Currys PC World has used video conferencing to provide an in-store experience to online customers of HP products.
Shoppers can conduct one-way video and two-way audio conversations with HP sales experts to receive advice based on their preferences when choosing which products to buy.
The service is accessible through call-to-action buttons on product pages on the Currys website and automatically connects customers with their nearest HP in-store expert so that they can resume interactions when they visit a store.
According to partner Go Instore, the campaign has led to increased purchases of HP products and an uplift in average order values.
Across stores that are active with the Go Instore service, store experts spent an average of 34% of their time engaging with online shoppers. Staff at the Bristol store spend 70% of their available free time on calls.
HP is building a dedicated team to manage the programme and training in-store experts specifically for online calls.
The company plans to roll out the technology more widely with major consumer electronics retailers across Europe.
Brian Chavrimootoo, EMEA trade marketing manager at HP, said: “We understand the power of our HP in-store sales experts in building trust and brand loyalty – we wanted to deliver the same sensory experience to online shoppers.
“The Go Instore deployment with Currys PC World has delivered impressive results. Customers quickly embraced the initiative and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with over indexed customer satisfaction metrics.”
A survey of 1,056 UK adults carried out by Marketingsignals.com found 85% of people prefer to physically purchase products in store, despite the convenience of online shopping.
Currys PC World and HP are both members of the IREU index, which tracks the top-performing European retailers across a range of metrics. If you would like to receive the fortnightly IREU newsletter, click here to edit your mailing list preferences.
