Snapchat’s rollout of updated shopping features is another sign that social networks see a bright future in e-commerce. Parent company Snap is among the social media trendsetters that seek to build upon their hold on consumer attention into direct sales for their advertisers.
Initial tests of a new “catalog-powered” shopping lens with retailer Ulta Beauty and makeup brand MAC Cosmetics showed positive results for augmented reality lenses that brands can directly link to their product catalogs. Ulta generated $6 million in sales and more than 30 million product try-ons during a two-week period, while MAC’s shopping lens was tried on 1.3 million times. It experienced a 17-time lift in purchases among women, an increase of nine times in purchase intent and 2.4 times in brand awareness, according to results Snap shared with sister publication Marketing Dive.
Instead of showing two-dimensional images of their products to Snapchat users, marketers now have tools to engage mobile shoppers with immersive content such as virtual try-ons of cosmetics. The goal is to bring mobile users deeper into the purchase funnel after they browse products, transitioning them from passive social media user to active shopper and paying customer. AR technology gives users a 3D view they can control with facial gestures or screen taps. A high-touch AR experience helps to bring products to life while emulating the in-store experience as consumers shift more of their spending online — a behavior that was prevalent before the pandemic but has since been accelerated since the onset of the health crisis.
Source: Retail Dive
Omni Talk is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga founded Omni Talk in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail. 