Gift shopping has become easier at north west London’s Brent Cross shopping centre, with the launch of the Style Seeker app, which uses artificial intelligence to help shoppers find clothes they have spotted on the high street, on social media or in a magazine.

App users can take photos of fashion items, or upload saved images from their phones, to locate similar clothing in the shopping centre. The app searches stores including River Island, Topshop, Topman and H&M, according to the desired garment’s colour, shape and pattern. Once the user has selected the wished-for product, the app provides a map to guide the user to the stockist, if the user is in the centre at the time.

Rachael Miller, marketing manager at Brent Cross, says: “Style Seeker is the perfect accessory for people who are struck by style inspiration in the street and truly love the art of shopping.

“As well as being easy to use, it caters to every budget. Clothing from fashion weeks and couture shows is filtering down into high street shops quicker than ever before — and this functionality makes sure you never miss a trend.”

Nearly 40 per cent of people search for items only on their smartphones, as opposed to tablets or PCs, researchers report. Shoppers really do prefer to have the answers at their fingertips.

Style Seeker is available within the Brent Cross Plus app now, for both iOS and Android. More info: brentcross.co.uk