Need expert advice on what to wear to your cousin's wedding this month but don't have time to dash to the mall to consult with a personal stylist? SAME. Most of us collegiettes would rather spend our time being more productive, say, laying out to catch a tan. Luckily, there's finally an app for that!
The new app, Scratch, was created by CEO Matt Zisow, who himself struggled to find time to purchase the perfect product. The app itself connects users with personal shoppers to get recommendations for home decor, accessories and gifts. The shoppers are guaranteed to answer within 24 hours, providing the information to purchase the suggested products.
While Zisow refrains from labeling the service as a "stylist," he says the app can be used in similar ways. Scratch currently operates as a group of six shopping experts and plans to soon hire freelancers. Who knew shopping for a living was a reasonable career?! Where can we apply?
As of late, Scratch mostly has deals with "a couple hundred" various home, gifts and accessories brands.
Crunching the numbers: during beta testing, Scratch reported about 75 percent of sales coming from gifts and home, with 15 percent from jewelry and accessories. Approximately 40 to 50 percent of users actually purchase the product suggested by their shopper. 80 percent of those shoppers return to make a second request, showing that they're clearly happy with the service.
Here's another number: $3.6 million, which is the amount raised by investors from representatives of companies like Pinterest and Birchbox. Pretty good company to keep.