Lockerz, a social shopping site aimed at users between 13 to 30, announced that it&'s making its first move into the mobile world today with the launch of a new smartphone website.
The Seattle startup launched the first version of its product back in February 2010. Founder and chief executive Kathy Savitt said that adding mobile support has been the number one demand by members &8212' which isn&'t surprising, since the site targets a young, tech-savvy audience, and also since one of Lockerz&' big features is the ability to earn discounts on merchandise that&'s only available for a short period of time.
Lockerz allows users to earn points for doing what they normally do online (sharing videos and other content, as well as connecting with friends), which they then cash in for merchandise discounts. The concept seems to be resonating: Savitt said the site has 18 million users, 93 percent of whom are between 13 and 30.
The site should work on all major smartphone platforms. For now, it provides a limited set of features, which Savitt said the company will be expanding quickly. In this initial version, users will be able to view messages in their Lockerz Hallway and redeem their Lockerz points for merchandise. The second feature is the most important, Savitt said, because it means users no longer need to worry that they&'re missing out on a great deal when they&'re away from their computer, because they can still check out and redeem deals on their phone.
Lockerz was among the first wave of startups backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield &' Byers&' sFund for social startups. Liberty Media is also an investor.
Savitt said the company provides the first shopping experience aimed at Generation Z, which includes anyone born after 1992. It&'s a demographic group that has incorporated technology into the fabric of its life, and it takes a &''curatorial&'' approach to both shopping and content, she said: Basically, it&'s a more aggressive version of what their older siblings already did with music.
&''They&'re turning the mall into a giant iPod,&'' Savitt said.
Not content to launch one mobile service today, Lockerz is also releasing an Android app for Plixi (formerly TweetPhoto), the photo-sharing app that it acquired last month.
Next Story: How to turn R&038'D work for Uncle Sam into a real business Previous Story: Intel &''not blinking&'' on MeeGo, despite Nokia&'s abandonment
Print Email Twitter Facebook Google Buzz LinkedIn Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Delicious Google More&8230'
Companies: Lockerz
People: Kathy Savitt
Companies: Lockerz
People: Kathy Savitt
Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.
Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.com
VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters. Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
Comments