Women’s fashion brand Anne Klein is capitalizing on one of the hottest e-commerce trends going into 2021 with the launch of a live shopping experience on Facebook. The social media giant selected Anne Klein to be among the first brands to debut live shopping events on its platform for the holiday season.
Hosted by brand ambassador Jesse Gre Rubinstein, granddaughter of founder Anne Klein, each of the livestreamed sales events offers limited time exclusive promotions and products from the Anne Klein collection that can be purchased in-app during the stream.
“Facebook’s new Shop feature provides an exciting real-time opportunity to engage with our customers, which today, as we know, is critical to do,” Rubinstein said in a statement. “This is not only the next wave of shopping, but also provides another way to honor my grandmother’s legacy, by recognizing and giving a voice to special women who are doing amazing things for their communities.”
Facebook first launched the Shop feature in May as “Shops,” and tested the live shopping component over the next few months within both Facebook and Instagram. In the pilot, select businesses could show off products in a live video, while consumers browsed the highlighted products and make purchases.
The company also just added a “Shop” tab to Instagram, helping consumers shop on the platform and support small businesses. App users can find personalized recommendations, editors’ picks, shoppable videos and new product collections.
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The first event of the four-part series, called “Woman behind the Mask,” kicked off on Nov. 10 on Facebook.com/AnneKlein. The stream shared the story of a mother and RN, and how she went above and beyond for her family, friends and patients at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City. The event sold various accessories such as masks, earrings and watches. Three more events will take place on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Dec. 12.
“We are excited to be among a limited group of brands partnering with Facebook to launch Facebook Shop’s live shopping program for the holiday season,” said Effy Zinkin, chief operating officer of Anne Klein’s parent company, WHP Global. “Live shopping is a fast-emerging method of digital commerce and offers the Anne Klein customer a new way to shop the brand in a place we know they are already engaging.”
Livestreaming is continuing to grow in the U.S. as not only an engagement vehicle but also a sales driver, with estimates from Coresight Research expecting the market to reach $25 billion in the U.S. by 2023. Last month, Farfetch revealed that it is launching Live Video Shopping from livestreaming software provider Bambuser on its e-commerce platform. And in September, Tommy Hilfiger hosted a live shopping event featuring Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, enabling viewers to shop sustainable pieces from the Fall 2020 Tommy Hilfiger, Hilfiger Collection, Tommy x Lewis and Tommy Jeans collections.
Rubinstein and the fashion brand have been ramping up Anne Klein’s Facebook capabilities since May, when they launched Anne Klein’s social series titled, “Women Who Do,” featuring innovative thinking women who are making a difference in the world, their communities and in their businesses.
Anne Klein has been testing shoppable media in different venues, launching its See It Now, Buy It Now Fall 2020 capsule collection on the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Runway360 platform during New York Fashion Week.
Since its acquisition by brand management firm WHP Global in July 2019, Anne Klein has branched into new territory, expanding into new markets including China, Mexico and India. Additionally, Anne Klein has since added new categories including an intimates collection, a line of women’s denim apparel, a home goods line and a full line of cold weather goods, hats, belts, and hair accessories.