Dive Brief:
- Startup Knomi is helping high-end fashion retailers acquire new customers by using beacons to send texts to nearby shoppers who have expressed an interest in similar items.
- Users of the iOS app receive push notifications when nearby stores offer items like those they have liked or from a collection they have followed.
- In London, Knomi serves more than 70 retailers including Net-a-Porter and Mr. Porter, and has attracted more than 3,000 users with only word-of-mouth.
Dive Insight:
The social fashion app is helping upscale brick-and-mortar stores connect with shoppers. The app aids in discovery by asking users to follow fashion bloggers and brands, then alerts them with a text message when they walk by a store that offers items like those they have favorited. Knomi users can also buy through the app.
The app has about 3,000 users so far, and takes a cut of mobile sales and a commission on message opens that result in a store visit regardless of a sale. Knomi plans on using its €1 million in startup capital to expand to world fashion capitols including Paris, Milan and New York.
Upscale apparel boutiques often have a hard time driving foot traffic, and many offer only a single physical location. But target customers don’t want to be annoyed with lots of push messages, so Knomi keeps its alerts discreet and relatively infrequent compared to other beacon-enabled shopping apps.