In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis talks to Katerina Ali, Founder & CEO of Immersifi. Katerina shares her journey of merging technology with luxury fashion to transform the retail experience. With her extensive background in marketing and sales, she discusses how Immersifi is tackling traditional biases in luxury memberships, enhancing customer interactions, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to create a more personalized and immersive shopping experience. Tune in to hear about the challenges, solutions, and exciting developments shaping the future of luxury retail.
Katerina explores how her company is revolutionizing luxury retail by blending fashion and technology. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and sales, Katerina sought to address biases in traditional luxury memberships by creating a platform that democratizes luxury fashion. Immersifi leverages advanced technology to offer personalized, immersive experiences, aiming to transform both in-store and online shopping by providing deep consumer insights and empowering sales associates.
Katerina explains how Immersifi is tackling the challenges faced by luxury retailers, such as high staff turnover and impersonal service. The platform provides stores with alerts about customer preferences before they arrive, integrates body scans for precise sizing, and offers personalized change rooms. This approach enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty by ensuring a more tailored shopping experience, both online and offline. Immersifi’s dynamic membership benefits are designed to address the need for a more consumer-centric model in the fashion industry.
The discussion also covers how Immersifi confronts outdated attitudes in luxury retail, where some stores still maintain a dismissive approach toward customers. By offering personalized services and memberships, Immersifi aims to improve customer interactions and engagement. Katerina highlights the importance of incorporating consumer feedback and fostering community involvement to drive fashion trends and reduce waste, emphasizing a shift from impersonal service to meaningful customer relationships.
Katerina further elaborates on Immersifi’s strategy to combat issues associated with fast fashion and outdated retail practices. By incorporating blockchain technology and NFTs, the platform helps luxury brands better understand their customers and create personalized experiences, reducing the likelihood of post-purchase price drops and enhancing brand loyalty. She underscores the importance of focusing on quality and leveraging technology to gain valuable consumer insights, which ultimately benefit both the brand and the consumer.
Finally, Katerina discusses the current status of Immersifi, noting that the company is in the MVP phase and actively seeking beta testers. She reveals that the platform is offering free memberships to attract brands and individual testers, showing their commitment to adapting based on user feedback. Katerina reflects on the challenges and pivots encountered during development, including simplifying initial plans and refining her pitch deck through numerous revisions. She emphasizes the need for tailored communications and selecting investors who provide more than just financial support, aligning with the company’s long-term vision and goals.
Topics Covered
- Katerina’s Journey and Vision
- Revolutionizing Luxury Retail
- Addressing Outdated Attitudes
- Combatting Fast Fashion
- Immersifi’s Current Development Status
- Challenges and Pivots
- Pitch Deck and Communication Strategies
Important Time Stamps
- Why Luxury Fashion Needs a Tech Makeover: Katerina Ali’s Game-Changing Perspective (0:06 – 3:36)
- Beyond VIP: Immersifi’s Approach to Creating a Personalized Retail Experience (3:37 – 8:50)
- Breaking Down Luxury Retail Barriers: Katerina Ali on Personalizing the Customer Experience (8:51 – 14:06)
- Exclusive, Personalized, and Blockchain-Driven: The Future of Luxury Retail (14:07 – 16:32)
- Behind the Scenes: Building Immersifi with Feedback and Future Proofing (16:33 – 19:43)
- Navigating MVP Challenges: Katerina Ali’s Journey of Pivoting and Simplifying (19:44 – 27:49)
- From Pitch to Product: Katerina Ali on Research, Feedback, and Investor Fit (27:50 – 32:15)
