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Is In-Message Chat The Future Of Online Shopping?

  • Written By Andy
  • Posted April 27, 2017
  • 2 minutes Read Time

At the Drapers Digital Festival 2017, that took place at the Hilton London Bankside on Tuesday 25th April, an interesting talk was led by no other than executive vice-president and president of global eCommerce at Levi Strauss, Marc Rosen. The premise of his talk was that in-message chat is going to be the future of online shopping.

“The shopper is in control; they decide how they interact when they do it and where they do it. In the future, however, that will be more of a two-way conversation enabled by technology.”

Rosen went on to say that the customer will talk with the brand via their mobiles, to ask for advice regarding product recommendations, sizing guides, as well as ask for general tips! The best eCommerce sites will, therefore, be the ones that provide in-message chats that are engaging and informative to result in a purchase decision and ultimately, repeat sales.

With in-message chat already proving an essential part of any successful eCommerce website already, the questions are on how to improve the level of service provided by this function.

Rosen went on to suggest that the split division between online and physical shops doesn’t have to be so distinct anymore. Brands should be able to link its online offers with their physical shopping experience, allowing customers to book an appointment in store with a specialist.

“The tech will make sure we know [they are] there, [their] choices will already be in the changing room, [they] will be able to order different colours via a smart mirror and get them delivered directly to her home. The entire session will then be sent to [them] so [they have] information about all [their] choices”.

Rosen added: “That experience is possible now. The technology we need is out there. The key is weaving that innovation into everything we do.”

Essentially, in-message chat could unlock the key to a more enhanced user experience, bringing online and physical stores together in unison. Only time will tell…