Through the crisis with live video shopping
The Mainz start-up circl is launching the first “live video shopping experience with price comparison and bonus program” throughout Germany. On circl.link , customers are inspired by friends and influencers with product recommendations. Expert advisors can, for example, from stationary retailers or from home, advise in video chat.
circl offers a social shopping platform with over 350 shops (60 million products) and price comparison. The purchase and the recommendation are rewarded with redeemable points via circl (1 point per 2 €). The affiliate partner programs include well-known names such as MediaMarkt, Bonprix and Quelle, but also niche providers and start-ups.
In times of Corona and the lockdown, brick-and-mortar retail in particular needs a fast but also sustainable solution in order to stay in contact with customers and develop new sources of income. circl offers stationary retailers the opportunity to use their shops as showrooms and to advertise products through the independent partner shops. This is how retailers benefit from their customers’ online shopping. All commercial persons with specialist knowledge can apply here as a live host .
The live shopping function will be available for the market launch on December 16. available in the iOS & Android app. In the livestream, consultants have the opportunity to answer questions from the community. Customers buy directly via the price comparison in the shop of their choice and collect points.
Live video shopping is very popular in the Far East. Forecasts assume that the sales generated through live shopping shows in China will add up to 134 billion euros by the end of 2020. (Source: OMR )
With the establishment of circl.link GmbH in 2018, founder and managing director Aidien Assefi implemented an idea that arose during his training as a retail salesman in the Saturn consumer electronics store and came to maturity through his work as a Bose specialist consultant, content creator and influencer marketer. The founding idea is to connect customers via online and offline channels without interrupting the shopping experience. Some companies use circl for new sales channels, such as VRM (Medienhaus in Mainz) in the form of affiliate QR codes to monetize the product recommendations shown. With the live video shooping comes circlone step closer to his goal. There are now five employees and one trainee working for the Mainz start-up. Investors include ISB (Die Investitions- und Strukturbank Rheinland-Pfalz) from Mainz and ECK.ventures GmbH from Koblenz.
