What apps do European and American shopaholics use?

Wander through any fashion show (which I often do) and it becomes immediately clear that the future of shopping is mobile. Smartphones have become the go-to portal for fashion lovers to shop, share and buy their favourite styles.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts that by 2018, global mobile e-commerce sales revenue will reach $626 billion, compared with $133 billion in 2013. According to market research firm eMarketer, by the end of this year, there will be 1.76 billion smartphone users worldwide, accounting for nearly a quarter of the world's total population; by 2017, smartphone users will account for a third of the world's total population. By then, consumers will be able to use Apple Watch equipped with the Apple Pay mobile payment platform to make purchases on their own.

With smartphones, luxury buyers no longer hesitate to buy handbags, yachts and cars. According to statistics from the Luxury Institute, a luxury market research organization: 67% of wealthy people now shop through mobile phones.

So it’s no surprise that there are a slew of new shopping apps, from offshoots of existing sites to new sites that bill themselves as “Instagram for sales,” like Foursquare, the social location-based store for retail.

Capitalizing on consumers’ love of social networking sites, many sites have introduced wish list sharing and other social media features in an effort to build “shopping communities” and the hope that personal referrals will drive sales. Smartphone apps have become hyper-personalized by introducing features such as location and video/audio search. They leverage smartphone technology to help consumers shop (much like using a phone’s built-in camera to take a picture to search for a product), and the phone’s location sensors sound alerts when a consumer’s desired brand, store, or product is nearby (PayPal’s Beacon even allows wireless payments through mobile phones without waiting in line).

Last year, Apple introduced iBeacon Bluetooth technology, which allows consumers to receive updates and exact locations of their favorite products on their phones while out shopping. Amazon, which recently entered the high-end beauty and fashion industry, is now promoting its first mobile phone with image and voice recognition functions, Amazon Fire (previously only available in the US market, and will also be available in the UK and Germany after September 30).

Here are my latest picks for fashion and beauty buyers:

Fashion social shopping website Lyst

The fashion shopping website Lyst, which launched last year, calls itself the Twitter of shopping. Users can customize real-time dynamic fashion styles, buy products recommended by celebrities, editors and powerful people, and create their own favorite shopping lists "Lysts". These shopping lists can then be followed by other network users, and users' phones will receive the latest news as soon as their favorite styles are launched. These US applications also have a universal shopping cart function, which means that US users can shop at multiple retail stores and pay for the goods at one time.

Bottom line: Like Tumblr, the never-ending shopping world, Lyst is in search of shopaholics.

Fashion product image search engine ASAP54

ASAP54 takes advantage of the show-off nature of Instagram users, but connects everything to shopping. On the social network established by this app, users can create their own "shoppable mood board" and follow other users, whether they are friends or fashion socialites like Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne (both of whom are registered users of ASAP54).

Users can upload images, vacation photos or landscape photos, and the app uses image search to find products of similar colors and fashion styles, and can further refine by adding specific brands, styles and colors. Everything can be shared, whether it is the product or other similar products.

Conclusion: ASAP54 is the Pinterest and Instagram of the retail industry, and its image search function is also very good.

Snap Fashion/Snap ColourPop

Among the first batch of video search sites to go online, two sister apps, Snap Fashion and Snap ColourPop, have been hailed as the music radars of the shopping world (Shazam, an app that uses audio recognition technology to identify music products). Launched by British computer science graduate Jenny Griffiths, Snap Fashion allows consumers to snap photos of any product anywhere (whether it is a shoe, a dress or a necklace), and then use audio recognition technology to find similar styles online before clicking to buy. From the Internet, users can either buy directly or create a shopping list to share with friends and fans. Sister app Snap ColourPop has similar functions, but encourages users to take street photos of their favorite colors, then search online for products of the same or similar colors before clicking to buy.

Verdict: The products I searched for through the Snap Fashion video feature didn't match the actual items I snapped -- but that's probably because my photography skills are not up to par. Snap ColourPop is much better. My only question is: why not combine the two features into one?

Kwoller

Kwoller is the latest mobile shopping app to hit the market. Tinder, a location-based dating app, encourages users to study several nearby "suitors." With Tinder now having more than 10 million users, it's no surprise that new apps like Kwoller are following its lead. Like existing mobile dating apps, Kwoller turns shopping into a game. Users swipe left and right on items they like, and the item goes into their "wish list." Once the item is available, users' phones are notified immediately.

Conclusion: The product selection felt a bit random and weird - not dissimilar to searching for potential friends.

L'Oreal Color Genius/Makeup Genius

L'Oreal has recently launched the Makeup Genius mobile app, which allows users to temporarily turn their iPhone or iPad into a mirror to "try out" various cosmetics such as lipstick, eyeliner and blush. The app takes into account various effects and skin colors. Users can see the actual effect after the "trial" to help them shop.

Color Genius is actually a highly personalized cosmetics color assistant that uses photo recognition technology and color search functions to help users find satisfactory cosmetics in L'Oréal's product range.

Bottom line: Makeup Genius has won praise from beauty magazine editors and bloggers for its creative image recognition feature. The only downside is that you can't use the app to shop online -- yet.

Ask Bobbi

Bobbi Brown's new app aims to boost her reputation as a beauty expert. Ask Bobbi a makeup question -- "how to apply foundation" or "how to create the perfect smoky eye" -- and the app will provide detailed instructions and product recommendations. Users can search for instant makeup guides from local stores (from Bobbi Brown's beauty agents, not her). The app also features a virtual mirror, a wish list, and detailed instructions that can be shared on social media.

Conclusion: The instructions are very graphic and easy to understand. It is a perfect combination of inspiration and education, and the local touch - visiting a nearby Bobbi Brown cosmetics counter - makes the app very personalized.

Tie Break App by Hermès

This app is for men: Hermès has launched an app specifically for men’s accessories. It features step-by-step instructions on how to tie a tie knot, as well as games, animations and short films about Hermès tie styles, primarily as an interactive tool to promote the appeal of Hermès ties—much like the “I love Hermès scarves” online ad campaign launched in 2010. (Last month, Hermès also launched La Maison des Carrés, a new website dedicated to women’s silk accessories.) Users can also search for and purchase the styles they like.

Verdict: So far, so good. Men’s accessories are hot – the bigger the step, the better. The Tie Break app will show men the magic of Hermès.

Translator/Chang He

via:ftchinese