After countless hours spent copying and pasting shopping links and taking screenshots of products to share with loved ones, Kristine Locker had an idea. She would create a social shopping platform, aptly named after herself, that could organize her never-ending tabs into a single, shareable virtual wish list.
Launched in 2022 as a Chrome extension, Locker has been dubbed the “Pinterest for online shopping.” Its all-encompassing functionality allows users to save products from any website into categorized wish lists, discover outfit collages created by fellow users, collaborate with friends, and even curate giftable collections to be shared through email or social media. And now, it’s also available as an iOS app.
“Kristine Locker has discovered something that even social media giants like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook have failed to master,” noted Valentina Rodriguez, an investor with Wonder Ventures. “Shopping is the foundation of socialization, not the other way around. With the perfect blend of founder and product, Locker has created a platform where socialized commerce is both user-friendly and inherently viral.”
Unlike other influencer-driven shopping platforms, such as LTK, Collective Voice, and Split, which focus on monetizing a large social media following, Locker caters to everyday consumers who simply enjoy curating shoppable collections for fun.
“When I surveyed the competitive landscape, I noticed that many platforms were designed for influencers,” shared Locker’s founder. “But as a consumer, none of those platforms truly met my needs for organizing my shopping and staying up-to-date with my friends’ latest finds. That’s when I realized that Locker could provide an organic space for users to connect and share their shopping experiences.
In fact, one of Locker’s primary goals is to create an authentic user-generated sharing platform that eliminates the pressure of monetization. As the founder explains, “We want our users to feel like they are sharing things they genuinely love, not just for the sake of making money.”
Although users cannot earn cash for sharing products on Locker, they may join the “Shopping Club” for rewards when friends use their referral link. For example, members can earn exclusive Locker merchandise by referring 25 users, while reaching a milestone of 500 users prompts a $750 credit towards an outfit from their Locker collection.
As for Locker’s business model, the company generates revenue by partnering with brands through affiliate networks. While their average commission rate is 12%, they may increase the rate up to 25% for brands seeking greater exposure.
“If a brand does not participate in affiliate programs, we won’t feature their products on our discovery page to ensure fairness for those who do,” the founder clarifies.
This latest funding round for Locker comes just two years after Cabell Hickman, a user and higher-education consultant featured in the Wall Street Journal for her $6 million portfolio, invested $1 million into the company. Other notable investors include former Honey executive Chris Arreguin, Elizabeth Egan of Breakaway Ventures, Maggie Sellers of HSR Ventures, Kira Jackson of Rx3 Growth Partners, Alex Doman of AVEC Drinks, and Tariro Makoni, Senior Strategy Manager of Global Startups at AWS.
Currently, Locker reports an impressive 80,000 monthly active users.
