The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: 72Lux
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Quick Pitch: Shop across many online retailers with a single checkout and shipping fee.
Genius Idea: Bringing that service to third-party publishers.
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Shopping for women's apparel and accessories across different retailers isn't as difficult as it was a few years ago, thanks to search tools such as ShopStyle and Google Product Search. Checking out, however, can still be a chore when you're dealing with multiple site registrations and shipping fees.
72Lux eliminates much of the hassle by allowing you to shop from more than 900 retailers from its website, including such recognizable brands as Bloomingdales, Macy's and Yoox. You can browse (by designer, garment type, color and size), search and select different goods from retailers, and check out only once. What's more, you'll pay a flat shipping fee of $15, although returns have to be addressed specifically to individual retailers.
The startup takes a cut of every sale, which founder and CEO Heather Marie says is greater than the 2-3% affiliates usually receive.
That's a promising business in and of itself, but what's even more promising is the ecommerce solution 72Lux is developing for third-party publishers. As we've seen, many retailers are developing content offerings on their websites to make them more like shoppable magazines. Now, certain consumer magazines -- Marie declined to disclose which -- are working to allow customers to shop directly from their sites, instead of referring them elsewhere to purchase. The first launch will be announced in Q1 2012, Marie says.
That could open up a significant new revenue stream for publishers, although it's not yet clear what effect that will have on magazines and their readers. Enabling readers to quickly and seamlessly purchase the goods they're reading about is, yes, a convenience, but there's also the risk that readers will begin to question recommendations for products that publishers have such an obvious, vested interest in.
72Lux has raised $300,000 in seed funding to date and is currently raising its next round.
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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