Verishop has become the latest fashion vendor to explore Snapchat Minis, a social video app offering that brings snack-sized third-party app functionality to the platform, the CEO told WWD and co-founder of Verishop, Imran Khan.
Introduced last year, the feature paved the way for a select group of experiences within the Snapchat app, including 11 ranging from movie tickets to voter registration. Verishop makes a dozen of them and with the launch it aims to expand its reach with a shopping model designed for Snapchatters.
“We knew that while the last two decades of innovation in purchasing were at the back, in terms of infrastructure, the next two decades of innovation will be at the front,” he said. declared, “on discovery”.
The Mini focuses on discovery in a distinct way, with 10 “moods” that Verishop says will resonate with Snapchat users, with names like “The Flirt”, “Cottagecore”, “Free Spirited”, “Dark Academia ”and others, denoting themes or aesthetics such as boho and goth. People can choose their mood on that day and then click to view and buy selected beauty and fashion products. The goal is to offer something like an online version of window shopping for independent brands and direct to consumers.
The approach is unique, as moods are not available on the main Verishop platform. Perhaps that sets it apart from Poshmark, whose own Mini earlier this month served more as an introduction to its signature Posh Parties and full product catalog.
In addition to the feeling of window shopping, consumers can also get their friends’ opinions on the products as they browse. This is the genuinely social aspect of real-world shopping, and it has been strangely absent from social commerce.
Snap appeared to recognize this when he revealed his intention to make shopping more social at his Partner Summit in May. In some ways, the Verishop Mini looks like a follow-up to those intentions.
“Instead of having to balance multiple apps to copy and paste stuff that they might find in the Verishop app, we can build that right into the chat,” said Alston Cheek, director of platform partnerships. at Snap Inc.
“We can really invent new ways, like in the case of what we’re doing with Verishop, to add a social layer to shopping and invent new ways to shop with your friends,” Cheek said.
With 280 million daily active users, there’s a good chance people have at least some personal contacts in the app.
This aspect has a lot of potential, and it is coming in an age of accelerated online shopping. But instead of rushing features to take advantage of it, which could lead to a buggy experience, Snap works directly and “deliberately” with partners, Cheek added. This is why there has not been more to date.
But, he said, the company aims to make the tools more open in the future, as well as incorporating other features, such as augmented reality testing.
Even in their current state, Snap seems happy with the traction so far. In the first month, more than 5 million Snapchatters used the Headspace Mini and more than 2 million used Givingli to design digital Valentine’s Day cards, according to the tech company. Meanwhile, the TurboVote Mini has helped 30 million users learn about the election and over 1 million register to vote.
Figures like this would surely delight Verishop’s Khan. And as Snap’s former chief strategy officer, he understands the tech company’s priorities and vision, and how it would align with his.
The three-year-old startup spent its first two years focusing on establishing its infrastructure and business. When the Minis were unveiled in June 2020, it looked like a way for the company to spread its wings. “We wanted to make sure that innovation adds to the experience you already love. And so, in year two, we were ready to expand our platform, ”Khan said.
So she started working with Snap, as well as others, including Elle magazine, as part of a partnership for a curated beauty collection. He also deepened his own technological development.
“The past six months have been incredible for us in terms of innovation deployment, haven’t they? We’ve launched content – if you download our app, you’ll see streams of content, and we’ve created visuals, computer vision to recognize other content and match it with the product, ”Khan continued. “We started the live broadcast. We now have video reviews. You can go to our site and watch all the past live broadcasts, and we cut them and made mini clips of short videos. And we do it automatically. These are not done manually. And now we are launching Snap Minis.
Verishop has also created new augmented reality filters for Snapchat users. One lets them virtually try lip oils from own beauty brand Kosas, while another offers sunglasses from Fifth & Ninth.
Currently, AR lenses are separate from the Mini. But, as Cheek pointed out, it might not be for long, and it might not just be for accessories and beauty products. Snap has gone to great lengths to make realistic clothing fittings a reality, through its work with virtual fabric simulation and 3D body mesh that map human form and movement.
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