Live video shopping boosts Bensons for Beds order value

The new technology, which allows shoppers to speak to a colleague in-store via a one-way video service on the retailers’ website, has driven its average online order value up by 22% year-on-year since its launch in October. 

The home and furniture retailer now takes more than 200 calls per week through this service, which is live in its Stockport and Huddersfield stores, and is set to open in Manchester by the end of this week.

In-store staff in the video call locations take calls during quiet periods and cover customer queries nationally. 

Graham Wilson, director of omnichannel and digital at Bensons for Beds, said: “The benefit of a service like this for us is that footfall into a store will follow a pattern, peaks and troughs. So this is an opportunity for us to fill some of those troughs.

“We’ve got colleagues on the floor when there are no feet in through the door, so they can be taking calls on the video service then actually it’s making the most out of our team and gives them the opportunity to talk and engage with more customers and improve the whole Bensons’ experience from a customer perspective.”

The technology is part of several new services added by customer engagement systems brand Emplifi to the retailer’s website, which will also include on-site user-generated social content and a product review platform in the coming weeks.