MAM
Eye on e-retail, L’Oréal invests in social selling platform Replika Software
NEW DELHI: As part of its acceleration strategy in e-commerce, L’Oréal has made a minority investment in US-based social selling platform Replika Software through its corporate venture capital fund BOLD (Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development).
As a turnkey social selling platform, Replika Software enables brands to activate at scale their network of social sellers to sell online, inspire on social media and connect with consumers anytime, anywhere. Founded in 2016 by Kareen Mallet, former fashion director at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, and Corey Gottlieb, advertising, marketing and tech entrepreneur, the company is based in New York and has offices in Paris.
“Social commerce is an exciting new form of e-commerce that enables consumers, influencers, experts, beauty or shop assistants to sell brands and products on social platforms through formats such as live shopping or livestreaming,” said L’Oréal chief digital officer Lubomira Rochet. “Today, e-commerce already represents 25 per cent of L’Oréal’s revenues. The rise of social commerce is a great opportunity for our brands to reinvent the consumer beauty experience worldwide. We are very excited to partner with Replika Software, a pioneer in the field, to create social commerce at scale. Our ambition is to crack this new channel and create a healthy and dynamic ecosystem of social sellers for the beauty category.”
“As an industry, we’re just scratching the surface of how powerful social commerce can be when it’s combined with the massive scale offered by the global online community. Replika Software comes off an excellent year of growth and is powering new revenue generating social selling programs for brands of L’Oréal and others around the world,” said Replika Software co-founder Kareen Mallet. “We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with L’Oréal. Having their financial support and domain expertise will help us execute our vision even more rapidly and broadly.”
Brands
Hyundai Venue crosses 1 lakh bookings, adds HX8 Diesel AT variant
New top-spec automatic diesel trim brings ventilated seats, OTA updates and paddle shifters.
MUMBAI: Hyundai Venue just hit the jackpot and upgraded the prize because when you cross 1 lakh bookings, you don’t just celebrate, you throw in paddle shifters and ventilated seats for the ride. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) announced that the all-new Hyundai Venue has achieved 1 lakh bookings, cementing its strong position in the compact SUV segment. To mark the milestone and further enhance customer choice, the company introduced the new HX8 Diesel Automatic (AT) variant.
The HX8 Diesel AT is powered by the proven U2 1.5L CRDi diesel engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It adds a host of premium comfort, safety and convenience features, including:
- Ventilated front seats
- Dual-tone leatherette seats with VENUE branding
- Electric 4-way driver seat adjust
- Controller Over-the-Air (OTA) updates
- Hyundai Bluelink connected car technology
- Electric parking brake with auto hold
- Rear disc brakes
- Ambient lighting on crash pad and central console
- Drive mode select (Eco, Normal, Sport)
- Traction control modes (Sand, Mud, Snow)
- Paddle shifters
HMIL, managing director & CEO Tarun Garg said, “We are delighted that the new Hyundai Venue has crossed 1 lakh bookings, reaffirming the strong trust Indian customers place in our brand. The introduction of the new HX8 Diesel Automatic variant further strengthens the Venue lineup, offering customers the perfect blend of diesel efficiency, torque-rich performance and effortless convenience.”
Backed by Hyundai’s extensive sales and service network, the Venue continues to appeal to buyers seeking a feature-rich, comfortable and future-ready compact SUV. The new variant reinforces HMIL’s focus on delivering advanced technology, safety, comfort and value while adapting to evolving customer preferences.
In a segment where bookings are the real horsepower, Hyundai isn’t just counting milestones, it’s handing drivers an automatic upgrade that makes every journey feel like the victory lap.
