Shopping platform ‘Piccing’ has made its global debut off the back of $3.6 million gained in a Series-A funding round. 

A group of undisclosed investors gathered to pledge funds towards a platform which allows users to take pictures of everyday items before buying them online. Piccing is said to help brands create a more direct path to purchase, while the site and app’s community aspect makes shopping online all the more sociable. 

With 42 million members and over 300 global brands already on board, Piccing already has a solid foundation on which to base its global assault. Co-founders Dirk Spielmann and Nikolaj Zethraeus will now be looking to take their idea out of the US and Europe in the quest for worldwide adoption.

From tag to checkout  

Piccing is available on desktop and mobile devices, with sign up on Facebook and Twitter an option. The platform also has dedicated iOS and Android apps to make the uploading of pictures a more seamless process. 

Piccing allows snap-happy shoppers to “picc” an image and tag up to five items within their photograph. A toolbar displaying options for choosing the category and colour of the item helps users to define what they’re after, while a pop-up window displays similar items from participating retailers.

The result is a one-stop shop for consumers which also facilitates the sharing of images on Facebook, Twitter, email or the platform itself. Users can also browse images from other Piccing members and tag items that catch their eye.

Spielmann, who founded the company alongside Zethraeus in March 2011, sees Piccing as an ideal way to connect the shopping community. 

“Piccing is at the center of it all – content, commerce and community – and sits at the intersection of interactions between consumers, brands and publishers. 

“The platform allows brands to turn every image into advertising space, create full-funnel consumer exposure from interception to purchase, and expand e-commerce – all while obtaining valuable consumer insights and business intelligence.”

Seeking adoption

Stats provided by Piccing indicate that users have tagged 1.8 billion items since the platform launched, while Spielmann informs PerformanceIN that around 1.8 million products are “Picced” every day. There are plenty of items to be unearthed, as the site judges its database to be carrying a total of 10.4 million products. 

But along with user adoption, Spielmann and co. will have to make sure that brands are also on board with the idea, and that a strong variety of retailers sign up. 

Piccing’s list of participating brands certainly has a luxury feel, with Nordstrom, Armani, Swarovski and Oakley all signed up. But the presence of Mothercare, Tesco, Phillips, Sony and Puma ensures the UK market is well catered for.

The site invites brands to consider Piccing as “advertising space” for gaining exposure to new audiences.