ClickCease
CASE STUDY
September 16, 2024

How Poly & Bark increased both CVR and AOV

Client:
Poly & Bark
Industry:
Homewares & Furniture
Platform:
Shopify + Help Scout
8 %
Conversion rate lift
14 %
AOV lift

Summary

Challenge

Give on-the-fence shoppers the confidence to purchase high-ticket sofas without the ability to try them out first.

Solution

Automating Q&As through Rep’s AI-powered concierge to help shoppers discover the right products and learn more about them.

Results

Detailed product information and free samples led to an increase in conversion rates as on-the-fence shoppers gained the confidence to purchase.

Challenge

Poly & Bark is a digital retailer specializing in high-end furniture at a fraction of the cost of brick-and-mortar stores. Each piece is inspired by a smorgasbord of cultures, bringing together detailed craftsmanship and iconic designs.

The brand prides itself on engaging directly with consumers—without wholesalers and showrooms to contend with, it can offer customers high-quality, classic sofas without the extra costs.

Once an anomaly in an industry that literally relies on “butts on seats”, Poly & Bark is now competing with hundreds of other online-only furniture retailers. With the help of AI, it’s able to deliver sales support that rivals the in-store experience.

Furniture is rarely an impulse purchase. Consumers have to make sure it matches their aesthetic, fits in their homes, and serves the right purpose. This is particularly tricky when it comes to buying sofas online. It’s difficult to tell how comfy a sofa will be without physically trying it out—something Poly & Bark struggled to get across to shoppers.

The brand wanted to give its customers confidence when buying high-priced furniture, but the lack of physical touch and the inability to try out a product before they purchase left customers hesitant—especially when dropping over $1k on a single item.

If they wanted to keep up with traditional retailers, Poly & Bark had to promise much more than reduced prices and fast delivery. They had to find a way to help thousands of individual shoppers per day discover the right piece of statement furniture by answering questions and instilling confidence, just like a salesperson would do in a brick-and-mortar store. This is the beauty of Rep: it can be there for an endless amount of customers at any time of the day or night without the need for a huge sales or support team.

Jessica Carter, Customer Service Manager at Poly & Bark, remarked:

“Our experience with Rep has been nothing short of amazing! We have seen growth in the short time that we have been using the chatbot on our site and are pleased with the overall results thus far. We highly recommend them.”

Solution

Purchasing a big piece of furniture is a very involved personal experience. Every customer has a different expectation about what a product will look like in their home and whether it will match up to the marketing images. Add this to the inability to try out products pre-purchase, and it quickly becomes clear why Poly & Bark chose to add Rep to its site.

The AI-powered sales concierge was able to recommend relevant products through an automated Q&A with customers. This helped them find the right sofa for their needs based on their preferences, ideal materials, and desired size. Rep continues to automate customer requests, reducing the workload of Poly & Bark’s human agents and ensuring shoppers get the information they need in real-time. In other words, now.

Results

Shoppers are now able to explore the brand’s furniture catalog through more personalized questions, learn about leather care, and discover Poly & Bark’s shipping and returns policy all through the AI chatbot. It’s able to narrow down a customer’s choices through filters like budget, the type of sofa they’re looking for, their preferred colors and materials, as well as provide educational content, like leather cleaning tips.  

Rep has helped customers gain confidence by offering free fabric samples and a 100-day trial period for bigger items, like sofas. The recommendations and personalized Q&As led to an 8% lift in conversion rates and a 15% increase in AOV. This was a direct result of converting on-the-fence customers who were hesitant about purchasing high-ticket items without trying them out.

Industry:
Personal Products

Platform:
Shopify + Gorgias

Challenge:
Educate and reassure shoppers new to the self-love game.

Solution:
Answering in-the-moment questions and busting self-love myths to guide shoppers right the way through to the sale.

Results:
Increased conversions, more shopper confidence, and reduced pressure on the customer support team.

Summary

Challenge

Give on-the-fence shoppers the confidence to purchase high-ticket sofas without the ability to try them out first.

Solution

Automating Q&As through Rep’s AI-powered concierge to help shoppers discover the right products and learn more about them.

Results

Detailed product information and free samples led to an increase in conversion rates as on-the-fence shoppers gained the confidence to purchase.

Challenge

Vush couldn’t keep up with the influx of pre-purchase questions from self-love newbies

While there’s no shame in the self-love game, Vush found that people had questions before dropping a hundred bucks on a sex toy. Nervous newcomers were keen to find out more about the brand’s products, like how they worked and what they were good for, which led to an influx of pre-purchase tickets that put a lot of pressure on the support team.

While the team was keen to help, it was impossible to answer every query in real-time. This killed the moment and shoppers lost their nerve, leading to a drop in conversions. What’s more, shoppers didn’t always feel comfortable reaching out to a live agent to discuss the intimate details of their bedroom antics, which left Vush looking for a delicate, on-demand solution.

The Solution

On-demand education and support for nervous, first-time buyers

Vush partnered with Rep AI to tackle both pre- and post-purchase questions with the goal of reducing the customer service team’s workload. Discrete education was top of the to-do list, and the brand used Rep to guide shoppers to relevant blog posts and research. With self-select options that include further reading on sexual wellness, customer care, reviews, and a product match quiz, shoppers are given the reassurance and confidence they need to make a purchase.

And, if the query requires a human touch, Rep’s integration with Gorgias seamlessly moves the conversation to a real agent for extra special care and attention. Vush has strategically customized its chatbot to deliver short answers and direct shoppers to relevant blog posts where they can explore more information about Vush’s mission and products. Perhaps the biggest draw is that Rep can identify shoppers who’ve shown an interest but are too shy to take the plunge.

“Implementing Rep has really helped us broach people when it looks like they’re exiting. We can put forward a couple of options and they have the choice to say hey, I’m a beginner, or I need some education, so we can help them embrace their journey and stay on site for longer until they feel comfortable enough to buy,”

says Fiona Scrymgeour, Marketing Director for Vush.

We get a lot of tickets coming through. Rep actually helped us get down to what it really is that each individual person needs. There's been a definite drop in customer support tickets.

Fiona Scrymgeour
Marketing Director for Vush.

Results

Increased conversions, fewer tickets, and satisfied customers

By automating common customer questions, Vush managed to reduce the workload of the support team and provide a better in-the-moment experience. Traffic to blog posts has shot up almost four times, and an increasing number of customers are satisfied with the experience, leading to a 10% increase in CVR. Implementing Rep has revealed a secondary benefit too.

The solution has not only increased sex toy sales, but it’s also educating new pleasure seekers and giving shoppers the confidence they need to buy extremely personal products—a win-win for Vush, whose ultimate mission is to break down the taboo of self-love talk.

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Copyright © 2024 Rep AI Technologies. All rights reserved.

How Poly & Bark increased both CVR and AOV

Case Study

Summary

Challenge

Give on-the-fence shoppers the confidence to purchase high-ticket sofas without the ability to try them out first.

Solution

Automating Q&As through Rep’s AI-powered concierge to help shoppers discover the right products and learn more about them.

Results

Detailed product information and free samples led to an increase in conversion rates as on-the-fence shoppers gained the confidence to purchase.

Poly & Bark

by the Numbers

8 %
Conversion rate lift
14 %
AOV lift

Challenge

Poly & Bark is a digital retailer specializing in high-end furniture at a fraction of the cost of brick-and-mortar stores. Each piece is inspired by a smorgasbord of cultures, bringing together detailed craftsmanship and iconic designs.

The brand prides itself on engaging directly with consumers—without wholesalers and showrooms to contend with, it can offer customers high-quality, classic sofas without the extra costs.

Once an anomaly in an industry that literally relies on “butts on seats”, Poly & Bark is now competing with hundreds of other online-only furniture retailers. With the help of AI, it’s able to deliver sales support that rivals the in-store experience.

Furniture is rarely an impulse purchase. Consumers have to make sure it matches their aesthetic, fits in their homes, and serves the right purpose. This is particularly tricky when it comes to buying sofas online. It’s difficult to tell how comfy a sofa will be without physically trying it out—something Poly & Bark struggled to get across to shoppers.

The brand wanted to give its customers confidence when buying high-priced furniture, but the lack of physical touch and the inability to try out a product before they purchase left customers hesitant—especially when dropping over $1k on a single item.

If they wanted to keep up with traditional retailers, Poly & Bark had to promise much more than reduced prices and fast delivery. They had to find a way to help thousands of individual shoppers per day discover the right piece of statement furniture by answering questions and instilling confidence, just like a salesperson would do in a brick-and-mortar store. This is the beauty of Rep: it can be there for an endless amount of customers at any time of the day or night without the need for a huge sales or support team.

Jessica Carter, Customer Service Manager at Poly & Bark, remarked:

“Our experience with Rep has been nothing short of amazing! We have seen growth in the short time that we have been using the chatbot on our site and are pleased with the overall results thus far. We highly recommend them.”

Solution

Purchasing a big piece of furniture is a very involved personal experience. Every customer has a different expectation about what a product will look like in their home and whether it will match up to the marketing images. Add this to the inability to try out products pre-purchase, and it quickly becomes clear why Poly & Bark chose to add Rep to its site.

The AI-powered sales concierge was able to recommend relevant products through an automated Q&A with customers. This helped them find the right sofa for their needs based on their preferences, ideal materials, and desired size. Rep continues to automate customer requests, reducing the workload of Poly & Bark’s human agents and ensuring shoppers get the information they need in real-time. In other words, now.

Results

Shoppers are now able to explore the brand’s furniture catalog through more personalized questions, learn about leather care, and discover Poly & Bark’s shipping and returns policy all through the AI chatbot. It’s able to narrow down a customer’s choices through filters like budget, the type of sofa they’re looking for, their preferred colors and materials, as well as provide educational content, like leather cleaning tips.  

Rep has helped customers gain confidence by offering free fabric samples and a 100-day trial period for bigger items, like sofas. The recommendations and personalized Q&As led to an 8% lift in conversion rates and a 15% increase in AOV. This was a direct result of converting on-the-fence customers who were hesitant about purchasing high-ticket items without trying them out.

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Shoppers deserve a better experience—so let's give it to them. Conversational Shopping is the future of commerce. Join us.

Copyright © 2024 Rep AI Technologies. All rights reserved.