At a glance

  • Client: Trollbeads (Flagship store in Prague, Czech Republic)
  • Deployment: December 2020
  • Conversion rate: 47% on answered calls
  • Call answer rate: 60% of incoming inquiries
  • Time to ROI: Within the first 2 days of each month
  • Average order value (AOV): Greater than $180 USD

When strict lockdown measures forced shopping mall closures across Europe in late 2020, fine jewelry retailer Trollbeads faced an immediate dilemma. Like most luxury and considered-purchase brands, their business model relied heavily on the physical showroom experience: knowledgeable store specialists helping shoppers compare designs, choose complementary pieces, and find the right fit.

In December 2020, Trollbeads deployed Oktium at their flagship store in Prague to open a direct digital doorway into their physical shop. Over the following 15 months, the integration delivered in-store level conversion rates and rapid monthly ROI, proving that high-touch retail consultations can thrive on the web.

The challenge: When physical doors closed

Fine jewelry is rarely an impulse click. Buyers want to inspect craftsmanship, understand sizing, see how beads look paired together on a bracelet, and receive trusted guidance from a specialist. Traditional ecommerce catalogs offer high convenience, but they strip away the human interaction that drives customer confidence and sales conversion in physical retail.

With foot traffic abruptly cut off during the pandemic, Trollbeads needed an approach that would:

  • Enable in-store sales staff to connect directly with shoppers browsing online.
  • Deliver a low-overhead, browser-first solution without requiring shoppers to download an app or register an account.
  • Handle the entire sales journey end-to-end—from live product demonstration to secure data capture and in-call checkout.

Rapid deployment: From agreement to first sale in days

For many retailers, digital transformation initiatives take months of technical scoping and complex system integration. Trollbeads needed a solution that could start working immediately.

"We signed our agreement to use Oktium on Friday, we got documentation and training within hours. We went live on Tuesday and immediately sold our first piece of jewelry."

Because Oktium requires no client app installation for website visitors, the rollout was seamless. Shoppers visiting the Trollbeads website could initiate a one-to-one consultation directly through their web browser with a single tap, while in-store staff received incoming calls on their store devices.

The in-store consultation online: How it works

When a visitor browsing Trollbeads has questions about a collection, they can start a live video session via the Face2 button embedded on the site.

Trollbeads sales specialist presenting jewelry during a live Oktium video consultation

The interaction mirrors the attentiveness of an in-person boutique visit:

  1. Live show-and-tell: Staff present actual items currently in stock in high-definition video, holding pieces up to the camera, showcasing finishes, and demonstrating combinations.
  2. Consultative advice: Associates answer questions on fit, styling, and availability in real time, recreating the warmth and personal rapport of the store counter.
  3. Frictionless checkout: Once the shopper is ready to purchase, the salesperson creates an order within the call interface. The customer consents to necessary details under GDPR guidelines and accepts the order with one click—all within the same session.

"Working with the Oktium platform is very easy. Customers' calls come directly to salespeople at our stores and we're able to show items that are currently available. We can easily create an order, the customer accepts it with one click and then we just send their purchase to them."

By completing the purchase inside the conversation rather than redirecting the shopper to a generic cart checkout, Trollbeads avoided the drop-off that plagues standard digital commerce.

The numbers: In-store conversion on the web

Over the first 15 months of deployment, Trollbeads recorded performance metrics far surpassing conventional ecommerce benchmarks:

  • 47% conversion rate: Where traditional jewelry ecommerce conversion rates hover around 1% to 3%, live video consultations converted nearly one out of every two answered calls.
  • ROI in the first 2 days of each month: Sales generated through the channel covered the monthly investment within the first 48 hours of every month.
  • $180+ average order value: Shoppers regularly purchased complete combinations and premium pieces, resulting in sustained high transaction values.
  • 60% answer rate: Sales associates answered calls flexibly around their floor routines, turning previously idle store hours into productive sales opportunities.

"Our customers are very satisfied with Oktium because they feel like they are with us in our store while in the comfort of their home."

Reinventing the physical store as an omnichannel hub

For modern retailers, rising commercial rents and fluctuating footfall make justifying large retail footprints increasingly demanding. Trollbeads' deployment highlights how brick-and-mortar stores can function as regional consultation studios rather than purely local transaction points.

By opening the Prague store to online visitors, Trollbeads began serving customers living far beyond their geographical catchment area. Shoppers who could not travel to central Prague still enjoyed the expertise, personal service, and inventory access of the flagship store.

Furthermore, the structured interaction data generated by video calls provided actionable operational insights. Trollbeads could assess which marketing campaigns brought high-intent buyers, identify optimal staffing times, and train team members on effective remote sales techniques.

As ecommerce continues to grow, closing the gap between digital convenience and human advisory remains retail's greatest differentiator. For Trollbeads, turning their physical store into an accessible live destination proved that when you maintain personal connection, online sales follow naturally.

See how Oktium for retail works or learn more about live video selling on Oktium.