How Community-Led, Shoppable Content Raises Sweaty Betty’s AOV and Keeps Customers Engaged

Since 1998, Sweaty Betty has championed empowerment through activewear that performs as good as it looks. At the core of their digital strategy is a simple yet powerful belief: showing real women, in real moments, creates more meaningful connections, a goal StoryStream has helped them pursue since the beginning of our partnership. This philosophy has evolved into a comprehensive visual commerce strategy powered by StoryStream that transforms how customers discover, engage with, and purchase Sweaty Betty products.

Sweaty Betty is focused on scaling this strategy with several key priorities:

• Building stronger community connections by making their website more socially native

• Expanding content coverage across product detail pages to support conversion

• Integrating AI innovations to drive efficiency and personalisation

• Increasing video content with an emphasis on shoppable formats

From Social Inspiration to Shopping Experience

According to our research, 80% of shoppers arrive in discovery mode and leave without buying¹.  With this insight in hand, Sweaty Betty knew they needed to bring the energy of social media into their eCommerce experience. Using StoryStream’s AI Visual Shopping Platform, the brand now brings authentic, shoppable community content into every high-value moment on site. The result: measurable uplifts in conversion signals and a clearer path from inspiration → intent → purchase.

• Homepage carousel: “Sported by you” highlights real customers styling their favourites.

• Full-page inspiration gallery: Expanded ‘Sported by you’ featuring vertical videos and UGC, which bring movement to the forefront.

• PDP carousels: Fully shoppable UGC galleries that show how to style the product or similar styles

• Stories modules: On activity pages like Yoga and Pilates, dynamic swipeable videos showcase real women sharing their “Ultimate Studio” workouts.

This creates what our team calls a positive UGC loop: community content inspires the brand, is celebrated across touchpoints, and sparks more customers to share their stories, creating an engine of authentic advocacy.

That content flows in seamlessly. Posts tagged with #iamasweatybetty or mentioning @sweatybetty are automatically pulled into StoryStream, where the brand can review and select the most relevant pieces. From there, StoryStream’s end-to-end rights management takes over, making it simple to request, track, and secure permissions at scale. The result is a steady pipeline of authentic content that the team can safely and confidently use across their site, campaigns, and beyond.

Impressive Results: The power of authentic visual storytelling

Sweaty Betty’s refreshed implementation of StoryStream across their ecommerce experience has delivered exceptional results:

• +12% lift in average order value (AOV)

• +43% increase in session length

• -29% bounce rate reduction

By making content directly shoppable, Sweaty Betty transformed moments of inspiration into instant purchase opportunities. 

Behind the scenes, StoryStream’s Aura AI makes this possible at scale. Rights are managed automatically, product tags are applied in seconds, and top-performing assets are flagged for reuse across web, email, and campaigns. The platform also gives Sweaty Betty detailed dashboards to measure ROI, and revenue metrics tied directly to content performance makes it easier to test and scale what works.

“It’s been incredible to see how the StoryStream platform has evolved alongside Sweaty Betty’s ambitions. The Aura platform has made it so much easier for us to curate, tag, and resurface authentic content. It allows us to scale community storytelling across the site without adding pressure on the team.” — Annabel, Customer Success Manager at StoryStream

Why this is working – three linked truths

1. Community-led video = product proof

Activewear presents unique challenges for online retailers. Customers need to understand how fabrics move, how items fit different body types, and how pieces perform during various activities. This is precisely where authentic, customer-generated content delivers unique value, and short-form video is the ultimate format to bring that to life.

• 75% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials say video content influences their buying decisions1.

• Business outcome: more time on page → richer product understanding → bigger baskets.

Sweaty Betty isn’t alone in this shift. As our recent State of Athleisure 2025 report shows, leading brands are doubling down on community video to stay ahead.

Representation builds trust

When customers see themselves (in size, skin tone, activity), they feel the brand “gets” them. That emotional resonance reduces hesitation and drives conversion. Showing products in action on diverse body types creates confidence at the crucial moment of purchase consideration.

According to research from Forrester, brands that successfully align their content strategy with their values see 35% higher customer lifetime value and 22% higher price resilience³. Sweaty Betty’s campaigns transcend mere product showcasing: they celebrate personal progress, recognise individual journeys, and bring the brand’s community values to life.

3. Shoppable social reduces friction

Turning inspiration into a clear, one-click commerce path (PDP carousels) closes the loop between discovery and purchase. This approach aligns perfectly with research from McKinsey showing that brands creating “social-first” shopping experiences see 4x higher engagement rates and 30% faster path to purchase².


Key Takeaways: a values-driven content strategy

• Authenticity wins: Real women, real workouts, real stories.

• Video converts: Athleisure comes alive through movement.

• AI drives efficiency: Scaling content with minimal lift.

• Community is currency: Shoppers engage more deeply when they feel seen.

Sweaty Betty’s success with StoryStream demonstrates how community-powered visual commerce is becoming a critical differentiator in the competitive activewear space.

As the brand prepares for their winter campaigns with video, AI, and community at the core, their partnership with StoryStream will remain central to winning attention and inspiring sales. 

References

1. Consumer Survey. StoryStream x Territory Influence (via Pollfish), 2025.

2. McKinsey & Company. (2023). “The Future of Shopping: Social Commerce Acceleration.” McKinsey Digital. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-future-of-shopping-social-commerce-acceleration

3. Forrester Research. (2024). “The Business Value of Values-Driven Marketing.” Forrester Research Inc. https://www.forrester.com/report/the-business-value-of-values-driven-marketing