Immerss vs Leading AI Commerce Platforms: Why We Built Something Different
When retailers evaluate AI platforms for their e-commerce store, they usually compare feature lists, pricing tiers, and integration capabilities.
But they’re often comparing solutions designed for completely different problems.
At Immerss, we’re frequently asked: “How do you compare to Rep AI?” or “What makes you different from Gorgias?”
The short answer: We’re not competing with them. We’re solving a different problem for a different type of business.
Here’s the longer answer.
The AI Commerce Landscape: Two Distinct Categories
The current market has split into two clear categories:
Category 1: Automation-First Platforms
These platforms (Rep AI, Gorgias, Tidio, Ada, Drift, Intercom) are designed to automate customer service at scale.
They excel at:
- Answering FAQs automatically
- Handling support tickets efficiently
- Reducing response times to seconds
- Operating 24/7 without human intervention
- Cutting support costs by 60-80%
Their core metric: AI resolution rate — the percentage of conversations handled without humans.
The higher the better. 90%+ is the goal.
This makes perfect sense for:
- High-volume, low-touch support
- Post-purchase customer service
- Simple product questions
- Logistics and policy inquiries
Category 2: Conversion-First Platforms
This is where Immerss operates. We’re designed to maximize consultative sales conversion.
We excel at:
- Connecting customers with product experts via video
- Demonstrating physical products in real-time
- Building trust through face-to-face consultation
- Closing high-value, complex purchases
- Creating memorable, personalized experiences
Our core metric: Conversion rate — the percentage of consultations that result in purchases.
For our clients, that’s 24-31% vs 2-4% typical e-commerce.
This makes sense for:
- High-value products ($1,000+)
- Complex purchases requiring expertise
- Products where visualization matters
- Categories where trust is paramount
A Detailed Comparison
Let’s look at how we differ from the major platforms:
VS REP AI
What Rep AI does well:
Rep AI is Shopify’s #1 AI chatbot for good reason. It handles product questions automatically, guides customers through catalogs, and integrates seamlessly with Shopify stores.
Key stats: 13% conversion rate on answered questions, 97% AI resolution, $49-299/month
Where Immerss is different:
Rep AI stops at text-based automation. When a customer asks “Which $8,000 engagement ring should I buy?”, Rep AI provides product specifications.
Immerss connects that customer with a certified gemologist who shows the actual rings on video, explains nuances you can’t describe in text, and closes the sale with confidence.
The numbers: Rep AI’s 13% conversion is excellent for AI. Our 24-31% conversion comes from hybrid AI + human expertise.
Best for Rep AI: High-traffic stores with simple products and lots of basic questions Best for Immerss: Luxury and specialty retailers with complex, high-value products
VS GORGIAS
What Gorgias does well:
Gorgias is a comprehensive customer service platform that centralizes support across email, chat, social media, and SMS. Their AI automates repetitive support tasks.
Key stats: Strong ticket management, $10-900/month pricing, excellent for post-purchase support
Where Immerss is different:
Gorgias focuses on support after purchase. Immerss focuses on consultation before purchase.
When someone needs help with a return or tracks a shipment, Gorgias excels. When someone needs expert guidance to select a $5,000 custom piece, Immerss delivers.
Best for Gorgias: Omnichannel support operations, customer service teams Best for Immerss: Pre-purchase consultative sales, expert-guided selection
VS TIDIO
What Tidio does well:
Tidio offers a good balance of AI chatbot and live chat for small-medium businesses. It’s affordable and easy to set up.
Key stats: $29-749/month, decent automation for the price
Where Immerss is different:
Tidio’s live chat is text-based. Our consultations are video-based with product demonstrations.
Tidio connects you to a support agent for text chat. Immerss connects your customer to a product expert who shows physical items on camera.
Best for Tidio: Budget-conscious SMBs with straightforward products Best for Immerss: Retailers where seeing and demonstrating products drives conversion
VS ADA
What Ada does well:
Ada is an enterprise-grade AI platform with sophisticated automation, deep customization, and global scalability.
Key stats: Enterprise pricing (typically $50K+), used by major brands
Where Immerss is different:
Ada automates at massive scale. Immerss personalizes through human expertise.
Ada handles thousands of concurrent conversations with AI. Immerss handles high-value consultations with experts showing products on video.
Best for Ada: Global enterprises with massive support volume Best for Immerss: Luxury and specialty retailers where personalization drives sales
VS DRIFT
What Drift does well:
Drift pioneered conversational marketing for B2B. They excel at qualifying leads and booking demos for sales teams.
Key stats: $2,500+/month, strong in B2B SaaS
Where Immerss is different:
Drift qualifies leads for software demos. Immerss closes sales for physical products.
Drift books a meeting for later. Immerss connects expert and customer immediately for live product consultation.
Best for Drift: B2B companies with complex sales cycles Best for Immerss: D2C retailers with consultative sales processes
VS INTERCOM
What Intercom does well:
Intercom is a full customer communication platform with AI assistance, excellent for SaaS and digital products.
Key stats: $39-139/month per seat, comprehensive workflows
Where Immerss is different:
Intercom supports digital product companies. Immerss supports physical product retailers.
Intercom helps onboard software users. Immerss helps sell luxury goods through expert consultation.
Best for Intercom: SaaS companies, digital services Best for Immerss: Jewelry, furniture, fashion, and other visual, tactile products
What Immerss Actually Does
We built Immerss specifically for luxury and specialty retail. Here’s our full platform:
AI-Powered Live Sales ($55/month)
- 24/7 AI sales agents trained on your products
- Instant answers to customer questions
- Multi-lingual support
- Qualification and lead scoring
- Seamless handoff to human experts
1-to-1 Virtual Co-Shopping ($110/month)
- Live video consultations with your experts
- Barcode scanning for instant product sharing
- Browser-based (no downloads required)
- Appointment scheduling and SMS reminders
- Commission tracking for associates
- CRM integration
Live Shopping Events ($92/month)
- QVC-style livestream shopping
- Instant purchasing during broadcasts
- Trunk shows and product launches
- Influencer collaborations
- Shoppable video recordings
Key Integrations:
- Deep Shopify and Shopify Plus integration
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud
- White-label (fully branded as your store)
- Real-time inventory sync
- Analytics and attribution
Real Results from Real Clients
Lucchese Boots
Product: Custom cowboy boots, $500-$13,000
Challenge: Customers needed to see, feel, smell the leather — purely online experience wasn’t working
Solution: AI pre-qualifies, experts conduct video consultations showing actual boots
Results:
- 29.7% conversion rate (vs 2% without consultations)
- 62% increase in average order value
- Created 5-person digital showroom team
- Shifted majority of sales to D2C channel
Ylang 23
Product: Luxury jewelry, 35-year boutique in Dallas
Challenge: Limited to local customer base, wanted nationwide reach
Solution: Virtual trunk shows and personal consultations via Immerss
Results:
- Expanded from local to coast-to-coast customers
- Customers “walk through store” via video with consultants
- Receive links to purchase pieces shown in consultation
- “Amazing feedback” from customers on personal experience
Aggregate Client Data:
- Conversion rate: 24-31% (vs 2-4% typical e-commerce)
- Average order value increase: 35%+ minimum
- Return rate: 21% (vs 24% typical e-commerce)
- Customer satisfaction: 98% (vs 12% typical e-commerce)
When You Need Immerss vs When You Need a Chatbot
Choose a Traditional AI Chatbot If:
- Average order value under $500
- Products are simple and standardized
- Main need is support automation
- Goal is reducing support costs
- Questions are mostly about logistics/policies
Choose Immerss If:
- Average order value over $1,000
- Products require expertise to select properly
- Visual demonstration significantly impacts purchase decisions
- Trust and authenticity are critical to your brand
- Goal is increasing conversion rate and AOV
- You sell: jewelry, custom furniture, luxury fashion, high-end watches, art, collectibles, or other consultative categories
The Hybrid Strategy
The smartest retailers don’t choose between AI automation and human expertise.
They use both strategically:
AI handles (80% of conversations):
- “What’s your return policy?”
- “Do you ship to Canada?”
- “What sizes do you have?”
- “How do I track my order?”
Humans handle (20% of conversations):
- “Which engagement ring should I choose?”
- “Can you show me your custom furniture options?”
- “I need help selecting the right piece for my collection”
- “What’s the difference between these two $8,000 watches?”
This is exactly how Immerss works:
AI greets every visitor, answers questions instantly, qualifies intent, and identifies serious buyers.
Then seamlessly hands off to experts for the consultation that closes the sale.
Result: Experts spend 100% of their time with qualified, engaged customers ready to buy.
Why We Built Immerss
We saw a massive gap in the market.
Plenty of tools existed to automate support. Nothing existed to replicate in-store consultative expertise online.
Luxury retailers were stuck:
- Enterprise platforms cost $5-50K/month with 6+ month implementations
- AI chatbots couldn’t handle complex, high-value sales
- Zoom consultations were clunky and disconnected from commerce
- AR try-on existed separately from expert guidance
We built Immerss to be:
- Purpose-built for consultative commerce (not retrofitted support tools)
- Hybrid AI + human by design (not AI trying to replace humans)
- Video-first (not text chat with video bolted on)
- Fully integrated (not 5 separate tools cobbled together)
- Mid-market pricing (not enterprise complexity or budget tool limitations)
Getting Started
If you’re a jewelry retailer, luxury brand, or specialty store selling high-value products that require expertise:
Step 1: Assess your current situation
- What’s your conversion rate for products over $1,000?
- How much time do experts spend answering basic questions?
- What percentage of visitors have questions but never ask?
Step 2: Calculate the opportunity
- If you converted just 10% more of your high-value browsers, what’s the revenue impact?
- If consultation increased AOV by 30%, what does that mean annually?
Step 3: See Immerss in action
- Book a demo to see the platform live
- We’ll show you exactly how it works for your specific products
- Review case studies from similar retailers
Step 4: Start with a pilot
- 14-day trial with concierge onboarding
- We configure your product catalog
- Train your team on best practices
- You test with real customers
Step 5: Scale what works
- Measure conversion rate vs traditional e-commerce
- Track AOV impact
- Monitor customer satisfaction
- Expand to more products and team members
The Bottom Line
Rep AI, Gorgias, Tidio, Ada, Drift, and Intercom are excellent platforms.
They’re just solving a different problem.
If you need to automate support and reduce costs — use them.
If you need to convert high-value consultative sales — use us.
It’s not about better or worse. It’s about right tool for the right job.
And for luxury and specialty retail, consultative video commerce isn’t just better.
It’s 10x better.
The numbers prove it.
Ready to see how Immerss works for your store? Book a demo with our team and discover why consultative video commerce achieves 24-31% conversion rates vs 2-4% typical e-commerce. Schedule your demo.
