Who doesn’t love to shop at the tap of a smartphone? With a host of e-commerce apps out there, shopping via your smartphone is all about convenience and a wide choice. But ever wanted to interact with a salesperson about the garment you’ve been eyeing and probably see what other options a store has? Now you can, with Oruplace, a one-of-its-kind video shopping app. Launched only a week back, the app has 22 stores in Chennai on board already.
“In both the web version and app format, it is like any other e-commerce portal. Except, with this, you can see a physical store and speak with the salesperson about any concerns or queries you might have before buying a garment. The app initiates a video call at the tap of a button to help you have a more interactive shopping experience from the comfort of your home,” says Syed Harris, founder and CEO of Oruplace. “We’re basically replicating the e-commerce model, but with real-time interaction,” he adds.
The app has product-wise classification to facilitate easier shopping. And with stores like Lagan, Sankalp, Kataria, Bhavana Sari Palace and La Boutique on board, shoppers have a variety to choose from.
Once you browse through the store catalogues on the app or website, and have a chat with the salesperson about the product you are interested in, you can add it to your cart. As with any other e-commerce portal, Oruplace will facilitate the delivery of the product, and even has a seven-day exchange policy. “Since all the stores on board are local ones, we arrange for same-day delivery for orders placed before 4 p.m. For those placed later, delivery is done the next day,” says Syed.
The idea, says Syed, came to him when he was trying to look for a pencil box for his son. “But my wife had several specifications about how the box should be and what was acceptable at his school. I ended up going to several different stores in the process. I realised we needed a platform that throws up results on where one could go for a particular product. The visual just adds to that experience.”
While Oruplace is currently focussing on clothing stores, they do plan to branch out to other sections like furniture, based on how this model works.
