Part of the luxury shopping experience includes the need for a dedicated sales associate to help consumers find exactly what they want (and things they didn't know they wanted). In order to maintain this aspect of the experience in an ecommerce environment, startup company Immerss has developed a live video ecommerce platform for luxury brands.
Live Ecommerce Fueled by New Funding
Immerss recently announced that its company successfully secured $1.1 million for its ecommerce business. Funding for the startup was driven by investments from Oak Stream Investors III and Muse Family Enterprises. The newest funding will help the ecommerce company build out its platform and launch marketing initiatives to onboard new stores and luxury brands.
"Live commerce is rapidly emerging and redefining how brands and retailers interact with their customers to provide memorable online shopping experiences," said Arthur Veytsman, founder and CEO of the startup business. "Immerss is at the forefront of this innovation. We are thrilled by the vote of confidence from our investors; they bring a wealth of knowledge and connections to our business."
While the platform built by the startup company was in development prior to the global pandemic, Immerss provided an effective way for sales associates to work from home during quarantine. So far, Immerss has worked with luxury brands in the fashion industry, including Lucchese, Radley London, and Ylang 23.
Humanizing the Ecommerce Shopping Experience
Veytsman founded the Dallas-based startup business alongside entrepreneurs Alex Wilner and Patrick Jacobs with a mission to bring the luxury shopping experience to the ecommerce landscape. Through the use of the Immerss platform, retailers can offer consumers a personalized experience even if they can not come into the store.
Shoppers can call or schedule an appointment with a retailer to be connected with a sales associate through a live video feed. The sales associates can then see which products the customers have recently viewed or purchased to help them better understand what they are looking for.
Sales associates working from the store can also suggest other products to their customers by scanning the barcode located on the items. The customers are then able to view the product page for the item directly from their computer or smartphone in real-time.
The startup company claims that businesses using its platform have witnessed up to a 61% increase in average order value.
The Luxury Goods Industry and Live Ecommerce Business
Market research projects the global luxury goods market to reach over $403 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 2.1% over the forecast period. Immerss hopes to tap into the industry by helping luxury retailers expand their high-end shopping experiences into the digital medium and boosting conversion rates.
While the startup business is taking a unique approach to the live ecommerce model, several other startups and businesses have already implemented similar technologies in a number of ways. Amazon Live works with celebrities and influencers to showcase and demonstrate a massive variety of products for its customers. Others, such as Livescale, have built their own live shopping marketplaces, featuring brands such as Vans, Jenny Bird, and Ana Luisa.
