A new fashion mobile application that aggregates mainstream content such as J. Crew and Asos clothing items features a Tinder-inspired swiping feature that allows users to swipe right or left depending on if they like the items they see.

By mimicking a design that contains social characteristics, Strut gives its users a reason to return. As app companies are constantly struggling to remain a priority for their users, providing a unique experience is critical.

“If you want people to use an app every day, they need to be shown value of some sort,” said Mark Daniel, CEO of Strut, San Francisco. “Our outfit feature makes every user a stylist.

“When you can broadcast your taste to the world and receive positive feedback for it, you want to come back and do it again,” he said.

Unique shopping
Strut is a new mobile commerce application that aims to make discovery, sharing and purchasing fashion items seamless. The app has been backed by Khosla Ventures and Kevin Rose and was launched by Mr. Daniel, a Peter Thiel fellow who is only 20 years old.

The swipe-to-decide design featured in the app was created by 2014 Apple Design Award winner Nate Chiger.

Users can make purchases through the app. Strut currently sends users to retailers’ sites to complete orders. In the future, Strut plans to implement a one-click system in the app to more easily complete purchases.

The app allows customers to build outfits using their products. Outfits created in Strut are shared with other users and can be shared broadly to other social channels, increasing exposure for brands. Users can also check out the outfits their friends have made.

As products are presented to users, they can swipe right to like them and swipe left to dislike.

Times of change
A recent report shows that mobile shopping is officially leading the way of commerce instead of desktop shopping.

Fifty-one percent of visits to retailers’ Web sites are made via mobile devices, making the mobile channel the majority source of online shopping, according to mobile commerce platform Branding Brand’s recent Mobile Commerce Index report.

Since consumers are more likely than ever to make a purchase via mobile devices, retailers and brands prepping for the 2014 holiday season are likely to route their strategies accordingly. As the anticipated launch of iOS 8 is right around the corner, retailers should expect a prevalent use in this department as virtual gift giving continues to replace its physical counterpart (see story).

In an attempt to innovate the mobile online shopping experience, fashion wiki Keep launched a new universal shopping cart this summer that allows users to buy any product from any store, anywhere in one checkout process.

Currently only 10 percent of total U.S. commerce occurs online and a small fraction of that on mobile. The Keep Web-wide cart, which removes friction from mobile checkout and allows for purchasing from any online store in one cart, could help drive up the percentage of commerce that is transacting online (see story).

As mobile shopping moves to center stage, retailers must respond to these trends as well as providing fun experiences on mobile.

“Strut gives retailers a genuinely fun way to engage with their target customers,” Mr. Daniel said.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York