RowNine has launched a new technology-driven social shopping platform that aims to change the supply focused approach of social commerce space, to a demand focused model that provides a better shopping experience for consumers.
The company said that the new platform combines advanced targeting of user preferences, a recommendation engine, and supply chain integration with suppliers.
On the consumer side, the new technology platform will consist of a preference matching engine that integrates customer stated preferences, to deliver notifications only for relevant offers. This is done both through a user created profile questionnaire as well as through a Pandora-like process of preference indication, the company said.
RowNine said that customers when perusing offers and merchandise on its Website, can give a ‘thumbs up’ to build their preference profile.
In addition, RowNine is also launching a new recommendation engine that combines a shopper’s clickstream and purchase history analysis as well as group matching with customers with similar interests. Customers will also have the ability to single click publish their purchases as well as share and recommend the products they like via their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The company is also implementing web-based supply chain integration platform that will provide it with visibility and access into distributors of inventory in the US. This capability will enable RowNine to match brands and products with customers based on each individual’s specific preferences.
Lawrence Kosick, CEO of RowNine and a former Yahoo! vice president, said: “Since many now own the inventory, they have significant overhead costs in warehousing, marketing and fulfillment. They have to blast out a lot of untargeted email to move that inventory.
“Our technology integration with large distributors, combined with our consignment-based model where merchandise is entirely drop-shipped by the distributors, enables us to operate a lean model that can scale much more efficiently.”
