Bazaarvoice acquires Curalate to accelerate social content across its network

AUSTIN, Texas, July 8, 2020 — Bazaarvoice, Inc., the leading provider of product reviews and user-generated content (UGC) solutions, has today announced the acquisition of Curalate, creating a powerful offering to lead the growing visual commerce trend, where consumers increasingly buy based on user-generated visual content.

Curalate provides shoppable social, UGC, and influencer marketing solutions to more than 1,000 brands and retailers, including Best Buy and Lululemon. Curalate’s technologies turn images into digital storefronts that give consumers compelling shopping experiences online. With the integration of Curalate, Bazaarvoice will offer brands the ability to leverage inspirational social content to drive sales on social, on websites, and throughout the Bazaarvoice retailer network.

Bazaarvoice customers will benefit from Curalate’s industry-leading solutions for turning social content into shoppable experiences along with Curalate’s badged relationship status with leading social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Research highlights the importance of social content in the purchase journey, particularly for Gen Z, who are 34% more likely than other age groups to find out about new brands and products through influencers. According to Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index, about 42% of global shoppers say they have made a purchase on social media.

Curalate customers will benefit from Bazaarvoice’s leadership position and expertise in the ratings and reviews category, its global scale, relationships with over 6,200 brand and retailer websites in its global retail network, and its large user-generated content database.

Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index also revealed a 17% year-on-year increase in reviews that include photos across its network and a 67% increase in photo submissions among its Influenster community of influential shoppers who are invited to review products. Furthering this significant upward trend, a survey found that shoppers want even more visual content in reviews — when asked what type of UGC they wish they had more access to, it was their top request.

Keith Nealon, CEO, at Bazaarvoice, says: Consumers are increasingly referring to images and videos within reviews to be able to buy online with confidence. As shoppers turn to e-commerce in unprecedented numbers due to the COVID-19 outbreak, empowering them with access to this type of UGC has become more important than ever. Our acquisition means brands and retailers can take advantage of the huge consumer appetite for visual content and social shopping. They will benefit from the most engaging and effective ratings and review content, expertly delivered through partnerships with the world’s major social platforms.

Apu Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder, Curalate, says: From the outset, Curalate has believed that social media and visual content would shape how consumers shop. This vision has been validated by the 1,000+ brands we work with and the hundreds of millions of people who engage with Curalate experiences. Now, by joining Bazaarvoice, we have the opportunity to accelerate what we started while bringing an extraordinary value proposition to brands and retailers globally.

Curalate co-founders, Apu Gupta and Nick Shiftan, will remain onboard, joining the Bazaarvoice team in leading the vision for visual commerce. Find out more about our integrated offerings.

About Curalate

Curalate is the leading Social Commerce solution, enabling brands and retailers to use social media to sell more effectively online. With Curalate, any image or video can be easily turned into a storefront enabling consumers to discover products they never knew existed. Curalate’s digital storefronts were visited nearly 2 billion times in 2019 and drove nearly $1 billion in incremental eCommerce revenues for the 1,100 brands and retailers who use Curalate. For more information, visit www.curalate.com.

About Bazaarvoice

Each month in the Bazaarvoice Network, more than a billion consumers create, view, and share authentic user-generated content including reviews, questions and answers, and social photos across more than 6,200 global brand and retailer websites. From search and discovery to purchase and advocacy, Bazaarvoice’s solutions help brands and retailers reach in-market shoppers, personalize their experiences, and give them the confidence to buy.

Founded in 2005, Bazaarvoice is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.bazaarvoice.com.