Shoptrue launches ML-based, custom online fashion marketplace

A new e-commerce platform uses machine learning (ML) to provide a highly personalized shopping experience.

Shoptrue offers fashion items from over 2,000 brands in a single online marketplace linking to retailers’ e-commerce sites, with one-click, unified checkout across retailers. Shopping begins with an onboarding quiz to establish a customer’s baseline preferences and generate a personalized experience with an initial set of curated recommendations, as well as editorial content mapped to the users' interests.

Leveraging ML technology, the platform constantly learns and refines recommendations based on a variety of user interactions, product engagement, and purchase behaviors. Over time, Shoptrue’s goal is to have the user's outcomes and content feel increasingly individualized.

[Read more: Machine learning – the future is now for retailers]

In addition, Shoptrue will soon have the ability to pre-filter size and fit specifications on behalf of shoppers to ensure they only see products that are available in their preferred sizing. Customers also have options to curate and share their own “Shops” (collections), eliminate items they don't like, and build Shops reflective of their personalized style, brands, fit and size.

This new function will equip users with the ability to share their curated Shops and opinions, publicly or privately, and seek out style ideas and product recommendations from stylists, influencers, and peers with the option to follow and be followed. The site will exit beta in the first quarter of 2023 with the introduction of these tastemaker and peer-generated Shops.

Shoptrue was founded by Romney Evans, former co-founder of fashion fit technology company TrueFit. Evans hired veteran Condé Nast executive and fashion technology entrepreneur Brandon Holley to serve as chief fashion officer. John Lashlee, former data scientist for Netflix and LinkedIn, serves as VP of data science.

"We love what wearing the right thing does to us. The moment of truth in any shopping experience is when you put something on and love the way it looks and the way it makes you feel. People and retailers alike want more of their moments of truth to be positive ones. We listened and we can help," said Shoptrue founder Romney Evans. "We invite shoppers everywhere to join us on this journey. It will take time, but today begins our rollout of an exciting stream of innovation and distinctive experiences that will make it easy to get only what you love. We aspire to delight shoppers and earn their trust as we improve their shopping experience every month and every quarter through innovation, trial and error, and by listening to their feedback."

"I've always been obsessed with what people wear and what inspires them to try something new,” said chief fashion officer Brandon Holley. “We are making it easier for people to find only the things they're going to love, and then give them the tools to organize and share their style point of view with the world. Anybody's shop has the potential to set off a chain reaction of fashion inspiration that can surprise and delight you from any direction."