ShopRunner has an express checkout akin to one-click-buying feature, reuters.com reports. CEO Scott Thompson says ShopRunner aims to be more like an online shopping mall that showcases brands than an Amazon or eBay marketplace where the focus is on lowest price. It also gives partners, ranging from Cole Haan and Under Armour to Neiman Marcus, ownership of customer data and relationships.
ShopRunner membership is now at 2.4 million, though it is unclear how many of those users signed on through American Express Co, an investor in ShopRunner, which also offers its cardholders free membership. Beyond the numbers, Thompson says members are widening their spending. Cross-shopping, when members who start out buying from one or two retailers evolve to shop from more and more, grew nearly 60% in 2014, from just under 20% previously.
ShopRunner is one of several US ecommerce companies working with Alibaba and affiliate Alipay to help US retailers sell their products to Chinese customers. Through Alipays nascent ePass service, which aims to let Chinese customers buy and pay for goods from US retailers, ShopRunner helps Neiman Marcus and Cole Haan sell to consumers in China by marketing their brands to buyers there. ShopRunner is Alibabas biggest single US ecommerce investment.
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