SellSwipe, which won last fall’s PitchBR competition, hit Apple’s App store today, launching in Baton Rouge with over 40 local retailers offering more than $100,000 in merchandise through the mobile marketplace platform.
The app allows consumers to find, follow and interact with locally owned retailers. Users can search for products posted from participating businesses, leave comments on the products and share items and stores deals on their personal profile for followers to see.
LSU graduate David Facey began creating SellSwipe in August 2015. While working in New York as a management consultant, Facey wanted to pick up some flowers before a date. Using his cell phone, he still couldn’t find a flower shop near him, which he found problematic.
“I realized that it shouldn’t be that difficult to find the items you need when you need them from local businesses,” Facey says in a prepared statement.
In his pitch last November, Facey said four out of five consumers search for businesses online, but small businesses often don’t have the resources to develop a strong online presence.
Through SellSwipe, Facey wants to close the gap by creating a social network marketplace based on product discovery and word of mouth from peers, noting 80% of people want products recommended from people they trust.
Shoppers will be able to buy products directly through the app by late fall, Facey says. His team also plans to develop an Android version of the app to connect to a broader audience. He hopes to spread the social media marketplace across the United States.
