By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor
A while back, we were hearing a lot about the concept of social commerce – or the ability to drive sales through social networks.
Remember when all those retailers opened Facebook storefronts, and most of them were quickly shut down? Yeah, that social commerce.
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Soon after, the whole idea of social commerce was debunked, with most thought leaders and retailers avoiding the term altogether.
As I interview more retailers, though, I’m starting to realize that social commerce is thriving…it just was refined over time.
You see, shopping has always been an innately social behavior. Some of my fondest memories consist of hanging out at the mall with my friends. But today, consumers can consult friends and fellow shoppers on potential purchases from the comfort of their homes.
Amrita Singh, a New York City-based jewelry eTailer, is recreating the traditional brick-and-mortar experience for the web using social commerce solutions from BevyUp. On the e-Commerce site, shoppers can access top-trending accessories, tag products and ask their friends for advice before making a purchase.
Since Amrita Singh implemented BevyUp in August 2013, up to 5% of all monthly sales have been generated through the tool, according to Vika Osipenko, Digital Marketing Manager for Amrita Singh.
“As an exclusively online retailer, we’re always looking for ways to replicate the in-store experience,” said Osipenko in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “Most people enjoy shopping with friends to spend quality time, as well as to receive validation for potential purchases.”
I think this is such a fun idea. Two people can basically connect through the platform, share products, and “tag” them based on how they feel: “like it,” “love it” and “not for me,” to name a few.
“BevyUp provides us with an intuitive way to make online shopping a social experience,” Osipenko said. “It also has the added benefit of serving as a shared wish list. Imagine two friends sharing a BevyUp session, tagging and discussing their favorite items. BevyUp saves the session so now both girls have access to a list of items the other loved.”
Personally, I can’t wait to see what other retailers embrace social tools and solutions to create a more compelling and collaborative online shopping experience.
Retailers: Are you using any of these tools? How would you define social commerce today? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
