Liberty, London’s iconic department store, has partnered with Hero to bring its in-person experience to online shoppers. The virtual service connects online shoppers live with a department-specific expert in the Liberty store through chat and video consultations.

Launched in 2015, virtual shopping platform Hero has raised $15m and partners with more than 200 global brands. Hero is headquartered in London and New York and employs more than 100 people globally.

Virtual shopping brings the Liberty store to life online, and shoppers love it: customers that are virtual shopping with Hero are spending an average of 78% more when interacting with rich imagery and video content from in-store.

Liberty’s partnership with Hero follows the retailer’s global rebrand. Customers from anywhere can now connect with a Liberty store associate in-store when shopping online to receive product recommendations, photos and video consultations, and ask detailed questions at the tap of a button. During the latest UK lockdown, customers have initiated thousands of virtual shopping sessions on Liberty’s web site, generating hundreds of thousands of pounds in sales.

“Liberty prides itself on the experience of inspiration and discovery that comes from our store,” said Eric Fergusson, ecommerce director at Liberty. “We’ve taken several steps to permanently bring this feeling to life for our shoppers online, during the current lockdowns and long after. Hero has allowed us to make our store associates central to that experience.”

Liberty’s store associates also use Hero to follow what customers are shopping for in real time, making it easy to share personalised product recommendations just as they would in-store. They are able to stay in touch with customers and share product updates by text, recommend complementary items, or send notifications when a product is back in stock.

Synonymous with the city in which its shop stands, Liberty is a brand driven by discovery. Born in 1875 from the adventurous and disruptive spirit of Arthur Lasenby Liberty, the brand has remained true to its heritage and is famed for its print, fabrics and design. Liberty continues to be associated with the world of arts and culture, building on its founder’s legacy to seek out the new and the beautiful. Today, Liberty is recognised for its cultural collaborations, inspiring curation and directional design. The iconic Regent Street shop encompasses six floors of fashion, beauty, childrenswear, accessories and homewares.

In partnership with global brands including LVMH, Levi’s, Nike and Herman Miller, Hero is a virtual shopping platform, bringing a real-life experience to online shoppers. With Hero, millions of shoppers interact with real experts through video shopping messaging and real-time chat.