Alpha is a start-up founded in 2021 between Florence and San Francisco by digital and business strategists Marcello Vignocchi, who worked for Kering Group as innovative solution director for over 20 years, and Roberto Tagliabue, former digital innovation director at Nike and founder of the creative agency Awake.
The company has just launched “Connected Clienteling”, a new suite of apps that aims to redesign luxury retail through its new product that helps salespeople offer their clients a highly personalized and detailed shopping experience.
The SPIN OFF asked the two founders, Marcello Vignocchi and Roberto Tagliabue, about their new project’s aims and benefits.
When was this app launched?
Alpha is a brand-new project that we officially launched in January 2022. It is the result of many years spent in pioneering advanced digital solutions for luxury brands to improve the shopping experience. 
How does it work?
Alpha's app for customers is an exclusive invitation to enjoy an exciting red carpet shopping experience, benefiting from a range of services typically reserved for VIPs. After a simple and straightforward registration process via the app, customers will be able to connect with their trusted sales assistants.
Thanks to Alpha, they'll have the ability to share targeted styling requests, see their feed populate with ideas and proposals that meet their needs in every way, and instantly initiate a conversation to dig deeper, asking questions about sizes, colors, possible alternatives and availability. Alpha will intelligently and timely build an accurate profile of their style and personality with every like, dislike and comment.
What benefits can this suite bring?
Alpha's suite of apps aims to amplify the human and emotional dimension related to the shopping experience in both the physical and virtual worlds, and it aims to help keeping alive the connection between sellers and buyers, which is nurtured through ongoing conversations and exchanges.
Its benefits are clear and measurable for both those who are selling and for customers: customers feel more satisfied as they feel inspired and at the center of attention as they receive advice tailored to their needs. Consequently, they live a highly rewarding experience. This satisfaction also translates into greater value for stores, which see an increase in customer-generated revenue over time. 
Can you name any brand or retailer that are already using it?We are in advanced conversation with several top luxury brands, as well as department stores and top wholesalers to kick-off pilots in the next months. Alpha comes from years of research and development in retail and digital solutions to improve the relationship between the stores and the client. Our studies and other similar solutions that focus on facilitating the connection and creating a better experience both for client and sales associate retuned much better conversion rates and overall great client satisfaction.
Who practically establishes the relationship with the client? A shop assistant, a stylist or who else?
The experience starts from a visit in store by a new client, or a text message to contact an existing one. We believe in the power of human connection and the feeling that Alpha in not another generic marketing app, but, as we previously mentioned, a special personal “Red Carpet” channel. Our goal is taking clients on a whole new level offering the first mobile-first platform able to deepen the learning about customers, provide direct connection and better the conversion rate.
We are planning different approaches to fit the internal organization of our partners, as every company has its peculiarities when it comes to talk about sales. Some of them have their sales associates on the floor, while some others have personal shopper in the office to reach out.
Is this tool used to offer a better shopping experience only via digital or also in presence?
The shopping experience is a journey that passes through the digital dimension as well as the physical one. Alpha helps the sales associates while in store to peak at their clients’ style and preferences, so they can recommend ideas and product combinations, but also allows them to outreach the clients after the visit with a summary or cross-sell bespoke idea and plan the next visits.
Is it used only by top-end luxury brands and stores or also other market segments?
We are focusing on luxury brand large retailers all the way down to multi brand boutique stores. The first step is to enter in places where the “Client culture” is already in place and the value understood.
Is the use of this tool free for the consumer?
Yes, the tool is totally free of charge for the consumers.
Who pays? The retailer or the brand? Upon which ratio?
There are three tiers of costs for the App. The free version has some limitation of capabilities, in this way we would like that small stores and independent sales associates can test right away the power of Alpha. The Premium version has a fee of US$50 per month that unlocks all the features. The Enterprise version includes custom integrations for large brands with several stores.
READ ALSO:
Photo: Alpha
A screenshot from the Alpha app for retailers
The Trends
Discover how Alpha apps can improve shopping experience
Photo: Alpha
Marcello Vignocchi, co-founder, Alpha
Photo: Alpha
Roberto Tagliabue, co-founder, Alpha
