Using the kit look functionality, it is possible to “build” the house virtually, reducing friction and optimizing the brand’s customer journey
Espaço Smart’s mission is to transform the Brazilian civil construction scenario, selling products and services that foster industrialization and sustainability. With four factories, engineering, projects, and services teams, and more than 28 brick-and-mortar stores that offer specialized assistance to assemblers, architects, engineers, builders, and consumers nationwide, besides two stores in Paraguay, the brand is also present in the ecommerce world and now relies on the VTEX technology to increase its market share and scale throughout Latin America.
The construction industry is one of the least impacted by technology, second only to the fishing industry. That’s why launching an ecommerce strategy in this segment, integrating industry, retail, engineering, and services with the mission of selling houses online, was a very challenging and disruptive project.
“We had a bold and pioneering project. So we needed the right partner. We analyzed the options available in the market and chose VTEX, which, besides providing the necessary technology for our goals, offers great digital commerce advising.”
Rodrigo Macedo Brandão – Digital Marketing and Ecommerce Coordinator at Espaço Smart
The first online home store in Brazil
Have you ever thought about buying a house online? Espaço Smart has! Through low code technology, blocking architecture, and the various APIs integrated to VTEX IO, it was possible to develop the first virtual home store in Brazil.
This low-code environment is also scalable and reliable, thanks to VTEX’s partnership with AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud technology. AWS is a smart, modern, connected platform that helps turn customer and business data into actionable insights quickly.
With the integration via API of calculators that set prices for structures such as roofing, flooring, ceilings, and walls, Espaço Smart’s customers get something scarce and valuable in this industry: budget accuracy in terms of materials and services. Through the kit look tool, the end consumer can “build” their house virtually from a predictable and safe environment, revolutionizing the construction market.
“People looking for a house often face a budget unpredictability of 20% to 30% in the conventional buying journey. With the kit look feature, we solved this problem, busting myths about construction and light steel frame prices and changing how to build and buy houses in Brazil.”
Rodrigo Macedo Brandão – Digital Marketing and Ecommerce Coordinator at Espaço Smart
The customer can see the house project through VTEX’s augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies as they use the tool.
The payment options also evidence the project’s innovative nature. It is possible, for example, to automate loans, a common purchase practice in the segment. The brand’s customers can also pay in up to 60 installments within the ecommerce platform.
Focusing on sustainability, the brand developed a performance indicator of the positive impact caused by the sale of light steel frame houses and displays this data in real-time on its VTEX IO platform.
In addition to the home store, Espaço Smart’s ecommerce platform also sells sustainable and industrialized building materials for all construction phases. The company’s portfolio includes products such as drywall, Shingle roof tiles, cement boards, solar energy kits, PVC frames, flooring, doors, coatings, and steel framing, its flagship product. With VTEX’s OMS, the brand offers ship-from-store and in-store pick-up to the whole country. The company is the sales leader in its category for more than 40% of the portfolio products.
The project was developed by We.Digi, a partner of the VTEX ecosystem. The agency supported Espaço Smart in developing several innovative features that led the brand’s ecommerce strategy to success.
“The Espaço Smart project was a great challenge for We.Digi; after all, the website required extensive planning, a deep understanding of UX/UI, frictionless flows, and very specific functionalities. The most complex challenge was to create an environment for home buying considering all the details and taking the kit look as inspiration. Another significant challenge was using the ‘catalog house’ layout seen on totems in the physical stores, ensuring an omnichannel experience for the brand’s customers. There were also the calculators, which calculate the price of all sorts of materials, such as tiles, beams, and flashings.”
Felipe Trudes, CEO at We.Digi
Numbers that translate success
Six months after the go-live, Espaço Smart registered a 100% increase in month-over-month sales, with an average ticket of BRL 8,000. The brand also noticed the impact of ecommerce in creating omnichannel behavior among its customers: while the customer journey begins online, there was a 35% increase in visits to the physical store. In addition, 9% of customers who buy from the website with an in-store pick-up option end up buying more expensive or upgraded products, and 18% of customers who buy their homes at the physical store used the kit look feature available online before going to the store and had a more fluid shopping journey.
Espaço Smart also started using VTEX’s Smart Checkout, which resulted in a 22% increase in the conversion rate. In addition, the brand has invested in a social selling strategy, offering customer service via WhatsApp and chatbot. It has already seen an increase in the average ticket (15%) and the conversion of “boleto” (Brazilian payment method) payments (19%). Another metric tracked by the company is the completion of qualification forms, which is when a client owns the land but does not have a construction project. Ecommerce increased this important KPI by 60%.
“Home trading is not just about the last click, the final conversion, but about a structural change in the customer’s buying journey in the construction sector, where digital is starting to play a relevant role. Every industry and market has been digitally transformed, and we’re not going to let construction lag behind!”
Rodrigo Macedo Brandão – Digital Marketing and Ecommerce Coordinator at Espaço Smart
On the road to unified commerce
Espaço Smart’s goal is to increasingly integrate its operations in the digital environment with VTEX, offering more convenience to its customers and greater integration with brick-and-mortar retail. One of the brand’s plans is the inclusion of a VTEX ecommerce totem in its physical stores and shopping malls so that end consumers and anyone who is part of the construction ecosystem can have a safer experience when building their homes or buying innovative products and solutions for their construction projects.
After implementing the omnichannel strategy, Espaço Smart also intends to leverage VTEX inStore, VTEX’s unified commerce solution. Keeping up with global retail trends, the company has already set a plan and a date to start Live Commerce projects with Streamshop, a partner of the VTEX ecosystem.
“Most people think that building a house is extremely arduous and stressful. With this project, we are transforming the most complex B2C buying journey through sustainable solutions and a lot of applied technology.”
Rodrigo Macedo Brandão – Digital Marketing and Ecommerce Coordinator at Espaço Smart
