Sephora Puts A Shine On Kik

What happens when a cosmetics retailer meets a messaging app? Mutual beauty, the companies hope.

As Mobile Commerce Daily shares, Sephora‘s debut on the messaging app Kik means that users can now purchase from the retailer directly within Kik while receiving interactive guidance — tailored to their needs (via a brief quiz at the start of the conversation) — from a Sephora chatbot in the realms of beauty tips and product recommendations.

“Through our partnership with Kik, we saw an opportunity to engage with new and existing clients, particularly with the highly mobile/connected audience of Gen-Z and Younger Millennials, through a fun, new social platform,” said Bindu Shah, vice president of digital marketing at Sephora, in a statement shared by MCD.

In addition to the aforementioned quiz that Sephora customers on Kik take to tailor their interaction with the chatbot, the outlet adds that the conversation can also include pop-up prompts in the midst of it that further aid in the user’s shopping-via-messaging journey.

“A chatbot can dramatically increase sales for a brand like Sephora that has a wide variety of SKUs,” Beerud Sheth, CEO of Gupshup, told MCD. “Chatbots act like the in-store sales assistant, always available, instant, highly knowledgeable.”

“Chatbots enable the customer to make an informed choice, save time, no waiting and possibly money, too, personalized deals,” he continued. “Chatbots reduce customer friction, improve customer loyalty and drive cross-sell and upsell.”

“Chat is clearly the future of commerce,” concluded Sheth. “It is going to transform not just online eCommerce but also offline commerce. Every customer touch point, whether it is before, during or after the sale, will be through chat.”