Shops & online sellers · Kent
AI for independent shops and online sellers
Selling online means writing constantly: a description for every product, an answer to every 'where's our parcel?', a newsletter someone has to sit down and write. AI handles first drafts well. Consumer law hasn't relaxed for AI-written words or AI-edited photos, so the checks matter as much as the speed.
AI Kick-Start £395 · half a day
Based in Kent, working with businesses across the UK: on site in Kent, by video anywhere else.
What you hand over, and what comes back
Listings
Product descriptions
Give it dimensions, materials and three photos, and ask for 120 words plus five search tags. Check every measurement against the item.
Photos
Tidier product shots
Remove a cluttered background or straighten a wonky photo. Changing the product itself is a different matter (see below).
Service
Customer replies
Paste the customer's message and your returns policy, and ask for a calm reply offering the right option. You press send.
Numbers
Stock and sales
Export last quarter's sales and ask which lines were slow, which sold out and what to reorder. Check any totals it quotes against the sheet.
Marketing
Newsletters and posts
A monthly newsletter from your new stock list and one bit of shop news, with four social posts to match.
Admin
Translations and supplier emails
Returns information in French or German if you ship to Europe, and polite chasers about late deliveries.
Reviews, prices and honest claims
The Competition and Markets Authority gained direct enforcement powers in April 2025, with penalties reaching 10% of worldwide turnover and no court case needed. Three areas matter most for sellers.
- Fake reviews. Banned, including ones a bot or AI tool produced. If you show reviews on your own site, you're expected to take steps to prevent and remove fake ones.
- Drip pricing. Unavoidable charges belong in the headline price. In April 2026 the AA's driving schools admitted drip pricing, agreed refunds of over £760,000 and were fined £4.2 million.
- Discounts and claims. The government said in August 2026 it would consult on banning fake 'was' prices and invented discounts. Don't let AI invent a saving, a material or a benefit you can't back up.
Selling subscriptions, such as a monthly box? New subscription rules are due in January 2027.
Photo edits: fine, or misleading?
A useful test: would the customer be surprised when the parcel arrives?
| Edit | Usually fine | Likely to mislead |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Removing clutter or using plain white | A scene that makes the item look bigger than it is |
| Colour | Correcting a colour cast to match real life | Making a faded item look new or a different shade |
| Condition | Cropping and straightening | Hiding marks or wear on second-hand stock |
| Generated images | A lifestyle scene clearly built around your real product | An image of a product that differs from what you send |
| Food and plants | Better light | Plumper, brighter or bigger than what's sold |
A rule of thumb, not legal advice. Consumer law bans misleading descriptions and images whichever tool made them.
What a Kick-Start would look at first
-
Your product template
A prompt or Project that turns product notes into descriptions in your voice, with a checklist for measurements and materials. -
Your inbox
Saved replies for the six questions you answer most, and whether Shopify Inbox or a website assistant suits you. -
Your numbers
One sales spreadsheet analysed together, so you learn which questions to ask. You get the written plan within three working days.
Your platform's own AI
On Shopify, some AI is already in your plan. Shopify Inbox is a free app that answers buyers' questions from your catalogue and suggests replies, and Sidekick, the assistant in the Shopify admin, is included with your plan, with features and limits that vary by plan. We couldn't confirm that every feature is live in the UK, so check your own admin.
Etsy, eBay and Amazon change their seller tools often, so look at your seller dashboard before paying for something separate. Elsewhere, a custom assistant can hold your brand voice and returns policy, and the AI for your marketing session goes deeper on newsletters and posts.
Questions people ask
Can we use AI to write product descriptions?
Yes, and it's one of the quicker wins. Give it accurate facts, check every measurement and material, and leave out claims you can't back up.
Is it legal to edit product photos with AI?
Tidying a photo is fine. Changing how the product looks, its size, colour or condition, risks misleading customers, which consumer law bans.
Can AI write reviews for our shop?
No. AI-written reviews posing as customers are fake reviews, banned under the DMCC Act 2024. Ask real customers instead.
Does Shopify have AI built in?
Yes. Shopify Inbox, a free app, can answer buyer questions from your catalogue, and the Sidekick assistant is included with Shopify plans, with limits that vary by plan.
Can AI tell us what to reorder?
It can spot patterns in a sales export and explain them in plain English. Check any totals against the spreadsheet, because AI can misread columns.
Who you'll work with
James Hayes Consulting is led by Ross Hayes, who builds software for his own businesses and uses AI tools in them every day. We set AI up on your real work, explain it in plain English, and tell you straight if something isn’t worth paying for.
Every project starts with a free 15-minute call, and prices are agreed in writing before you commit.
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