• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, December 12, 2012

Just in time for the holiday season shop-a-thon, Havas Media has launched a new YouTube video and trend report documenting the latest techniques in social shopping.

Given the money involved, many marketers are tracking those trends closely. According to management consultant Booz & Company, the dollar volume of goods sold globally through social media is expected to rise sixfold to $30 billion by 2015. (That's from $5 billion in 2011.)

“Social media is driving sales,” said Rori DuBoff, senior vice president, global strategy at Havas.

The video features executives from Havas, the agency’s eyewear client Warby Parker, Facebook and FaceCake talking about some of the latest social shopping trends.

FaceCake, for example, has developed a “virtual dressing room” using 3D cameras that allows shoppers to see how they look in new clothes without actually having to try them on. The company recently installed 20 virtual dressing rooms at select Bloomingdales stores.

Warby Parker is developing a mobile app that will help shoppers ensure that the glasses they buy are sized properly. It also encourages shoppers to try on frames and post images on social media to get input from friends. “We think shopping is inherently social -- we think it needs to be fun. We need to do everything possible to foster a social experience,” said Neil Blumenthal, the eyewear company’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO. 

Havas has posted the companion social shopping trends report on Slideshare.net. The report shows numerous examples of how marketers and media are facilitating shopping in the social media sector. One example:  A Walmart program via Google+ that sends personalized offers to users based on conversations they join.

The Havas Media video and trend report are the latest from the agency, which explores burgeoning global media trends and how marketers are connecting with consumers in new ways.