AI is changing how small online sellers decide what to make
Not a chatbot experiment. Small sellers are using AI to resurrect discontinued products—and scale faster than ever.
Why it matters
AI is fundamentally changing product discovery and decision-making for small e-commerce businesses, enabling data-driven resurrection of past products and faster inventory decisions without traditional market research.
The key facts
8 to knowSmall online sellers using AI for product decision-making
Case study: Mike McClary using AI to analyze customer demand for discontinued Guardian LTE Flashlight
AI enabling small sellers to compete with data-driven insights previously only available to large retailers
Customer email demand signals now analyzable at scale via AI
Case study: Mike McClary using AI to revive discontinued products based on customer demand signals
AI application in e-commerce product development and inventory decisions
Small online sellers adopting AI for business strategy—not just enterprise deployment
Customer behavior prediction driving product decisions for SMB brands
Go to the source
MIT Technology Reviewtechnologyreview.com
Publisher excerpt: For years Mike McClary sold the Guardian LTE Flashlight, a heavy-duty black model, online through his small outdoor brand. The product, designed for brightness and durability, became one of his most popular items ever. Even after he stopped offering it around 2017, customers kept sending him emails…
