The Fancy's trendy business model is getting even trendier: The site, often described as
"Pinterest for shopping," announced the launch of a monthly subscription box service on Thursday.
For $30 per month, subscribers are promised at least $60 worth of goods in a category of their choice -- men's, women's, gadgets, kids, home and media are among the categories, COO Michael Silverman says. The service is based on the model popularized by Birchbox, which sends subscribers four to five sample-sized beauty products for $10 per month.
Like Pinterest, The Fancy encourages users -- Silverman says there are nearly 2 million who have registered -- to save pictures of products, destinations, etc. It’s different from Pinterest in that there’s a strong shopping component. The site wants you to buy the items and services you fancy, or at least something similar. For example, if you were to “fancy” a picture of the YingXi Corridor of Stone Peaks in China, The Fancy would encourage you to book nights at a hotel near there.