AI-powered app rewards shoppers for social media posts

An app using visual recognition technology allows users to earn commission by posting photos of clothing items that lead to sales.

Long gone are the days of heading to the high street to get a shopping fix. With the growing popularity of Instagram and the rise of the social media stars, retail has had to change the way they advertise. Celebrities were once the first pick of brands to wear its clothing. Now, there’s a far more socially accessible figure that can bring in sales – the influencer.

While retailers adopt this marketing strategy, shopping websites are ahead of the game. A new app called Browzzin does all the hard work for users, be it shoppers or social media sharers. Artificial intelligence-powered Browzzin gets users to upload images of products and tag retailers or brands selling the item or something similar. If their post leads to a sale, shoppers earn commission for the post. Commission varies between brands, ranging from 4 percent to 35 percent

In addition to the app’s shopping functionality, it also can be used to link through to catalogues so users can browse related items online. There is also editorial content for shoppers to read. Users can view their marketing and sales statistics and keep track of how much they have earned on the app. Over 2 million items from 10,000 brands are available on the platform at present. Browzzin hopes to expand its catalogue to 200,000 items per week.

Retailers can sign up to Browzzin’s PartnerApp to activate their inventory and take item orders from shoppers. The seller carrying the requested product closest to the shopper’s current location confirms its availability. Browzzin then informs the customer and the customer collects.

Shopping at the convenience of customers is the new approach retailers needs to take. Shopping on the go on an app that offers an AR experience, for example, will be popular. Delivering goods to a kiosk to be collected at the customers’ convenience is also a good way to cater to their needs. How else can stores optimize the customer shopping experience?