French Connection has created the first online store within YouTube in the UK, allowing customers to buy directly from videos.
The French Connection YouTique will allow people to click on items shown in a video to buy them from the French Connection site.
The fashion retailer is the first UK brand to use YouTube’s Annotations feature, which has already been trialled in the US by brands such as Old Spice and Toyota.
The YouTique video-shop will show a range of videos presented by broadcaster and fashion journalist Louise Roe, including fashion tips and style advice on themes, such as dressing for a wedding.
Users can then personalise the suggestions within the video by selecting options such as ‘I want something more sexy’.
Once users have found the outfit they want, they can click through to the French Connection online store in order to purchase it.
Jennifer Roebuck, head of digital at French Connection, said, “As well as being an entertaining feature that offers valuable information to shoppers, this means we’ll generate more brand awareness from YouTube users who are searching for anything from ‘little black dress’ to ‘how to dress for a first date’.”
The store is part of a digital push by French Connection for the new season, led by its digital agency Poke. The YouTique will be live from the end of September.
Bruce Daisley, head of YouTube at Google UK, said, “Video performs well in search results. The video that people accidentally discover can now drive sales or take the customer into the purchase funnel through email or getting them to ‘like’ it on Facebook.”
Warren Knight thanks Charlotte McEleny