Bye-bye, checkout paralysis.
These Genius Shopping Apps Are Here to Help You Shop Smarter
We were adding things to cart way before the pandemic hit, but when the coronavirus disrupted nearly all forms of in-person shopping, it triggered a boom in e-commerce. Boutiques with a once strong brick-and-mortar presence shifted into the digital realm, creators and entrepreneurs turned to Etsy and Shopify, and Instagram-first labels took digital window shopping to new levels (and followers). Even if you stayed loyal to mega-retailers like Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter, and Amazon, the endless scrolling through hundreds of products probably wasn't the quarantine hobby you were expecting to pick up.
Cue a trio of platforms promising to make the online shopping experience more streamlined, personal, and effective at filling the void of mall nostalgia growing in our hearts—The Yes, From The Lobby, and FastAF. Each caters to different needs and shoppers, but at their core, these digital platforms have one unified goal: to find a way forward for the industry. Intrigued as we were, we tried each one to learn more about how they work and if they can actually help us navigate this new chapter in online shopping.
The Yes
Founded by former Stitch Fix COO, Julie Bornstein and Google and Groupon alum Amit Aggarwal, The Yes is a hyper-personalized shopping app that uses an algorithm to give you product suggestions based on simple “yes” or “no” answers. Would you wear culottes? Maxi dresses? Ribbed knit tops? The more you tap, the more the algorithm learns about your taste and budget, annd the more curated your recommendations become. The Yes' single-tap feature is fast and intuitive—imagine Instagram Explore with the same dopamine hit of swiping right on Tinder—and the platform lets you shop from over 150 brands ranging from mass retailers like Everlane, Zara, and Madewell to luxury designers like Khaite, Prada, and Ganni.
Fashion industry veteran and The Yes' creative director, Taylor Tomasi Hill, says the app is more interactive, fun, and personal than anything else out there. “You see the stuff that is relevant for you. It becomes addictive. Plus the products you “yes” are automatically saved in your Yes list which you can share with friends, and you get notified when items go on sale or come back in stock.” Your feed ends up looking like your dream wardrobe, with product suggestions that are all in your size and new brands to widen your circle. Everything the app thinks isn't “right for you” (meaning not your size or style) gets pushed to the bottom so you don't have to bother with it.
AdvertisementAs fun as it is to tap “yes” on a pair of Jimmy Choo flats, there's more to the online shopping platform than meets the eye: The Yes effectively works as a middleman, connecting big and small brands to enthusiastic online shoppers from all over the country. It doesn't carry any inventory, and brands pay a small commission to The Yes for each sale made on the app. There are no hidden fees, and The Yes covers the cost of shipping and returns (free for shoppers), in addition to troubleshooting any delivery issues. For smaller labels like Araks or Carolina Santo Domingo, the platform is a great way to boost sales and reach new customers. For shoppers, it's a hassle-free way to discover and shop directly from multiple designers online. #ShoppingMadeGenius indeed.
From The Lobby
For those who miss the thrill of ascending mall escalators to a bevy of brightly-lit stores with fellow mall rats, From The Lobby allows you to “shop with your favorite influencers.” Part discovery platform, part shopping website, From The Lobby taps influencers like Harling Ross, Claire Most, and Sisilia Piring to create short-format videos where they review the fit, materials, quality, and styling of the clothes and accessories likely all over your Instagram feed.
From the Lobby's head of business development, Hayley Chill curates the designers and describes the online platform as a “shoppable TikTok.” You can buy everything off its website, where it stocks a mix of direct-to-consumer brands like Wray and Girlfriend Collective as well as buzzy Instagram labels like Simon Miller and House of Sunny. The product range is limited though, and you'll only really find the “hero items” each brand is known for or touting at that moment. In Simon Miller's case, it's ribbed knit sets. For House of Sunny, it's a David Hockney-inspired green dress that Kendall Jenner owns. Also noteworthy is From The Lobby's 14-day free try-on period where you only pay for what you keep, so you don't have to hold on to an impulse buy if you're not fully sold on it.
“If you love discovering new brands, learning about new products you see in your Instagram feed or you just miss the joy of going to the store and seeing products up close and personal, we think you’ll love The Lobby,” Chill says. At a time when human connection is more dreamt about than experienced, these intimate influencer videos (often shot in living or bedrooms) will make you feel like you're shopping with a friend and trying things on together in the dressing room. Ah, the good old days.
FastAF
When you think of a two-hour delivery window, it's usually takeout that comes to mind. Aesop hand wash and Topo Chico? Not exactly at the top of everyone's shopping list. But for those who can't live a day without specialty goods, FastAF is answering the call. By partnering with cult-favorite brands and stocking their goods in micro-fulfillment centers in major cities, FastAF is truly living up to its name and bringing premium goods to your doorstep in less than two hours. Look, we're not here to judge your shopping emergencies.
Lee Hnetinka, co-founder of FastAF, says the app is great for shoppers who value “quality, discovery, and curation.” Hnetinka says he looks to partner with brands that are “changing culture, trend-forward, customer-obsessed, and actively adapting to our world's new normal.” The brands he's talking about run the gamut from beauty and fashion to food, fitness, and beverages including names like Aesop, Mejuri, Kin Euphorics, Brightland, and Bala. Heads up: FastAF has a small delivery range and currently only operates in New York and Los Angeles. So unless you live in those two cities, the best the app can do for you is deliver a loved one a gift that actually arrives on time.
After nearly a year of living with the coronavirus, it's clear that shopping as we know it has changed for good. But between The Yes, From the Lobby, and FastAF, there are companies determined to make the virtual experience feel more efficient—and personal—than ever. Who knows where and how we'll be buying stuff in the future, but for now, we're pretty sure anyone looking to shop fast and shop smart will find themselves sprinting to the checkout button on these platforms.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Talia Abbas
