Mobile, seamless and immediate. This is the kind of experience the mobile, global and increasingly millennial shopper of the current day wants from a luxury store.

But are luxury stores empowering their sales associates with the right tools?

During the Retail’s Big Show taken place this week in Manhattan, I had the chance to sat with Zornitza Stefanova, founder and CEO of BSPK, who, with solid experience as an investor and entrepreneur in mobile technology in Silicon Valley, firmly believes in transforming the future of luxury shopping through mobile client engagement paired with human touch.

►What is BSPK?Zornitza Stefanova: BSPK is a mobile platform empowering a personalized connection between retail sales associates and their high net-worth, global customers.

► What is the origin of your company?The origin of BSPK was an outstanding personal shopping experience. It was made possible by a trusted an informed sales associate who interacted with me via mobile chat. I realized that a modern, technology enabled approach to the customer relationships is key to improving the retail experience. Indeed, research shows that personalized engagement can drive 15 to 30% increase in spending both online and offline. BSPK was founded to empower luxury sales associates to create this kind of personalized knowledge and relationship with the customer.

► How does your service work and what is your promise?With an easy to use mobile chat app for luxury associates, we offer luxury brands the opportunity to improve the client experience. By motivating and empowering the sales team, luxury brands can transform how new client profiles are activated in the store, and how associates engage with customers over time.

Luxury retailers who work with BSPK gain better ownership of the client data captured in the store. Sales associates are excited and motivated because the feel empowered to drive the client relationship. They are able to create seamless interactions that better fulfill the expectations of mobile and global shoppers.

► What do luxury brands need to change to appeal to younger customers or to keep their savvy customers?We have gathered a lot of feedback about this from store managers, luxury associates and also leading industry executives.

Digital transformation is driving the industry. The reliance on paper-based clienteling or occasional email blasts are inadequate. Luxury brands must be much more proactive in empowering sales associates who are their biggest untapped asset in driving a better store experience.

Luxury shoppers communicate with each other via SMS, WhatsApp or WeChat with trusted friends, and they buy online from trusted retailers, sharing a lot of information in the process. For a true omni-channel experience, the physical store and the people providing service in it must be provide a similar quality of engagement: mobile, seamless and immediate. I founded BSPK to empower brands to realize this potential.

► What do key decision makers in the luxury industry tell you? 

Luxury decision makers tell me that the solution we offer is exactly what their industry needs. They validate our approach in solving problem of client engagement and retention. Our conversations with industry leaders have been overwhelmingly positive.

► Why did you choose luxury and retail?As a technology entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and a product designer with a global point of view (I was born and raised in Europe), I like to think about what makes customers feel special, and what differentiates a great experience from a mediocre one. Luxury is a very special because the experience of customers defines the client-brand relationship; it is incredibly important for the success of a luxury business.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BSPK

• Zornitza Stefanova

• BSPK

• @BSPKluxury