VC-based fashion startup The Lobby launches
The Lobby, a personalized shopping concierge service that brings the store to the customer at the office, recently launched.
Backed by top investors including SV Angel and Third Kind Venture Capital, The Lobby was inspired by Google veteran Abigail Holtz‘s own workplace experiences where coworkers regularly tried on clothing purchases at the office, using the bathroom as a makeshift dressing room. Noting how both the workplace and consumer shopping habits have changed over the past decade, Holtz and team set off to re-imagine shopping for millennial consumers, focusing on the thing’s millennials value most: hyper convenience, personal experiences, and innovative products that align with their values.
The Lobby curates emerging brands – such as Greats, Cuyana, Margaux, and Michi – and lets customers request products to try on before they buy. The Lobby’s courier team then delivers items and picks up returns directly from the workplace, allowing shoppers to discover, try and buy without the hassle of return forms, trips to the post office or waiting for refunds on their credit card.
With a focus on direct-to-consumer brands that have a limited brick-and-mortar presence, The Lobby gives members the opportunity to try out brands they’ve only seen in their Instagram feed – without any risk. And for brands, the Lobby offers a new distribution channel that gets their products in the hands of stylish early-adopters.
The Lobby currently delivers to over 50 companies, including most of the San Francisco Bay Area’s top tech startups, and plans to expand to additional cities including New York and Los Angeles