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Welcome to Brands You Should Know, a new series where we talk to the people behind some of our favorite lesser-known shopping sites. Today, we chat with Chris Morton, founder and CEO of the online fashion marketplace Lyst—which just made your online shopping life a helluva a lot easier by launching integrated checkout.
Like Twitter or Pinterest, the site lets you follow the brands, stores, bloggers, or magazines you like. You get a personalized feed full of things that you're more likely to actually want. And with integrated checkout, you can shop straight from Lyst, at the moment of inspiration, instead of having to click through to the brand's website. Think of it like a very fancy version of Amazon, if you will. Get up close and personal with him after the jump.
Do you have a typical customer?
We do, and she's definitely a she. She's typically '20s or '30s. She will have a job, a beautiful education, and really, she uses Lyst because it's a much easier way for her to purchase. It's easier because we have this inventory of millions of items from some of the best brands around the world, and we personalize it for her based on what she likes. But in a way that she has total control over it.
What kinds of brands can you shop from Lyst?
Tory Burch is very popular, and Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, to shift a bit higher. But also we have TopShop or ASOS or Nasty Gal or Modcloth on the site as well. If it's anything that we can imagine the crowd at New York Fashion Week wearing, then it belongs on Lyst.
What are you doing better than anybody else right now?
We do these algorithms which are unique to us. We've built this unique store for you and we have to try to understand the way you shop. So, if you follow Gucci, for example, you might love like monogrammed bags, or you might care what Frieda's just put on the runway. We'll try to understand if you're a bit more of a discount shopper and like things on sale, or maybe you like things as soon as they're brand new. So we have an algorithm that just kind of watches what you do on the site. It tries to be thoughtful about saying, 'Oh hey, there's this new Gucci dress that's on sale, that's black. We've seen that you like black and white.' We try to push that up.
What's your favorite item on the site?
I bought a pair of swimming trunks from Revolve, and the reason that they're my favorite is that that was the first order that we made with integrated checkout. I've been waiting for this for three years, and I've finally done it!
Can you use integrated checkout to shop on mobile?
Yes. I think it should be as easy to buy a dress on mobile as it is to buy an app from the Ap store. And we're seeing with this new integrated check out feature, that people are actually are checking out on mobile a lot more now that it's easier.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
· Lyst [Official site]
· All Brands You Should Know coverage [Racked]