Thrillist-owned JackThreads has just announced the availability of their first mobile for Android and iPhone. Built by Fueled Mobile Design and Development using designs and user experience built in-house, the app allows shoppers to browse new deals and sales as they are announced on the site and, if so inclined, make purchases.
I spoke to lead developer Chris Steib who said that JackThreads saw that much of the traffic was coming through mobile sites, something they had not initially expected.
“One-fifth of the traffic is coming through iPhone and Android and a tenth of the revenue is coming through mobile,” he said. “We’ve seen traffic rise more than ten times in a year-and-a-half and we’re seeing different behavioral patterns than we initially expected.”
The app will include push notifications as well as news of “nightlife sales” for those drunk shoppers looking for an angry fix. Users who download the app will receive an automatic invitation to the service, a process that usually takes a few days for the average user.
“The app is fashion forward, for people interested in style,” said Steib. “It’s a very smooth, polished, enjoyable experience with OpenGL animations for that ‘Wow’ factor.”
JackThreads has been on the forefront of ecommerce, offering wacky, cool clothes to online kids using a Gilt Groupe “exclusive sale model,” although with a certain techno/urban twist. Knowing this, I asked Steib why it took them so long to make an app.
“Would it have benefitted us if we had it sooner? Yes, but it’s not a great opportunity loss,” he said. JackThreads worked three months on the project with an outside vendor. The app is available today for download (only the cool need apply).
look at the numbers. if you’re not seeing people using those devices, then you need to see
iPhone Product Page
Android Product Page