Since the launch of New York-based social shopping site, SVPPLY, co-founder Zach Klein has understood the importance of a close-knit community feeling to the website. From the start, SVPPLY has only acted as a springboard for thought in that the community passes around ideas and inspiring products, which users can later elect to “want,” much the same way something can be “liked” on Facebook. However, all of this feedback was seemingly going to waste as users needed to independently find the product if they wished to purchase it. With the announcement of the “We Want This!” program, SVPPLY is attempting to translate users’ wants to real purchases. 

With the use of analytics and targeting features, e-tailers can pinpoint users with a strong interest in their products based on the user’s wants and offer the goods for immediate purchase. SVPPLY and retailers are hoping this push closes the gap between wanting and owning for users.

CEO Ben Pieratt notes, “Our product is a microcosm of the retail industry where there is a small group of tastemakers that influences what the rest of the community wants.” This differentiating factor is an important benefit for SVPPLY in that users trust the opinions of others more than retailers looking to gain sales. Furthermore, the social shopping setting is ideal for quick idea transmission.

The launch of the “We Want This!” initiative will surely prove successful for SVPPLY, as the majority of sales will result from immediate availability of products. Browsing customers will make impulse purchases and those who have simmered over purchases will know just where to go in order to get the product they desire. SVPPLY is a great source for quirky gifts, forward-thinking clothing and accessories, and many items users probably don’t even know they want!

By Natalia Ignaczak

When it comes to using an iPad, online shopping can be a hassle. Retailers have found ways to build apps that will show their products to users, instead of installing all the retailers’ apps separately, Shopmox has made it easier and faster to view brands online stores to user’s fingertips (literally). Welcome to Shopmox, the first iPad mall currently available to users. The app that has recently launched gives users different brand retail shops in one application. With names such as Anthropolgie, Gap, Fossil, Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Gap Kids, the app breaks down the brands into twenty six individual retail stores that allows users to browse through each within a matter of minutes.

Created by WedSnap, the iPad marketplace is geared towards women shoppers. Although the app offers both women’s and men’s stores, the team from WedSnap believes that women are more likely to keep using the app than men. Co-founder Kevin Lister stated, “Shopmox is meant to be a fun and addictive experience, like shopping in a mall. Even for the men’s stores, we expect women to be the primary users. Rather than trying to please everyone, we are laser-focused on the female shopping experience.” The application offers women’s, men’s, children’s, and two home good stores. However, the startup plans on launching four more home and décor retailer soon. ShopMox is self-funded by WedSnap. The company is a FB Fund winner, and also acquired The Knot in 2009.

The application offers specialized tools for its users in order to offer a personalized experience. Users can follow their favorite store(s) on the app, which allows Shopmox to create a special boutique complimenting the user’s taste.   “The personalized boutique currently includes new products and sales items from the stores you love. But we will be adding product recommendations and curated content. We also notify you when a product you like goes on sale,” Lister Stated.

Although Shopmox is only in the beginning stages of its launch, it shows room for improvement and expansion already. The only area that leaves for improvement is the checkout process, which is directed to the retailer’s online website to complete the transaction. With more shops being added to the “mall,” the application has potential to expand its networks and markets. Bringing different shops to one marketplace seems like a smart idea, but at the touch of your fingertips, it’s nothing but simply easy.

by Samara Freschman 

ThingLink has announced the acquisition of Pixboom. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the entire Pixboom team has remained in-house. With the rise in popularity of fashion blogs in Sweden, the timing was perfect for ThingLink to scoop up the image tagging service. Currently, Pixboom powers hundreds of interactive images and since its 2010 launch, the service has amassed 20,000 users. As part of the deal, Pixboom co-founder Jonas Sujkerbuik joins ThingLink’s Advisory Board. ThingLink CEO Ulla Engeström stated at the Next conference in Berlin, “Sweden leads the way in fashion blogging, and we’re excited to merge our collective expertise.”

This news further highlights the importance of fashion bloggers domestically and abroad as a respected form of publishing in the fashion industry. Fashion enthusiasts have found a resource for all the information they could need about up and coming brands as well as ideas for styling garments creatively and untraditionally. Leandra Medine, aka “The Man Repeller,” has created an identity for herself as a fearless fashion aficionado with anything but boring style through her popular blog. Scott Schumann of The Sartorialist has shown street style

around the world through his lens and gained major notoriety as a young Bill Cunningham of sorts. These examples and many more are available 24/7 for those who stray from the plain and perfect catalog look and seek a more inspired aesthetic. While some may think blogs are on the downturn, it is evident that they are alive and well and only growing.

By Natalia Ignaczak

Sears is breaking borders down and entering a new market with a new home brand. Available in 800 Sears stores along with sears.com in September 2012, the company is collaborating with Bonnier Corporation’s Outdoor life. Together the brands are creating a line of outdoor and sportswear for men. The brand is targeting the “All-American” guy who loves fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing, and anything that has to do with the good old outdoors. Sears is known for their home ware appliances, work wear, sports equipment, auto parts, tools, and home goods – so why not make this a one stop shop for their large amount of men customers?

The line is presumed to be stylish yet functional and will include utility, comfort, and most importantly quality. The apparel will include flannel shirts, thermals, hooded jackets, Henley shirts, cargo shorts and pants, and more. Sheila Field, chief marketing officer of Sears Apparel, stated that the men’s apparel is “the cornerstone” of the strategy.  “Our men’s customers at Sears for the most part thinks of himself as an outdoor man.” The brand is meant to fit the lifestyle, budget, and convenience to the outdoorsman market, making Sears a one stop shop.

The Outdoor Life line will be focused in its own shop-like setting within the Sears stores. The Outdoor Life Shops will vary on size and assortment according to housing Sears store. Ads in Outdoors Life Magazine along with magazine and television advertisements are in the works for the line. Bonnier Corporation’s Outdoor Life prints about 750,000 circulations per issues and gets about 5,481,000 readers. The go-to magazine for the outdoorsman plans to help bring customers into sears to purchase their labeled apparel. Erik Zinczenko, VP and Group Publisher of Bonnier Outdoor Group stated, “This opportunity offers a perfect extension for the Outdoor Life brand.”

Currently, Sears has few exclusive-store brand lines such as Bongo, Hart & Huntington, Everlast, and Joe Boxer; last year, the company launched the Kardashian Kollection. The Outdoor Life Shops will bring a different market to their apparel mix and hopeful convenience to their target customers.

by Samara Freschman 

Over the last year, lady shoppers at Macy’s have been able to find the perfect pants for them, using Macy’s True Fit Technology. Men were left to suffer the strenuous task of jean shopping with the added risk of buying the wrong pant size. Fear no more, Macy’s has now introduced the True Fit Technology for men’s pants to their site!

Macy’s Men’s Jean Finder allows men to find “their true fit” for jeans or pants in three quick and easy steps. The first step is their “Closet”, here men select their brand of pants they have in their closet or want to add to their closet. They can also select more than one brand to shop for from famous names including Levi’s, Buffalo David Bitton, Guess, Denim & Supply and 7 For All Mankind (just to name a few). Then the male shopper chooses the style and type of jeans, such as skinny or boot cut. The next step is the “Body” here the shopper describes their body type so they can have the perfect jean for their body type. The last step is just completing your information like your height, weight, age and log in information.

True Fit Logo

Once you have completed all three steps you can chose to shop for your True Fit pants or jeans or you can chose to complete your closet. Choosing to complete your closet allows the male shopper to shop for perfect shirts and shoes for their body type. All they have to do is complete the same three steps and their closet will be complete!

So for all the men (or women) shoppers who want to shop for the perfect clothes for their body without leaving their homes, head on over to Macy’s Jean Finder page and let your clothes come to you!

By Brooke Franceschini

Frenzoo, which was launched a few years ago by founder Simon Newstead, has raised $1 million in seed funding from investors in Asia, Europe, and the United States to create 3D lifestyle games for women. The major investors include Efficient Corporate, Siemer Ventures, K5 Ventures, and Metaverse Services. Besides the funding, Frenzoo will also add Doug Glen to its Board of Directors, whose previous experience with companies such as Mattel, Imagi Studios, and Harmonix will undoubtedly be of great strategic and technical use for Frenzoo.

 Frenzoo creates a 3D fashion and gaming world for women online. The company uses an avatar technology platform that brings the characters in these games to life. The games are concentrated in a niche with other games that use similar technology, but without a focus on fashion. Thus, the market segment being targeted is one that is uncommon for the gaming industry – young women.

 The funding will be used towards the launch of Me Girl, the company’s brand of free lifestyle and fashion mobile games. “We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to combine the best of mobile gaming with the world of fashion and lifestyle,” said Simon Newstead. “Our goal with Me Girl™ is to dress up glamour and emotional appeal to create fun, accessible gaming experiences. With our innovative 3D platform, we can create interactive characters with natural movements and expressions that really bring the whole story to life.”

 The realm of lifestyle games has proven its strength time and time again with the success of games such as The Sims and Second Life. With a concept and market specific focus however, Frenzoo, with Me Girl has created a world of possibilities for its success – and this world need not be a virtual one.

 By Sadaf Hajira Syed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Khbdddp5YMM

Every risk taker and mild-mannered fashion enthusiast’s dreams have just come true in Brazil. Retailer C&A has begun a new marketing push to enthuse shoppers to buy clothing with the feedback of others. Electronic hangers are virtually linked to the retailer’s website and each time an item is up-voted on the e-commerce site, the hanger displays another “like”. Shoppers then consider the input and may opt for more or less popular items.

Crowd sourcing is proving a major trend in international retailing as the public’s feedback is more impactful than ever. Retailer Stussy ran a campaign last year that had a model remove a layer of winter clothing for each like received. Moreover, Maybelline has hired the face of YouTube parody “Sh*t Fashion Girls Say” as the newest spokesperson for the well known cosmetics brand.

This idea will definitely help those who are constantly indecisive or those who are very self-conscious of what they wear. In the future this would be good use for retailers and designers to market emerging brands. This could also be used to rate editor picks for seasonal trends.

Thus far, the only negative feedback the service is receiving is the possibility for mix-ups between items on hangers. Another foreseeable concern is the cost and fragility of the hangers. Furthermore, customers may question the timeliness and truth behind the feedback, but overall, the new idea is an interesting marketing approach. While there is no real way to determine with certainty that the information is accurate, shoppers should trust their instinct and ultimately purchase the items that best suit their figure and lifestyle.

 By Natalia Ignaczak

Opensky was founded in April 2011 by current CEO John Caplan. Mr. Caplan served as both president and CEO of Ford models. During his time there he created a video channel where Ford models shared their beauty secrets; this became one of the most watched channels via YouTube.

Opensky started as a social shopping platform that provided fashion, home-décor, food and healthy-living activities. A perk to Opensky is that these products and services are all curated by experts of the appropriate categories. Experts that have managed their own mini boutique on Opensky include Molly Sims, Cynthia Rowley, Martha Stewart and Bobby Flay (just to name a few). In these mini boutiques shoppers can review an expert’s personal picks and if they’re interested they can purchase directly from the site. The new beauty section will include experts such as Pati Dubroff, Fredric Brandt and Serge Normant.

For women such as myself it is sometimes hard to find the perfect makeup or skincare. Besides wanting to look fabulous we may not know what to look for in regards to health reasons or ingredients that may help maintain nature beauty. With the help of someone who knows the beauty industry inside out many women can breathe easy after making a purchase.

Opensky made an estimated amount of $40,000 on the day of the launch alone. Sources have also predicted that the social shopping network could make $500,000 per week. There is great opportunity in the current platform of Opensky. It has also been said that Opensky could be the foundation of future online shopping.

By Lolita Alford

 Since the start of ecommerce as a major distribution method in American retail, Amazon has been an important player in various categories, namely books and electronics. In recent years, the company has expanded with Zappos and Shopbop in an effort to arrive on the fashion ecommerce scene and be the first destination in shoppers’ minds as to where to scoop up great deals on exactly what they want. With the one year anniversary of Amazon’s flash sale site, MyHabit, approaching this month, the ecommerce giant is looking to delve further into the heart of the fashion world and be viewed as a competitive source for apparel and accessories.

 As the online megastore expands, experts claim Amazon will surpass WalMart’s revenue figures. More so than out-selling WalMart, however, Amazon wants to surpass WalMart’s business and maintain a positive image in the eye of the American public. The e-Tail giant is making great efforts to once again remain top of mind for shoppers by co-sponsoring this year’s Costume Institute’s gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was streamed live on the website as well. Experts say these efforts show Amazon’s real interest in penetrating the world of high fashion and that consumers are to expect some major moves on their websites in the weeks to come.

 Speculations are also surfacing that MyHabit will be emerging with some strong brand partnerships this season. This past February, MyHabit launched a “designer” tab alongside its men’s, women’s, children’s and home categories with participation from top-tier designers like Thakoon, Valentino, Costume National, and Balmain in keeping with the 60% discount pricing strategy. Furthermore, the addition of former Barney’s Fashion Director, Julie Gilhart, as a consultant to Amazon fashion group’s websites, Endless and MyHabit, will surely add a distinct perspective to the ongoing project.

There have also been negative reactions to Amazon’s announcement, as many major brands want no part of Amazon and are preparing to fight for their lives. “It has the latitude to set prices and charge whatever it wants,” Sucharita Mulpuru, an analysis for Forrester Research, said of Amazon. “That’s a huge threat for brands.” Despite creating a low-price approach in other industries, Amazon will not do the same for fashion.

Although Amazon has been selling clothing for years, this is the first time that it has focused on contemporary and high-end brands, such as Michael Kors, Jake Spade and Vivienne Westwood (to name a few).  Amazon has size and money on its side. The company has over $5.7 billion in cash and marketable securities. With this amount of cash, CEO Jeff Bezos believes that the best thing to do is to invest in the company.

In addition, Amazon is really breaking away from its traditional business model by opening a brick-and-mortar store in Seattle this fall. It is said to focus on technologies, such as Amazon’s Kindle e-reader and tablet, Fire, as well as books and various media. The potential inclusion of other categories, namely fashion, is creating a buzz in the industry but no official commentary has come from Amazon. Setting up a clothing store would be a smart move for Amazon as they have nearly all the customer information they could ever need including fit and style preferences by region and this would combat the soaring return rates of the e-tailer. While Amazon sells a huge number of shoes via Zappos as well as clothing, the ecommerce giant gets nearly 40% returns due to fit problems and the site’s liberal return policy. However; in an effort to decrease return rates Amazon has come up with a solution. Instead of still life product images, models will spin and pose to show off the clothes. The model’s body measurements and clothing measurements will be provided to help with sizing, along with shopper friendly advice of whether certain sizes run big or small.

 It will be interesting to follow the brick-and-mortar expansion of this web giant and see exactly how the stores are merchandised.

 By Natalia Ignaczak

Deciding on the perfect gift can be one of the hardest things to do; especially for someone who is very picky or hard to please.  Gift cards have become the best alternative, whereas it makes shopping for the giver easy and more than likely pleases the receiver.  Giving gift cards as presents for special occasions has become a very big part of American culture. Wouldn’t it be convenient to be able to buy and load gift cards online? Well, that has become a reality with the debut of Wrapp in the U.S.!

Wrapp has recently launched in the U.S. after becoming successful in Sweden and across Europe. Wrapp’s mobile and web service allows you to buy gift cards for friends via Facebook. The card can then be redeemed via the Wrapp mobile app in stores.  Once a gift card is purchased, your Facebook friends can conveniently add more funds to it, and Wrapp also offers free gift cards as part of targeted retailer campaigns. Wrapp gift cards can only be redeemed via smartphones, which prevents the card(s) from ever being lost

Wrapp was founded in Stockholm, Sweden by a team of entrepreneurs. These individuals have experience in building brands such as Spotify and Groupon.  Wrapp was created with the idea of sending friends a gift card in the same form that you would send a greeting.  Hjalmar Winblahl, CEO of Wrapp stated that although there has been much success with this mobile and web service in Europe, the U.S. has always been Wrapp’s number one target market.  Wrapp has shifted their focus on the U.S. market for a few reasons: 1. The U.S. has a stronger Facebook presence. 2. The use of smartphones has become a way of life in the U.S. 3. There is a general acceptance of gift cards (in most cases they are preferred); whereas in other countries gift cards are seen as impersonal.

Another perk to Wrapp is that since it hooks into your Facebook account, it sends you reminders of your friends’ birthdays and directs you to the convenience of sending a gift card. Wrapp currently has over 25 retailers on board to use the service, including popular names such as H&M, Gap and Sephora.  Wrapp currently has over 165,000 users who have purchased 1.6 million gift cards. The Swedish-based company has raised over $10.5million for its launch in the U.S. Wrapp also has a new addition to the company’s board, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.

By Lolita Alford