Roku said on Monday that it has teamed up with e-commerce website builder Shopify to allow consumers to purchase products from Shopify merchants through its TVs.
The TV streaming platform company said upon seeing an ad for a Shopify merchant, viewers can simply press “OK” on their remote to learn more about the product or to purchase it directly through Roku Pay, Roku’s payments platform.
Roku said that Shopify advertisers would receive more customer data and insight into purchasing trends and point-of-sale access to Roku’s audience.
Initial partners include Men’s apparel brand True Classic, game-based connected rower Ergatta, and wellness brand Olly.
“Roku democratizes access to TV advertising, and now, we’re collapsing the funnel for Shopify’s merchants,” Roku senior director for ad innovation Peter Hamilton said.
“This is a great example of Roku’s unique platform position to make advertisers unmissable across the streamer’s journey, from power on to purchase complete.”
Shopify director of production, checkout Mani Fazeli added: “Shopify is on a mission to make commerce better for everyone, and by partnering with Roku to make Shopify Checkout available through new channels, we are making it easier for more brands to drive deeper engagement with shoppers and reach new audiences.”
Roku stock soared on the news, adding 11.1% by the close on Tuesday and another 1.6% to US$76.65 in pre-market trading Wednesday.
Shopify shares moved modestly higher to US$63.72 in pre-market trading.
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