Yoox partners with messaging service WeChat

Online retail group, Yoox, the official e-commerce partner of Kering, is teaming up with mobile text and social platform WeChat to “socialise” the mobile shopping experience for its customers. Yoox currently already operates a Chinese WeChat account, but the strategic partnership sees the

launch of an Yoox.com account on WeChat that will be available for US and Italian users, as it looks to “completely integrate shopping, social networks and mobile communication”.

Using WeChat’s platform, Yoox customers will be able to send instant messages in real time to the company’s customer care and personal stylist teams, as well as chat with insiders of the fashion industry. They will also be able to shop new arrivals from Yoox.com in addition to products that will be exclusive to WeChat users.

The WeChat accounts will also feature special editorial content, with the launch month featuring an interactive look book with pieces from Yoox selected by Robert Rabensteiner, fashion editor of L'Uomo Vogue, as well as shoppable inspiration galleries that are exclusive to WeChat.

"By taking advantage of the e-commerce and social networking expertise of both companies, this new partnership will revolutionise the online shopping experience," stated Yoox in a statement.

Yoox.com teams up with WeChat

In addition, Yoox has also created an app, ‘Shake Your Style’, which made its debut on WeChat and allows users to reveal new outfits to share with friends on social networks just by shaking their smartphones.

WeChat, the instant messaging application developed by the Chinese technology company, Tencent, has been utilised by luxury brands and retailers before, with Harrods and Mulberry both using the platform to reach out to Chinese consumers. However, this marks the first time the social app has been used to target American and Italian shoppers.

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to connect with our customers here,” Clement Kwan, president of Yoox, New York told Luxury Daily. “Given WeChat’s strong growth outside of China and the robust functionality and development opportunities the app allows, we seized an opportunity to lead our industry on WeChat in the US.”

With Yoox stating that more than 40 percent of its traffic worldwide comes from mobile devices, this partnership with WeChat, which allows in-app e-commerce can only help increase its traffic and conversion rate.

Image and Video: Yoox on WeChat