IT Brief Australia - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers
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Brauz teams up with Zoom to improve virtual shopping
Thu, 8th Jul 2021
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Brauz, the Australian omnichannel experience platform, has teamed up with Zoom with the aim of bringing video to everyday shopping experiences.

The collaboration allows customers to book a virtual appointment directly through a company's website, making an appointment with a consultant or in real-time while reviewing a product or service online.

Customers receive an email and text with their link to connect via Zoom once the consultant accepts their appointment. During their video appointment, consultants take customers through products or services of interest.

Brauz enables a shopping cart within the session that allows consultants to add products or services on behalf of the customer. This triggers an SMS containing the shopping cart with a secure payment link to facilitate the transaction in the moment.

The service is available for companies who sign up to the Brauz platform. Current companies include Cue Clothing, Forever New, Jo Mercer, Dion Lee, Nike and Veronika Maine.

The integration also extends to many verticals including retail, banking services, homewares, building and construction, automotive and real estate, the company states.

For these different verticals, Brauz is delivering fully immersive experiences for customers, regardless of whether they're shopping from the comfort of their home, workplace or on the go.

In addition, using wearable technologies and the use of machine learning and AI, the collaboration between Brauz and Zoom allows brands to equip staff to take their customers on a shopping journey, executing contextual commerce at every touchpoint.

Brauz founder and CEO Lee Hardham says, “Consumer behaviour is evolving at an unprecedented rate and businesses are looking for technology partners that can provide immersive experiences, removing friction and allowing a greater connection to their brand.

"With Brauz, businesses are able to connect and capitalise on these new opportunities. Our collaboration with Zoom has allowed us to bring these interactive experiences into peoples homes and create a new sense of borderless shopping without the typical geographic constraints.

"Virtual appointments have effectively opened up retailers to a whole new suite of customers around the world who they might not have otherwise been able to reach through eCommerce alone.

"It also creates a safer space to shop for those who are less able to access physical retail environments, including rural Australians and people with disabilities. In essence, weve delivered the future of retail, quicker than anyone thought.

Zoom head of Australia and New Zealand Michael Chetner says, "At Zoom, we are passionate about connecting people.

"The past 18 months have seen family, friends and colleagues connect virtually like never before, and we are excited to see how Brauz is using the Zoom platform to help retail businesses be more successful and bring virtual experiences into a whole new space.