Nearly two years of pandemic life has left many people in need of a new wardrobe, whether it’s because styles have changed or sizes have fluctuated, and with plenty of binge-worthy TV shows to discuss. And though consumers can’t yet buy a replica of Joe Exotic’s bedazzled cross shirt, Netflix is now offering plenty of other merchandise to fill streamers’ closets.
Ahead of the second season of “Emily in Paris,” which will debut on Dec. 22, the California-based video platform has teamed with several luxury brands to offer selections of clothing related to pieces worn by star Lily Collins and other characters in the series. The Netflix Shop will include apparel from AZ Factory, various Chanel-owned brands and My Beachy Side, according to French fashion magazine L’Officiel, as well as jewels by Roberto Coin. The products will also be available on Saks.com and at select Saks locations.
Netflix first launched its eCommerce shop in June with merchandise from hits such as “Stranger Things” and “The Witcher,” as well as branded Netflix apparel. Since then, the company has added more items from those shows, including a collaboration with General Mills on limited-edition boxes of cereal related to “Stranger Things,” and has also launched products from more recent sensations like “Squid Game.”
Read more: Netflix Launches Online Shop for Show-Inspired Merchandise
The streaming giant last month also partnered with Walmart to begin selling apparel, toys and games in-store and online related to its most popular kids and family programming, including “CoComelon,” “Ada Twist, Scientist” and “Nailed It!”
And Netflix next week will launch a book club on its YouTube and Facebook channels, tying an adaptation of a literary work to its source material in a show hosted by three-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba. The first selection is Nella Larsen’s novel “Passing,” a film of which debuts on Netflix this week.
See also: Netflix Is Starting a Book Club
These efforts, while a play for consumers’ attention, also represent Netflix’s search for alternative revenue streams as the streaming and subscription space continues to become more crowded. Though Netflix added 4.4 million households in the third quarter, bringing its total paid subscriber count to 213 million, PYMNTS research finds that 19% of consumers expect to cut back on the number of subscriptions they use when the pandemic has subsided.
Related news: Streaming Wars Heat up as Consumers Do the Math on Subscription Services
Turning Viewers Into Shoppers
Amazon, with its vast network of shopping, video and other services, has also been connecting the dots between commerce and streaming. It launched a fashion show earlier this year allowing viewers to buy goods directly from links in the video, part of Amazon’s experimentation with “tCommerce” as it rolls out its own branded TVs.
The goal, according to Amazon Studios Chief Operating Officer Albert Cheng, is to connect the Amazon Video ecosystem to the marketplace. Full integration is still in the early days, though, with Cheng noting that the key is to avoid being intrusive on the viewing experience.
“We have this massive, global infrastructure and delivery system, and the ability to tie together television and buying all on the same platform,” he said on a panel earlier this year.
More details: Amazon’s Extreme Makeover Paying off With Entire Ecosystem Embracing Fashion
As of now, Netflix accounts cannot be linked directly to shop accounts, and subscribers get no special advantage in the eCommerce shop. But last week, the company launched a set of five games that tie into “Stranger Things” and other shows, accessible through the Netflix app, suggesting the possibility of a more connected commerce experience.
Meeting Consumers on Their Turf
All of this is further evidence that contextual commerce is moving beyond social media platforms. Brands have spent the better part of two years rushing to meet consumers where they’re already hanging out online and to allow them to complete transactions there.
In February, for example, Shopify expanded its payments tool, Shop Pay, to merchants on Facebook and Instagram. And Walmart has invested substantial time into collaborations with Buzzfeed, Meredith Corp., cooking app SideChef and others in an attempt to be ever-present in people’s lives.
Jason Young, president of digital shopping marketing platform Chicory, told PYMNTS in an interview that shoppable content has “really jumped forward,” particularly when it comes to groceries.
“I think about the day where every contextual commerce content moment is shoppable, where every consumer is given a truly frictionless, multi-option path to purchase,” he said. “That’s what I fully expect to happen in the next three- to five-year period.”
Read more: Soon All Content Will Be Shoppable, Says Contextual Commerce Platform Chicory
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