About Rusta

Rusta is Sweden's leading home and leisure retailer, following the philosophy of being the obvious first choice when customers want to renew and replenish their homes. Since opening in 1986, they have doubled their revenue every five years through a unique and successful business concept.

With operations across Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Germany, Rusta maintains control over both purchasing and transport chains to offer customers the broadest range of home and leisure products with good quality at the lowest possible prices.

The Challenge

With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) set to take effect on June 28, 2025, Rusta faced a critical compliance deadline. The legislation mandates that all e-commerce platforms must provide accessible experiences for users with disabilities, including comprehensive alt text for product images.

Rusta's extensive catalog of 17,000+ products across four Nordic markets required immediate attention. Traditional manual alt text creation would have taken months and consumed significant resources, making it impossible to meet the EAA deadline while maintaining business operations.

Understanding the European Accessibility Act

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) represents a landmark shift in digital accessibility regulation, extending beyond public sector requirements to encompass private e-commerce platforms. Effective June 28, 2025, the EAA mandates that all online retailers serving EU consumers must provide fully accessible digital experiences.

Key EAA requirements for e-commerce include:

• Alt Text: All product images must include descriptive alternative text
• WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance: Websites must meet international accessibility standards
• Keyboard Navigation: All functionality must be accessible via keyboard
• Screen Reader Compatibility: Content must work with assistive technologies
• Color Contrast: Text must meet minimum contrast ratios for readability

Poor or missing alt text can result in legal penalties ranging from €5,000 to €1,000,000 depending on the country, forced removal of non-compliant products from marketplaces, and lost revenue from inaccessible shopping experiences.

The Solution

Recognizing the urgency and scale of Rusta's EAA compliance needs, Cension developed a comprehensive AI-powered alt text generation solution that combines advanced computer vision with extensive product data analysis:

• Multi-Source Analysis: AI analyzes product titles, descriptions, categories, and specifications alongside visual elements
• SEO Optimization: Every alt text serves dual purposes: accessibility compliance and search engine optimization
• Multi-Language Support: Generated alt texts across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish markets
• Quality Assurance: Multiple validation checks ensure accuracy, compliance, and brand consistency
• Context-Aware Generation: AI understands product context beyond just image recognition

Implementation Process

The project was executed with precision and speed, generating 68,000 alt texts for 17,000 products across four languages. Our AI-powered system ensured consistent quality while maintaining accessibility compliance and SEO optimization.

The process involved:

• Image & Data Collection: Rusta provided product images with comprehensive product information
• AI Analysis: Advanced computer vision combined with textual product data analysis
• Alt Text Generation: Descriptive, accessible content with strategic keyword integration
• Quality Control: Validation for EAA compliance, accuracy, and brand consistency

Alt Text Showcase

Examples of AI-generated alt texts for real Rusta products:

Solcellsbelysning Alholmen

"Silverfärgad solcellsbelysning med markspett och glas."

Bastumössa Rento Kenno

"Svart och grå bastumössa med hängögla på toppen."

Badrumsmatta Lea

"Rektangulär badrumsmatta med mjuka färgglada ränder."

Gasolgrill Elevate 3-burner

"Svart gasolgrill med tre vred och sidobord."

Kökshandduk Elsaform

"Vit kökshandduk med orangea ränder och hängögla."

Värmeljus 50-pack

"En plastpåse med vita värmeljus i aluminiumkopp."

Orkidékruka 13 cm Antracit

"Grå orkidékruka i glas med räfflad design."

Relaxstol Capri

"Beige relaxstol i konstrotting med tjock dyna uteplats."

Förvaringskorg Star

"Vit plastkorg med stjärnmönster, rektangulär form."

Results

The results exceeded expectations with comprehensive EAA compliance achieved months ahead of the deadline:

• 68,000 Alt Texts Generated: Complete coverage across all products and languages
• 17,000 Products Covered: Entire catalog optimized for accessibility
• 4 Nordic Markets: Full localization for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland
• 100% EAA Compliance: Ready for June 28, 2025 deadline
• Enhanced User Experience: Visually impaired customers can now navigate the entire catalog
• SEO Benefits: Alt text optimization improved product discoverability
• Market Access: Serving the full spectrum of Nordic customers, including those with visual impairments

Timeline