Live video eCommerce and chat platform Immerss announced Tuesday (Oct. 5) the rollout of its Immerss Shop Live app in the Shopify App Store, which will let Shopify merchants create in-person virtual shopping experiences.
Through Immerss Shop Live, online shoppers are connected to a sales associate through a live shoppable video and guided through the purchase experience until they reach checkout. The goal is to increase customer engagement, raise the average order value and lower the rate of product returns.
The Immerss app offers live video co-shopping, shoppable chat and outbound clienteling, according to the company announcement. Live video allows merchants to shop face-to-face with online customers, connect with customers in chat using a branded widget or contact customers via SMS messaging, share new products, or schedule a 1-to-1 call with all sales activity tracked.
“What’s missing from eCommerce is a live sales associate who can talk more about how products look, feel and fit, upsell customers and help people shop,” said Arthur Veytsman, co-founder and CEO at Immerss, in the company announcement. “Live video commerce is rapidly emerging and redefining how brands and retailers interact with their customers to provide an elevated online shopping experience.”
Shopify saw a 76 percent increase in its social commerce channels between February 2020 and February 2021, with TikTok the fastest-growing platform. Recent Shopify research determined that 54 percent of consumers ages 18 to 34 found brands on social media, and 28 percent made purchases there.
Social commerce is presenting some challenges for brands, Yuval Ben-Itzhak, president and chief strategy officer at Emplifi, recently told PYMNTS, including keeping track of inventory, pricing and shipping across the myriad shops and social marketplaces where products are sold.
Related: Social Commerce Is Retail’s New Inventory Headache
TikTok recently announced a new shopping solution where the social media company will manage everything for merchants, including shipping and point of purchase, and plans to launch a TikTok Shopping API later this year.
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