GetBEE, a UAE-born technology startup, has pioneered the future of personalized shopping with Chalhoub Group, the leading partner for luxury in the Middle East who are changing the future of retail by building omnichannel experiences.
To create a digital concierge service for Chalhoub Group, the startup partnered with over 15 luxury fashion and beauty brands of the Group, including Faces, Dolce & Gabbana and Lancôme.
These brands were onboarded to a collaborative e-retail platform which allowed their beauty and fashion advisors to interact and engage with their customers using conversational commerce technology. This partnership is aligned with Chalhoub Group’s transformational principal “Startups Are Our Allies,” and one of the Group’s core values, Entrepreneurship.
A Digital Concierge Service
Chalhoub Group wanted to ensure that its customers can access the beauty and fashion advisors working in their stores, even if they would like to do so from the comfort of their homes. This previously was only possible through physical store visits, but now the engagement can happen through a virtual, cloud-based solution. Through two-way video calls, customers can speak to an in-store expert and receive real-time advice on their needs and receive the required support.
Some of these conversations result in purchases, however, the declared intent is to be available to customers and delight them. If a customer would like to buy a certain item, it is delivered right to their door. The platform also created educational Masterclasses as an online launch pad for the brands to educate and share new products directly to their target audience.
Business Continuity is Largely Dependent on Innovation
Kristof Lukovich, Head of Digital for Beauty at Chalhoub Group says: “We understand and love our customers. It is one of the most important elements to our successful digital transformation journey that we become more and more obsessed about them, putting them first, and finding innovative ways to delight them. This means testing new channels and finding the right partners in this important mission. It is all about the customer experience. It is a very exciting time to be in retail, and work on hybrid and omnichannel projects together with our luxury brands and GetBEE.”
Izabella Naessa, Head of Commercial at GetBEE says, “Now more than ever, business continuity is largely dependent on innovation. We decided to build upon the basic e-commerce business models and create an empowering buying experience for luxury customers by facilitating human connections through technology. It’s exciting working with a forward-thinking team who foresaw this opportunity, even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are proud to enhance the future of B2C communication and pave the way for other brands to optimize their experiences and customer relationships!”
An increased focus on contactless purchases took off in March 2020 following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, growing the number of e-services for customers within the UAE by 150%. As the GetBEE and Chalhoub Group digital transformation project was well underway before the pandemic, it witnessed a demand surge during the lockdown period and created a sustainable way to continue in a post-COVID world.
