Public-Beta Roundup
Wow -- what a week!
Shopobot's announcement of a public beta and investment from Google and AOL got picked far and wide:
TechCrunch: Price Tracking Service Shopobot Raises Funding From Google Ventures, AOL And Others
Shopobot is similar to airfare price tracker Yapta, but for retail products. Considering the fluctuations that take place on sites like Amazon or other retailers, Shopobot could provide a very desirable service it expands to a number of verticals beyond just electronics.
Gizmodo: Shopobot Tracks Gadgets’ Prices and Tells You When to Leap On Them
The only complaint I have about Shopobot is that it doesn't track eBay prices, but other than that it's a very handy site that will tell you when the best time to purchase a tech item is. So far it's only tracking gadgets and games, but over time I can see Shopobot adding a whole range of categories, pulling in from online stores such as Amazon, Walmart, B&H, Buy.com and more.
New York Times: A Site for Figuring Out the Cheapest Time to Make a Purchase
“It’s kind of an ugly space, and that’s one of the reasons we’re really interested in it,” Mr. Schorzman said. Online retailers frequently change prices to test which one maximizes revenue and to wage price wars with other sites, he said.
Reuters: Google and AOL venture arms fund tool to track retail price changes
“The volatility is really being driven by these algorithmic approaches to pricing,” says Shopobot co-founder and CEO Julius Schorzman. “You have these automated systems that are trying to maximize revenue for retailers online.”
All Things D: Shopobot Tracks Down Seed Money
Shopobot, a service that aims to help consumers time their purchases judiciously by tracking price changes and trends, announced today it had received an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Google Ventures, AOL Ventures, Lucas Nealan, Jump Ventures and several other investors. The company also opened the beta version of its site to the public.
The Street
Online shopping start-up Shopobot announced on Thursday it has raised seed funding from the venture arms of both Google and AOL. The company allows shoppers to track price adjustments for gadgets and other items across the Web, providing consumers with the best time in which to make a purchase.
MercuryNews
Shop til you drop: A San Francisco startup called Shopobot is officially launching Thursday after several months in stealth mode. Cooked up by an ex-Microsoftie and an Amazon.com alum, the site helps find the best deals in cyberspace.
VatorNews: Shopobot launches with seed from Google, AOL
Isn’t it pretty?
As you can see, the little Shopobot robot will let you know if it’s a good idea or not to buy right now, based on the product’s price history. More advanced users can take a look at the graph provided to decide for themselves. And if you’re not quite ready to buy it, you could always click “Follow” to keep an eye on the product.
VentureBeat: Google Ventures-backed Shopobot tells you the best time to buy
Schorzman and Matthews said that they’ve been tweaking the interface so that data geeks can still dig into the numbers, while more casual shoppers aren’t overwhelmed. Ultimately, if you tell Shopobot what you’re looking for and when you’re looking to buy it, the site can give you a straightforward recommendation — buy (if the price is at the low end of its likely price range) or don’t buy (if it’s on the high end). If it’s a “don’t buy”, then Shopobot can send you an alert when the price gets good again. The idea has some similarities with SeatGeek, which recommends the best time to buy tickets for events.
Forbes: Shopobot: a New Toy for Economists
Shopobot is aimed at consumers, allowing them to check price changes. But it might find an interested audience among economists.
