In 2020 in France, the e-commerce sector recorded over 1.84 billion transactions. It is now an integral part of our shopping habits. Beyond quality products, brands must therefore offer different and innovative shopping experiences to seduce increasingly demanding consumers. 

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The development of online shopping 

In France, the history of online shopping began in the 1990s with the appearance of Minitel. Subsequently, it developed rapidly thanks to technical progress and the democratisation of computer equipment. In 1999, 25% of the population had a computer and 7% had access to the Internet. Ten years later, 69.7% of the population had a computer and 64% had access to the Web. It is this technological evolution that has allowed e-commerce to explode: between 2000 and 2020, its turnover rose from 0.7 billion euros to 112 billion. 

The development of Internet access (number of terminals, broadband, etc.) has led to an evolution in user behaviour. They are no longer just looking to buy, they want a personalised shopping experience. 

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E-commerce: beyond the act of buying

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Today, it's no longer just about offering a product catalog, but about providing a different shopping experience. To do this, e-retailers are using different tools that aim to improve customer support during and after their purchase. Like UX design, which includes a set of techniques to increase the performance of a site or an application to better meet customer expectations. Or conversational marketing, which allows to quickly answer users' questions through chatbots to guide them at any time.

E-tailers also need to look after the customer experience after the purchase: rely on good logistics to deliver in the best conditions and keep in touch by asking for reviews that will influence other customers.

Finally, immersing the customer in a brand universe is fundamental. Through loyalty programmes, gamification or by setting up virtual stores, e-retailers offer a fun and differentiated experience that invites purchases. These strategies are constantly evolving in order to give more satisfaction to the customer on the one hand and to feed their need for novelty on the other.

Live Commerce: a unique in-store user experience

Arriving on the French market in 2020, Live Commerce offers a new online shopping experience modelled on in-store sales. Indeed, it includes all the ingredients that make in-store sales activities successful: product discovery in action, human relations, personalised support and entertainment. 

With Live Commerce, all these elements are brought together in digital form and customers can access them directly from their homes! The brand creates a setting in line with the product it wishes to promote to immerse the customer in its world. Immersed in the brand's codes, consumers will then watch the live show, talk to the presenter and make a purchase, all in a simple, intuitive and fast way. This makes for an optimal experience for both customers and brands. 

According to Salesforce Research, 83% of consumers consider the shopping experience to be as important as the product. By offering an online shopping experience inspired by physical in-store animations, Live Commerce is appealing. Consumers benefit froman immersive, authentic and simplified shoppingexperience, while brands benefit from it to increase their performance. A solution that deserves to be developed!