Toronto-based ShopLocket was launched earlier this year to provide an ultra-simple way for users to sell goods online. Now it’s providing a way for merchants who use its system to combine both digital and physical goods in bundles.
ShopLocket allows anyone to quickly sell goods online, with not much more than a Facebook login necessary. It allows users to forgo paying for e-commerce platforms like Shopify just to sell a few items. Instead, they can upload pictures, enter a little bit of information about their products, and the platform spits out a virtual “display case” which can be embedded anywhere. It also includes links for sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Users pay just a one-time, $2 publishing fee, and a 2.5 percent transaction fee for purchases that take place through the platform.
Now digital goods can be uploaded and sold through the platform, allowing ShopLocket vendors to upload digital music, e-books, and other files for purchase. More importantly, the new feature will allow users to bundle digital and physical goods, providing new ways for merchants to incentivize purchases. A musician, for instance, could sell a digital album through the platform but provide a t-shirt or other piece of merch along with it as a bonus. Or a writer could sell a physical copy of her book, but provide a digital version of the first chapter that a buyer can read while waiting for it to ship.
ShopLocket was part of the Toronto-based startup incubator Extreme Startups earlier this spring. The company has raised $1 million in seed funding from Valar Ventures, Rho Canada Ventures, and others.
Ryan Lawler was a technology writer for TC+ focused on the B2B fintech market. He most recently served as Head of Content for Samsung Next and has covered business and technology for publications that include GigaOM, Contentinople, and Light Reading.