ITV is set to launch ‘Shoppable TV’ during its wildly popular series Love Island allowing users with a smart TV to purchase featured products.
Boots UK has become the first retailer to sign up to ITV’s pioneering live shopping functionality, which will be available on smart LG TVs from 2019 onward.
The technology, developed by TheTake, will identify and tag products as they appear on screen, notifying viewers if they are available to purchase.
Using an onscreen shopping interface built into LG smart TVs, viewers can scroll through products which will refresh as different items or characters are shown on screen, then make a purchase via the retailer’s own website or via a link sent to their smartphone.
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Viewers can also choose to view all products available from an episode they are watching.
ITV says that it plans to expand Shoppable TV to other programmes and genres throughout this year, and is reportedly in talks with other retail partners.
Love Island has a dramatic affect on consumer sales, with new data from awin.com revealing that fast-fashion and fitness gear sales jumped 13 per cent and 16 per cent respectively in the first week of the latest series.
“Shoppable TV is a wonderful innovation to allow ITV viewers to be able to shop directly from their TVs, filling a real gap currently in the market,” ITV’s acting chief marketing officer Paul Ridsdale said.
“We know ITV viewers enjoy being able to purchase items featured in our programmes and this makes doing that smoother and easier than ever before.”
Boots chief marketing officer Pete Markey added: “We are very excited to be partnering with ITV and TheTake on the new and innovative opportunity. Launching shoppable TV as part of our wider partnership with Love Island is a great way to help customers easily shop the products they spot in the villa and recreate iconic islander looks from the show. It will simplify the customer journey and bring the Boots brand even closer to the Love Island audience.”
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