Today, retail industries from fashion to home decor are racing to keep up with trends like never before. With new products dropping constantly, there’s relentless pressure to update catalogues, launch fresh collections, and stay ahead of the competition.
But traditional photoshoots can slow things down as they’re expensive, take time to plan, and depend on the availability of models, photographers, locations, and perfect lighting.
According to Shopify’s blog on eCommerce photoshoots, over 67% of consumers say high-quality images are “very important” to their purchase decisions—making visual content non-negotiable.
This is where AI tools come in.
Today, there are AI tools available that can:
- Replace mannequins with real-looking models: Transform basic product shots into lifestyle images with virtual models. Perfect for clothing brands wanting to show fit and drape, or home decor companies showing how furniture looks in lived-in spaces.
- Swap products on existing models without new shoots: Update a sofa’s fabric, change a dress color, or showcase different fragrance bottles using the same background setup. Ideal for showing product variations or seasonal collections without arranging new photoshoots.
- Change backgrounds instantly to match themes: Place your perfume bottle against a beach sunset one day and a luxurious vanity the next. Great for seasonal campaigns, different marketplace requirements, or testing which environments drive more conversions.
- Convert still images into short videos: Turn a product photo into a 360° view or add subtle movement to engage social media audiences. Essential for brands seeking higher engagement on platforms like Instagram and TikTok without video production costs.
All this can be done digitally—saving time, cutting costs, and allowing brands to scale faster while maintaining quality.
In this blog, we will explore how AI tools are helping brands create smarter catalogues, faster content, and better visual consistency—all without leaving the studio.
The future of retail will be driven by how fast and cost-effective brands can create content. AI is no longer a nice-to-have—it's a competitive advantage.
Table of Contents:
1. Traditional vs. Specialised AI Tools
For retailers looking to enhance their visuals — whether it’s changing backgrounds, replacing products on models, or transforming static shots into dynamic content — there are two main categories of tools available:
1.1 Traditional Tools
These are flexible, widely available AI tools suitable for a variety of industries, but may require more manual prompting and deliver less brand-specific results:
- ChatGPT (for content and image brainstorming)
- MidJourney (AI image generation)
- DALL·E (creative visuals)
- Pixelcut (background removal and editing)
- Canva AI (quick design and background swaps)
- Akool (AI-powered background change for product marketing)
1.2 Specialised Tools
Tailored for specific industries or brands, these tools offer more realistic outputs, brand consistency, and easy integration with your product catalogues:
- Flair (customizable for fashion, home decor, and more)
- FitRoom (product replacement on model images)
- Claid.ai (background change, custom templates, product animation)
- Botika (converts flat-lay/mannequin to model images)
- Rubick.ai (cataloguing and image enhancement for home decor and furniture)
- Ximilar (AI tagging and description for home decor)
- VisualHound (product categorization and trend analysis for fashion and home goods)
Custom tools are built for brand-specific needs. They allow easy addition of your own products and models, offer more realistic outputs, and provide greater flexibility for customization.
For brands seeking high-quality, brand-consistent visuals with minimal effort, custom tools are the better choice.
Having used these AI tools myself, I’ve seen how they can save time, cut costs, and help brands across multiple industries stay ahead of trends without the need for traditional photoshoots.
2. Challenges Brands Face Today
Product trends move faster than ever—it’s weekly, sometimes even daily. Fast-moving retailers have raised the bar, pushing brands to refresh their catalogues constantly to stay relevant. But behind the scenes, brands face some serious problems:
2.1. High Costs of Photoshoots
Traditional photoshoots are expensive. A single professional shoot can cost anywhere between $5,000 to $20,000, depending on the location, model fees, crew size, equipment, and post-production. And that’s just for one round of shooting.
Every time a new color, size variant, or design update is released, many brands are forced to do repeated shoots, adding up the cost significantly over time.
According to Shopify, product photography can make up 25%–40% of a retail brand’s content budget.
2.2. Slow Visual Turnaround
Creating quality visual content—right from shooting to editing—can take 1–3 weeks or more. This slows down the launch of new SKUs (stock keeping units) online.
If you’re listing your products across multiple platforms like Amazon, Wayfair, Sephora, or your own website, delays in visuals can hold up listings, affecting sales and revenue.
2.3. Hard to Keep Catalogues Fresh
Marketplaces often require updated images and fresh visuals to promote items. But if your catalogue doesn’t look new or attractive, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.
Visual fatigue is real—customers scroll past styles that look repetitive or outdated, even if they’re new. Brands that can’t refresh visuals quickly risk losing attention and conversion rates.
McKinsey reports that 75% of consumers switch brands when they feel the experience is not personalised or up-to-date.
3. Top AI Tools for Product Cataloguing
After exploring various options, I’ve found these four tools to be among the best, each offering unique features that can help brands elevate their visuals without the hassle of traditional photoshoots.
Here’s a closer look at these top AI tools:
3.1 Flair
Flair is a versatile AI tool designed for brands that need flexibility in content creation. It supports background changes, product replacements, and model editing, allowing you to easily customize your visuals.
What People Love About It:
- Supports multiple use cases like background changes, product swaps, and model edits.
- Ability to train your models with your own data, making it highly customizable.
- Great for bulk image generation and quick edits.
Features:
- Background change
- Product replacement
- Custom model training
- Bulk image generation
Pricing:
- Starts from $10/month
3.2 FitRoom
FitRoom is the perfect tool for replacing products on your own model images, particularly for styling new designs without needing fresh photoshoots. It’s a huge time-saver for brands constantly updating their catalogues.
What People Love About It:
- Quick and easy product swaps on model images.
- Ideal for styling multiple variations of products without new shoots.
- Very cost-effective for high-volume image generation.
Features:
- Product replacement on model images
- Visualization of different styles or color variants
- Great for styling and new design integration
Pricing:
- $8 for 2,400 photos
- $20 for unlimited items
3.3 Claid.ai
Claid.ai is a powerful AI tool that specializes in background changes and customization. It’s also great for creating animated product visuals, helping you maintain consistency across large volumes of images while giving them dynamic appeal.
What People Love About It:
- Excellent for background changes and keeping visuals on-brand.
- Customizable with your own templates.
- Supports product animation for more dynamic images.
Features:
- Background change
- Custom templates
- Product animation
- Consistent brand style
- Train custom AI
Pricing:
- Free for 5 photos
- Paid plans start at $9/month
3.4 Botika
Botika is designed to transform flat-lay and mannequin images into realistic model shots. It’s especially useful for brands looking to make their product photos feel more dynamic without a full photoshoot.
What People Love About It:
- Turns flat-lay and mannequin shots into life-like model images.
- Allows changes in models and styles for more variety.
- Free version available, making it accessible for smaller brands.
Features:
- Converts flat-lay/mannequin shots into model images
- Model and style changes
- Free version available for basic use
Pricing:
- Free version available
3.5 Zyng AI
Zyng AI is a robust platform designed for bulk image editing, catering especially to e-commerce businesses and creative professionals. It streamlines the process of editing thousands of images efficiently without compromising on quality.
What People Love About It:
- Efficiently processes large volumes of images with consistent quality.
- Offers AI-powered features like background removal and facial retouching.
- Supports high-resolution outputs up to 8K
Features:
- AI-driven bulk image editing.
- Background removal and facial retouching.
- Body-aware cropping and subject-aware outpainting.
- Supports various formats including JPEG, PNG, and layered TIFF files.
- Customizable workflows with adjustable DPI settings.
Pricing:
- Pay-as-you-go model:
- 0–500 images: $0.05/image.
- 500–20,000 images: $0.025/image.
- 20,000–100,000 images: $0.0125/image.
- 100,000+ images: Custom pricing.
3.6 Phot.AI
Phot.AI is an AI-powered photo editing platform that provides a suite of tools for enhancing and transforming images, making it suitable for both individual creators and businesses.
What People Love About It:
- User-friendly interface with a wide range of editing tools.
- Offers both free and premium plans to cater to different needs.
- Includes AI-driven features like background removal and photo restoration.
Features:
- Background removal and object eraser.
- Photo restoration and enhancement.
- AI-generated avatars and text-to-image capabilities.
- Batch editing for multiple images.
- Cloud-based platform accessible via web browsers.
Pricing:
- Free trial available for new users.
- Pro Plan: $19.99/month – Includes 20+ AI tools, unlimited templates, 10 GB cloud storage, 1,500 uses/month, watermark removal, and HD downloads.
4. Conclusion
AI tools are transforming how brands across industries create catalogues. What once needed models, photographers, stylists, and studios—can now be done on a laptop.
By using AI:
- Brands can train models to reflect their own look
- Reduce dependency on photoshoots and external vendors
- Save time and money
- Stay consistent and scale faster
For fast-growing brands, this means new products can go live faster—without compromising on quality.
If you’re exploring ways to utilize these AI tools for smart product cataloguing, we’d love to chat. Let’s set up a consultation call. Feel free to reach out to us at aditi@daiom.in
For more informative content and blog, follow and stay tuned to DAiOM.
Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER!