Estée Lauder taps into Facebook Messenger with artificial intelligence

06-Dec-2016 - Last updated on 06-Dec-2016 at 12:47 GMT

The international beauty giant is offering UK customers 60 minute deliveries across London via its presence on Facebook’s messaging service.

In order to maximise on the retail opportunities in the run up to Christmas, Estée Lauder has become one of the first major brands in the UK to launch on the platform.

Reported in The Telegraph, Chris Good, president of Estée Lauder, explained the approach: “Today’s changing consumer behaviours mean that we have to adapt to the need for instant access to our products and services.”

The retail model should allow the brand to be more responsive, offering shoppers delivery via instant courier within 60 minutes across London.

Responsive retail

The move by Estée Lauder comes as confirmation that the industry is seeking out ways to put itself at the front when it comes to digital retail, having traditionally lagged somewhat behind other industries.

Ominchannel retail and marketing describes a multichannel approach that creates a seamless user journey for consumers, both online and offline, and according to recent research by Imogen Matthews Associates (IMA), it is becoming an increasingly essential route for beauty.

“Ominchannel anticipates a seamless user journey that can be initiated, dropped, resumed and completed at any touchpoint and in almost any order,” the firm explains.

Imogen Matthews notes that beauty is lagging when it comes to making the most of omnichannel’s potential.

“The beauty industry has some catching up to do in the area of omnichannel, not least in understanding that every part of a brand’s business needs to be connected. Consumers expect to move seamlessly between different channels and will abandon brands that don’t offer that experience,” she asserts.

Recognising a gap

Estée Lauder’s move to tap into Facebook Messenger and offer such responsive retail suggests the company is keenly aware of the hurdles and opportunities that omnichannel retail present the beauty industry.

As Good confirms,"Today’s changing consumer behaviours mean that we have to adapt to the need for instant access to our products and services.

"For the time-poor consumer, convenience is the new luxury. We are constantly looking at new ways to provide greater choice and flexibility, trialling new features like Messenger alongside live chat and other existing digital offerings."