Balancing Merchandising: Giving Products a Fair Shot

Episode Summary
Most retailers still sell like it’s 1999: flat product photos, isolated PDPs, and generic campaigns that ignore how people actually use what they buy. In this episode of The MarTech Matrix, Sean sits down with Michelle Bacharach, CEO & Co-founder of FindMine, to talk about how AI-powered styling can finally connect merchandising and marketing — turning single products into full looks, routines, and room setups that are on-brand, on-trend, and in-stock.

From IKEA showrooms and TikTok micro-trends to Meta catalog ads and in-store experiences, Michelle breaks down how outcome-oriented styling boosts conversion, AOV, and customer loyalty — without burning out your creative and merchandising teams.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• The real problem isn’t product discovery — it’s outcome discovery. Most shoppers don’t know how to wear or use what they’re buying. Styling and context are what unlock confidence and conversion.

• Most consumers don’t have the “stylist gene.” Brand teams do — which is why they often underestimate how much help regular shoppers need to visualize outfits, rooms, or routines.

• Retailers still over-optimize for single products. SEO and PDPs are built around individual SKUs, but buying decisions are made around moments (holiday party, barn wedding, marathon, spooky season, etc.).

• AI styling can save “forgotten” products from the clearance rack. When you put underperforming items into the right story or trend, they often sell — without automatic discounting.

• Creative + inventory + performance need to be connected. FindMine ties together product feeds, brand rules, inventory, and media platforms to keep looks on-brand and in-stock across ads, PDPs, landing pages, email, and stores.

• Micro-trends beat monolithic audiences. It’s more powerful (and often cheaper) to lean into “spooky season,” “barn wedding,” or “almond mom summer” than just “holiday” or “wedding season.”

• Future search is outcome-first, not product-first. As AI search replaces traditional search, brands that structure their data around outcomes (e.g., “perimenopausal acne routine”) will win more share of wallet.

  
  

  ⏱️ Chapters

  00:00 – Intro: The styling gap in modern eCommerce
  01:33 – Michelle’s founder story: From window displays to AI styling
  04:23 – Why most shoppers can’t “see” the outfit (and why brands forget that)
  06:32 – Portland vs. New York: How geography and lifestyle shape style
  09:16 – Personalization beyond zip code: Trends, micro-niches, and culture
  11:10 – The Toy Story analogy: Giving every product a fair shot
  15:30 – Underperformers, sequined vests, and why discounting is a blunt tool
  16:08 – How FindMine works: Data, training, and plugging into your stack
  18:37 – Where styling shows up: Ads, PDPs, landing pages, email, chat, PIMs
  19:50 – Micro-trends, CAC busting, and the power of “small but specific” moments
  21:21 – Finding gaps in your marketing with niche themes and segments
  23:13 – Meta catalog ads: What Meta does vs. what FindMine actually changes
  25:35 – Why AI is “brilliant and stupid” — and why prompting matters for brand
  26:42 – Brand control spectrum: From luxury guardrails to fully automated styling
  29:53 – Working with big brands and navigating rebrands (Gap, Lulu, etc.)
  32:35 – Who FindMine is for: ICP, verticals, and where it works best
  34:42 – Case studies: AOV, conversion, repeat purchase, and an 8% landing page CVR
  36:16 – Unexpected insights: Bralettes, tops, and re-merchandising physical stores
  37:59 – Bridging online and in-store: Clienteling, touchscreens, and store associate tools
  40:18 – The future: Outcome-based search, AI chat, and being “AI ready” as a brand
  43:14 – Where to start: Don’t boil the ocean — pick your slice of the journey
  45:07 – Lightning round: Outcome obsession, the big mistake, and fraud tech
  46:38 – Wrap-up: How to learn more and where to find FindMine