If you’ve ever wondered if there would be an application like Tinder but for shopping, look no further.
Created by a three-person team, benjamin is an application that will launch its final version during the first week of August. The beta version, which is currently available in the app store, will continue to be free for all users.
The app, using algorithms and connecting to a social media site, uses a person’s expressed interests online to narrow down the items shown, which are available for purchase.
After linking your Facebook or Twitter account, checking off your interests and filling in your shoe and clothing sizes, you have a full minute to decide if you want to buy the item presented.
If you do, swipe right. If you don’t, swipe left to move on to the next item hoping to match with you.
“It’s personalized shopping meets Tinder,” said Corrine LaDrig, head of marketing for benjamin.
The app’s name, which is lowercased for branding, stems from references to the $100 bill, as well as the Big Ben tower, said LaDrig, a UF graduate with a bachelor’s in public relations and a master’s degree in global strategic communications.
The app will also keep all items under $100, LaDrig said, adding that the 60-second time limit lets customers shop on the go.
With benjamin, customers can shop for a few minutes while they head to work or have a gap of time, she said.
Andrew Chapin, founder and CEO of benjamin, said the app is a solution to the problem of too many options on other shopping websites.
With the basic demographic information that benjamin collects, customers can have a personalized shopping experience, he said.
The app, which launched June 15, has partnered with brands like Ray-Ban, whose products are available in the beta version. Other possible partnerships include Adidas, Under Armour and Nike, he said.
The app currently has several hundred active weekly users, meeting its initial goal, Chapin said.
The company charges vendors based on how many times their products show up on a user’s phone, not how many are sold, Chapin said. This way, vendors can lower prices for customers without having to give away a percentage of commission.
Renée Richter, a 19-year-old UF psychology sophomore, said she shops online way too often, averaging about once a week.
From books to makeup to accessories, Richter said she usually shops on Amazon.com, which offers deals under $10.
“I don’t think I’d ever use (benjamin) because I’d buy too much,” she said. Richter said it’d be cool to see the app filter products by prices and brand.
Steven Kirn, executive director of the David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research at UF, said convenience plays a big role in e-commerce.
The app is proof that retail is evolving, Kirn said.
The majority of customers still prefer to go to a physical store for most products, but the app could take online shopping to another level with the personalized experience, he said.
“Customers are expecting the ability to buy things anywhere, anytime they want,” he said. “The winners are going to be the ones that meet that demand in any way they expect.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 7/21/15]
