One Kings Lane Starts Retail War

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I realize I live in a bubble - a superior tech bubble where we get the best of the best before any of you do. Thanks to the 3 degrees that connects Club Silicon Valley, we also witness the battles underneath the covers of successful startups. Battles that are often kept quiet if enough distraction is produced by Techcrunch or Venturebeat.

Right now, inside this bubble are cheers for One Kings Lane. The company has raised $113M in funding in the past 24 months with some big names opening up their wallets. Both Marissa Mayer (CEO, Yahoo) and Reid Hoffman (Founder, LinkedIn) have invested in the company.

One Kings Lane holds online flash sales lasting only 72 hours on elegant, top of the line home decor including furniture, rugs, candles, and other housewares. But that's only half the excitement. The site has also opened up access to pricey, designer-labeled inventory typically only available after price inflation via interior designers.

But not everyone is thrilled. 

I spoke with an insider who’s been both a buyer and a designer sales rep and worked with retailers such as Restoration Hardware and Macy’s. According to my source, “One Kings Lane is really pissing people off.”

The flash sales site is capturing leftover stock from pricey designers eager to get rid of inventory while big retailers are actively trying to sell the same pieces at full price. Anger mounts and the designer becomes a casualty of retail war sometimes losing contracts worth millions.

Is it a fair price to pay for innovation? For you and I, sure it is! However, ruffling designers’ feathers in this cat and mouse game is dangerous....for the designer anyway. On one hand, no hot, pricey designer aims to become a discount feature on a website. On the other hand, sites like One Kings Lane have a remarkable way of selling large quantities of inventory within hours. A designer has to roll the dice and hope big retailers will still buy from them next season instead of blackballing them as a discount traitor. So the question becomes: “To Sell Out or Not To Sell Out”

With internet retail trends on the rise, I have no doubt One Kings Lane will come out on top. Afterall I did see Neiman Marcus in Target the other day. What I’m more excited to watch is the bitter girl fight that will continue to brew between big retailers and designers.

But of course you won’t read about any of THAT on Techcrunch or Venturebeat.

3 Apps Help Ease Shopping Pitfalls

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It’s time to get mobile!  I’m arming you with the some savvy mobile apps to help you navigate the crowds, earn free rewards, and save money.  Personally, I can’t stand malls.  I worked inside one for nearly a decade.  However, if I have to venture out to retail jail these apps save me time and money.

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POINT INSIDE
“A Strategic ‘In & Out’ Plan”

With this app you can plan your shopping trip from parking to shop route.  This app covers hundreds upon hundreds of malls across the U.S. giving users an inside glance before leaving the house.  The app also shows you what stores are offering additional discounts.

- View an interactive site map of the mall to find where your target stores are located.
- Choose parking based on store location.
- Always know where food, restrooms, ATMs, and escalators are.
- Use the tag button to discover additional discounts at various stores.

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SHOPKICK
“Treat Yourself While Shopping”
http://www.shopkick.com/

You walk into Macy’s = 100 kickbucks

You buy a nice robe for mom = 400 kickbucks

Congrats! You’ve earned a free cappuccino.

It’s that simple.  The more kickbucks you earn the more rewards you can choose from.
Shopkick has partnered with Macy’s, Best Buy, Target, Starbucks, Coach, Old Navy and so many others to bring you rewards while you shop.  With a newly developed partnership with VISA and MasterCard, any purchase you make on your credit card inside Shopkick-partnered stores will be rewarded with kickbucks.
 
But how do they know??!! 
It's not via GPS. 
Shopkick's location technology is embedded into a store's audio system or via a transmitter. An inaudible signal is sent out and picked up by your phone once you're inside.

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SHOPSAVVY
“Are you sure that’s the best price?”
http://shopsavvy.mobi/

This app is the ultimate in price comparison shopping.  Simply take a picture of the barcode of the item you want to buy and Shopsavvy will tell you where to get it at the cheapest price near your current location.  If you don’t need it in hand that day you can also compare the item’s online price and order it for later.  Reviews of the item are also accessible from within the app.

A nice extra perk - store all of your rewards cards inside the app.  All those annoying grocery store keychain rewards cards that you can’t stand can be uploaded into the app for use whenever you need them.

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If this can’t save you time and money then you may want to ask for a smartphone tutorial from your kids this holiday.

3 Transcendent Gift Ideas

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Before you get excited I gotta break some bad news. None of these are available for this holiday season. They’re beta or Kickstarter-backed products that you’ll likely have to wait until 2013 for. I know, I know...it’s such a tease! But at least I give you something to look forward to!

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PRIVATES: The TSA Proof Underwear
"Oh No You Didn't Just See My Privates"
http://www.betabrand.com/privates-underwear.html

It's time to take back our "parts". With help from a surveillance expert, Betabrand is developing Privates, a TSA-proof undergarment capable of distoritng body scanner images of whatever it covers.

From boxers to briefs and bras to panties, it's a full line of security approved underwear giving travelers back their dignity. Because their approach doesn’t overuse scanner-blocking materials, the garments are OK to wear through airport scanners without an additional frisky-frisk.

But, HEY, if you're REALLY proud to show it off keep wearing those Hanes. I'm sure TSA will continue to enjoy your swag.

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EVERPURSE
"From 0 to 100 Twice Daily"
https://everpurse.com/

Ever-chatting >> Ever-texting >> Ever-surfing >> EVERPURSE!

The wire-free charging station has just met The Clutch and it's bound for happily EVERPURSE after. This Kickstarter project more than doubled its goal of $100,000 by gaining 1,400+ backers and raising a total of $238,187.

The Everpurse has a mini wireless docking station inside the clutch that delivers 2 full recharges per use to your iPhone or Galaxy. What's even cooler is the wireless charging it gets at the end of the day. Simply toss the clutch on the charging mat and walk away. It uses inductive charging to send energy wirelessly from the mat to the purse.

Thanks to their success on Kickstarter, the team is now drowning in manufacturing mode - great news for us! Everpurse can be pre-ordered for Spring 2013 delivery.

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ROMO THE ROBOT
"Private Eye, Play Buddy, Pet"
http://romotive.com/meet-romo#meet-romo

Romo is a remote controlled robot following your every command through the Romo iPhone App. Romo can spy on those near it, play hide-and-seek, and make someone laugh using expressions and behaviors.

Using the front camera of the iPhone, a webcam feed can be seen from the device you control Romo from. Behavioral sounds and facial expressions are seen and heard from Romo as it travels around.

Another project funded through Kickstarter, Romo far exceeded both Kickstarter goals it posted. Romo can be pre-ordered for March 2013 delivery.