Slidr eyes UK expansion and new categories

E-commerce startup, Slidr, is looking to grow its operation in the UK and “normalise” its approach to shopping online.

The venture uses a model that combines digital retail and gamification to give users discounts on luxury items and the latest high-end gadgets through a crowd discounting model. It is part of a London accelerator programme co-ordinated by the UK Lebanon Tech Hub, a joint initiative by Banque du Liban (Lebanon’s Central Bank) and the UK government. 

In an interview with RTIH, Founders Marwan Salem and Fouad Assaf comment: “We are also contemplating offering new categories, such as experiences and developing an API for third party integration, allowing other e-commerce platforms to use the Slidr technology coupled with its algorithm on their own platform where credits would be replaced by loyalty points. This would allow users to use their loyalty points on high priced items and get them at a discounted price, instead of redeeming them for items they simply don't need.”

Elsewhere, Salem and Assaf argue that the retail sector is in a transitionary phase, given the failure of brands like Toys R Us that have dominated the market for the last 20 years. “Brands will need to re-invent the way they approach their customer experience, and a synchronised in-store and online experience will need to be developed in order to successfully cater for a generation that treats online stores as the older generation treated the shop window,” they conclude.

Check out the full interview here.