If you’ve ever been about to buy an extravagant piece of jewelry at an American store and wished you had a personal shopper on the ground in China to buy it for you at a lower price, check out ShangBy.
Prices for jewelry in Shanghai are between a half and a tenth the cost here in the U.S., and the Austin, Texas company, which just raised $1 million from G-51 Capital and Draper Richards, has found an unconventional way to let you shop live in China without being there.
You go to the site to book a “shopping event,” and if you’re cool and stylish enough, the company might choose you to be the virtual host of one of these shopping events. This makes you a “ShangBuyer.”
Being a ShangBuyer involves sending a video crew and a Swedish guide named Nina into a top-quality Shanghai jewelry wholesaler to browse the merchandise while you watch live online and tell Nina and the crew what to do.
As a ShangBuyer, you tell them what items to zoom in on, which products Nina should try on, what questions to ask the merchants, and which products you’d like to buy. The items the ShangBuyer chooses then become available for anyone else to buy on the site. These are not cheap knock-offs, either; the company only works with reputable merchants that sell non-branded merchandise.
The company earns a handling charge” of 15 percent of each purchase, and a $30 shipping fee for orders under $400.
8 Comments
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sara jefferson said:
very cool site.
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Alexis Lyman said:
I agree, I had a look at the website, this a super cool concept and the prices are great!
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Donna Poff said:
This is a very cool website and what an awesome way to shop with great prices and nice pieces of jewelry.
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joe said:
Can we get a non-Shangby employee comment?
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Amanda McGuckin Hager said:
Hi Joe - I’m actually a ShangBy employee - thanks Dan for the coverage. Anyway, these ladies who have posted aren’t employees of this company. I only wish I knew them, so that I could get more market research! So, Joe, what’s your take on this new concept?
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Des O'Brien said:
Hi guys,
I am based in the UK and saw an article done by a financial broadsheet. The concept is fab and I have just ordered about 20 items from the site (free shipping) although I did have to spend $500 (not $400) to get it free, it is incredible prices and super fast shipping.
Thanks. Franchise me !!!!!! -
Jewellery Shop Finder said:
wow thats really great way of shopng in distance places without being there. I might surely try it for once
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Chantelle said:
I love this website, problem is that because the prices are so good you tend to impulse buy without really knowing what suits you. Therefore it may be a good idea to check out this automated personal stylist service which cleverly profiles you and then advises style dvice and tips specific to you.
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[...] Dan Kaplan created an interesting post today on ShangBy lets you shop for jewelry in Shanghai, no travel necessaryHere’s a short outlinefine-jewelry-and-silks_-pearls-gold-silver-jewelry- If you’ve ever been about to buy an extravagant piece of jewelry at an American store and wished you had a personal shopper on the ground in China to buy it for you at a lower price, … [...]
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SHARKRIDE said:
[...] [thanks, VentureBeat] [...]