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Key Features of Encore:
- AI-Powered Search: Allows users to find secondhand items across multiple platforms like Poshmark, The RealReal, Grailed, Etsy, and eBay.
- Detailed Queries Supported: Users can input simple phrases or more complex descriptions, allowing for both general and very specific search results.
- User-Friendly Interface: Includes search prompts and suggestions to guide users and help them understand the platform’s capabilities.
Alex Ruber was formerly an engineer at Apple and Parth Chopra is a former Twitter and Asana employee. The two met via Founder Match at Y Combinator, shared passions for thrift shopping, and then set out on a journey, seeing each other through a visit together to a second-hand store, where a focus came up-the sad looking for the right second-hand products online. This conversation eventually led to Encore, a search engine that makes it easier for people to find secondhand goods sourced from many places.
Encore is part of Y Combinator’s inaugural Fall 2024 cohort, and it solves a key pain point in the space of secondhand shopping: online marketplaces are extremely fractured. From Depop and Mercari to ThredUp, eBay, and Craigslist, consumers may need to scan through dozens of platforms, with a sometimes annoying variety of search functions and inventory. Rooted in the frustration of finding exactly what one desired-a jacket from The Bear, perhaps-Ruber recognized that consumers needed a better, more streamlined way to shop through secondary markets.
A Personal Connection to Thrifting and Sustainability
Both Ruber and Chopra are from an immigrant background where thrift shopping wasn’t something of a hobby, but way of life. “I loved going to flea markets with my mom,” recalls Ruber, pointing out how the experience of going to flea markets with his mother had left an indelible mark on him. “I bought a lot of things from flea markets, including a piano when I started learning music.”. This childhood early experience would eventually form the vision for Encore: creating a user-friendly platform through which people could discover the “hidden gems” of the secondhand market.
Fashion and thrifting are passions for Chopra, and happened coincidentally to align with the ideal of Ruber’s goals. The passion for the circular economy, as well as more sustainable shopping, merged in the course of developing Encore-an AI-powered system that streamlines secondhand shopping and creates effectiveness in it.
How Encore Works: AI-Powered Search Across Multiple Platforms
Encore leverages large language models with its search engine, letting customers query precisely about used goods from across a wide range of popular platforms. For example, a user can input a super-specific search like “Find a dress like Emily’s in Emily in Paris Season 3, Episode 4” or a very vague request like “Show me jeans.” Because of the AI, Encore has the ability to match those queries with products listed on platforms such as Poshmark, The RealReal, Grailed, Etsy, and eBay.
Encore was engineered to have an interface that’s easy to navigate and makes the process of searching feel easy and intuitive. Users may also select partial search prompts like “Outfit inspo for” or “Shop from the Show.” These prompts will lead the user to fill in the remainder of their query using examples of possible search terms; it can even auto-populate to complete their query. This feature ensures that people do not get frustrated with a blank search page and presents them with ideas on how to effectively use the platform.
The search engine allows a long query size. In fact, some users will input something as short as a simple phrase: “Show me jeans.” The more adventurous users can input a very detailed description: “I am a 6’2″ skier looking for pants under $100 with no large logos.” This is one of the biggest advantages of Encore; it accepts both simple and detailed searches.
Growing Demand in the Second-Hand Market
Encore is tapping a fast-growing market. Industry analysts predict that the secondhand retail market would rise to $73 billion in the U.S. and $350 billion worldwide by 2028. ThredUp has predicted that the online secondhand shopping will account for half of the entire secondhand market by 2025. Hitting on the growth trajectory, Encore processes over 50,000 searches a month with an increase in month-on-month search activity at 26%. The click-through rate is also surging at 15% month on month and that translates to an ever-increasing user base and interest in its service.
Encore’s main business model today is affiliate commissions since every sale that comes through a successful transaction is a percentage. It has also been dabbling in the subscription model. For just $3 a month, one gets unlimited searches, advanced search models, image-based search functionality, customer support via email and chat. The premium subscription for all those who want a more tailored experience besides these features.
The Future of Encore: A Concept for Making Secondhand Shopping Easier.
Encoring is working to further optimize the secondhand shopping experience with faster and easier access to items that one may desire to acquire. The AI-powered search from the platform saves time, making sure the discovery of more unique products that consumers could never have otherwise found. Encoring aggregates listings across multiple secondhand marketplaces, working to eliminate some fragmentation that has traditionally made shopping through secondhand markets really a time-consuming process.
Given the proliferation of the secondary market and more people now seeking environmentally friendly alternatives to shop, Encore’s mission is particularly timely. The platform is really positioning itself to become a leader in the next generation of resale shopping-one that makes finding the perfect product easy, efficient, and enjoyable.
