Beekman 1802 Co-Founder: AI Enables More Compelling Retail Education

As beauty brands look for ways to explain their products to consumers without losing the shopper’s interest, Beekman 1802 is seeing artificial intelligence and augmented reality open possibilities for more engrossing educational experiences.

Physician (and reality television star) Dr. Brent Ridge, co-founder of the skincare brand, discussed with PYMNTS in an interview how the company’s My Skin Biome tool, using Perfect Corp.’s AI and AR, is helping it teach shoppers about its offerings.

“We really use it as an entertaining way to educate our consumer about our product,” Ridge said. “Our product is very clinical and very science-based, and we talk a lot about the skin microbiome and skin sensitivity, and so we use it to get our consumer engaged with the science.”

The company has seen a 35% increase in conversion rates with the technology and a 13% boost in average order value, Ridge said. Moreover, users who engage with the AI tool are 150% more likely to explore additional pages on the website and exhibit a 50% lower bounce rate. These consumers are also 35% more likely to make repeat purchases and have a 40% higher lifetime value if they have used the AI technology.

Consumers are engaging less with the AI tool on their own devices in the aftermath of the pandemic, with less free time sitting around at home.

“Getting people to naturally spend time on our website, if they’re not prompted to do it in a very specific way, is more challenging now than it was during the pandemic,” Ridge said.

Conversely, he noted that the company has seen strong results from having associates in Ulta locations use the tool to educate consumers in stores.

Overall, many consumers are open to mixed-reality technologies that can help them make shopping decisions. For instance, per PYMNTS Intelligence’s “How We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers,” 38% of connected device owners expressed strong interest in using virtual technology to visualize items in their space before purchasing. Additionally, 39% were interested in using an app on their phone to see how a piece of clothing would look on them before buying it.

Looking ahead, Ridge said he envisions AI playing an increasingly central role in personalizing skincare solutions.

“I think we are going to see more and more personalization when it comes to product recommendation,” he explained.

The ability to collect more data from consumers through AI tools will enable brands such as Beekman 1802 to offer more tailored product solutions for specific skincare concerns, as opposed to a more “one-product-fits-all” approach that has been common in the industry, he said.

As AI technology evolves, it will allow brands to create highly customized experiences that cater to the unique needs of each consumer. This not only enhances the customer experience but also builds brand loyalty by offering more effective solutions.

“We think that there is a big future in the use of AI and AR in the beauty industry,” Ridge said. “… When you can use a compelling image, like what we get from the AI tool, it helps the consumer go deeper, and once you can get them to go deeper, then you can educate them more efficiently.”

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