If you put yourself in the shoes of a typical shopper it’s all about sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste when evaluating an item for purchase. That’s why retailers like Costco lure customers in with free samples, and stores like Ulta Beauty allow customers to try on certain makeup and fragrance products.
Fast forward to COVID-19 and now retailers are struggling to replicate the immersive sensory experience of shopping with their online stores. Yes, it’s very convenient to click a button on Amazon and have a product delivered right to your doorstep, but what about engagement? Will digital commerce ever be able to provide the same experience as shopping in brick-and-mortar?
Some of today’s most innovative brands in the Asian market are attempting to bring consumers one step closer to the in-person experience. As of March, 2020 there were 560 million people watching shopping live-streams in China, an increase of 126 million compared to last June, according to a report published by the China Internet Network Information Center. Almost half of them used live-streaming for online shopping, according to the report. South Korea and China are growing faster than any other country in the Asian live-stream market but what about Live commerce in the USA?
Despite the American market lagging behind the Asian market, Amazon launched Amazon Live in 2019. For all of you HSN fans it comes with all those flashy icons fluttering on the screen each time a purchase is made!
Live streaming has become a viable platform for digital consumers to interact, contribute, and purchase. By delivering interactive video experiences, today’s organizations are able to connect with viewers in a way that closely resembles the sensory brick and mortar experience.
If you want to reduce customer latency for your brand you should seriously consider adding Live Shopping Events to your marketing mix! Sampoll is currently experimenting with Live at-home product sampling events to help bring a similar sensory experience for your digital sampling strategy.
Contact a Sampoll rep today to learn more about live at-home product sampling. Schedule a Time Now!