New mums are used to shopping one handed and relying on Amazon Prime to deliver emergency diapers and wipes when supplies run low. Jetblack aims to make shopping even easier with it’s ‘text to order’ service and peer-to-peer recommendations. We explore the insights behind the brand and understand how Jetblack is making shopping one less of a task for busy new mums.
Walmart’s incubator, Store No. 8, launched Jetblack in June 2018. For $50 a month, customers in New York can order a product – anything from a book or a bag – via text at any time of the day and have it delivered the same day or the next. All products stocked by Jetblack are ‘mum approved’ by a panel of New York parents, and shoppers can message for product recommendations – such as 'what should I buy a five year old for his birthday' – and will receive suggestions back via text. Users can also send over a photo or screenshot of the item they want and the platform will send back product info.
The startup decided to use text over voice activation as it believes shoppers are currently more familiar ordering that way. “Text is something where consumers are extremely comfortable. There is no barrier to entry for the consumer,” says Katie Finnegan, founder of Store No. 8. The company does plan to offer something similar to an Amazon Alexa–enabled device, but suggests that Jetblack’s AI needs ‘training’to master audio product recommendations. But, considering that 41% of Americans who own a voice-activated speaker say interacting with it is like talking to a mate, just saying 'add to basket' may become more intuitive that text-to-buy.
Jo Allison is the editor at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research. Previously, she worked for retail trends consultancy GDR, where shopping was part of the job description. When she’s not getting her head around the quirks of human behaviour, she’s busy ‘researching’ the latest food or fitness fad.