 million products in 28 categories and access to more than 13 million customers. This also makes bol attractive for retailers from neighboring countries. If you want to know more about bol, don’t miss the upcoming webinar: “Start Selling on bol Marketplace – Faster, Easier, Smarter” on September 23rd. Patricia Lay, Partnership Growth Manager at bol, and Hassan Imran, E-Commerce Manager at Neudorff Performances will share how international brands can successfully sell on bol and what it takes to get started. Register right now here! https://zoom.us/webinar/register/5917532143442/WN_Ma7kmG-TRQa8RQ_Dppb4Ew#/registration

Takeaways:

• The emergence of AI shopping agents signifies a profound transformation in e-commerce, moving from traditional commerce to a system where machines engage in transactions on behalf of users.
• Retail Media 1.0 is becoming obsolete, as the new paradigm demands brands to adapt to a landscape where visibility hinges on their ability to engage with AI-driven interfaces.
• The competition for consumer interaction has intensified, with major platforms like Amazon and ChatGPT vying for dominance in delivering a seamless shopping experience.
• Brands must recognize that future customer engagement will increasingly involve selling to AI agents, necessitating a reevaluation of marketing strategies and customer interactions.
• The evolution of commerce as a software protocol suggests that direct human-to-brand interactions will diminish, giving rise to system-to-system communications that redefine the shopping experience.
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