4 Retail Revolutionaries Rethinking E-Commerce

Even as consumers flock to buy products online--more than $900 billion worth last year--the e-commerce market is still largely dominated by clunky storefronts. But these four companies are finding smarter ways to create a more dynamic, social retail experience.
Don Bradford
VP of Social Product / eBay / San Jose
Problem: People are likelier to purchase something if their friends weigh in--but that's not easy to do on massive e-commerce sites.
Solution: EBay's new browser plug-in, Help Me Shop, lets users shop anywhere on the web and drag items into a separate window. Through Facebook, the user invites friends to give advice on the items they like best.
"As we spoke with our customers and really started analyzing their activity, we discovered that what they were doing was shopping in a social product life cycle: Things start out around inspiration and research--something that a friend shared with them, or something that an influencer had shared with them, whether it was on Twitter, Polyvore, Pinterest, or Svpply. They continue to connect with friends all the way to the point of purchase. And after the purchase, they can be a resource for other people shopping for the product. What makes Help Me Shop really powerful is that it goes beyond eBay's inventory. It's really about a social shopping experience that goes wherever I am and allows me to engage my friends in the shopping experience

Kathy Savitt
CEO and Founder / Lockerz / Seattle
Problem: Brands can get the attention of younger consumers on Facebook and Twitter, but those are social, not commerce-driven, platforms.
Solution: Lockerz rewards social expression--for example, uploading personal photos and videos--with points (Ptz) that can be used toward shopping discounts. And if another user reposts one of your photos or videos, you get rewarded as a tastemaker, with more monetizable points.
"Thirteen- to 35-year-olds are already sharing everything they're passionate about right now online. Lockerz believes in rewarding them for that social expression, so Lockerz Ptz is not just an imaginary score or a way to make members feel good--it is a monetized unit that can count toward discounts on more than 150 brands. I did 16 focus groups with college kids across the country and essentially learned that these kids have an overwhelming desire not only to be rewarded but to have those rewards matter and really be something they control. We are maniacal about knowing our members, and have a style council and a member advisory board. We believe that by staying customer focused, the site will gain a zealous following on its own."

Amy Lanigan
VP of client strategy / Fluid / San Francisco
Problem: Combining commerce with social media is a foreign concept for many major retailers.
Solution: Fluid is a one-stop-shop digital agency that has helped companies such as Brooks Brothers, Diane von Furstenberg, and the North Face reimagine how they interact with customers online. To help promote Rachel Roy, for example, Fluid launched a first-of-its-kind Facebook pop-up shop.
"As an industry, we're always on the brink of the next big thing. Our company helps clients navigate these shifts--in the best-case scenario, we're also driving the shifts. Customization is hot in the market right now, and we offer businesses a platform called Configure, which allows shoppers to design or personalize products. For example, we are building a tool for Brooks Brothers that lets the user customize shirts and ties. Tools like this offer instant color changes, zoom, multiple views, and more, giving shoppers the ability to explore and visualize their ideas in an accurate and realistic environment. Custom designs can then be published to Facebook and Twitter, or shared via email, all in keeping with Fluid's mission of making shopping a social experience."

Toby Lutke
CEO / Shopify / Ottawa, Ontario
Problem: Traditionally, e-commerce sites have been expensive to build and maintain, which has narrowed the field of who can compete in the market.
Solution: Shopify offers inexpensive, easy-to-customize software for companies starting e-commerce sites and then assists those new business owners as they gain their footing.
"At Shopify, we are trying to make things as simple as possible, but for the business owner, it's not unlike starting your own little shop along Main Street somewhere. You still have to somehow entice people into your store and have the right products that the right people need so that customers will open their wallets and actually buy things from you; but knowing how to do those things can't be automated with software. So Shopify has these highly educated gurus--most of whom run their own stores--and they are there to help people in those crucial first months. Once a shop owner gets one or two sales, it might be life