Brazilian furniture e-commerce company Mobly is seeing early results from its merger with retailer Tok&Stok, reporting R$100 million in annual cost savings while turning to artificial intelligence to drive sales growth.
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The deal, completed in late 2024, created the Toky Group after Mobly acquired 61.11% of Tok&Stok, a traditional furniture retailer that had accumulated R$399 million in bank debt. The restructuring included negotiations with creditors and converting R$230 million of debt into equity.
According to CEO Victor Noda, the integration has already delivered significant operational efficiencies through the consolidation of teams, logistics and infrastructure. The group also closed several stores and centralized operations in a single distribution centre.
At the same time, the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence across its operations.
A new AI tool called Maia, introduced on the Mobly website, acts as a digital sales assistant rather than a traditional chatbot. The system asks questions, compares product attributes and recommends items, mimicking the guidance of a store salesperson.
In A/B testing, the tool generated 10% higher revenue per website visit, while customers interacting with Maia showed conversion rates up to ten times higher than traditional browsing.
The AI initiative is part of a broader transformation across the group. Management identified 59 processes with automation potential, including customer service, product listings and software development.
Currently, around 60% of customer service requests are handled automatically by AI, while the technology also helps generate product descriptions, organise technical attributes and optimise listings for search engines.
Despite Mobly's digital roots, Noda believes physical retail remains essential. The group is reviewing store productivity and exploring expansion opportunities, with Mobly's current 14 stores potentially growing to more than 100 locations across Brazil.
Future plans include integrating Mobly and Tok&Stok e-commerce platforms and introducing AI tools in physical stores to support sales staff.
According to Noda, the next phase of the merger will focus not only on cost reductions but also on revenue growth driven by technology and operational efficiency.
Source: www.exame.com
