UNItiques - an online marketplace made for college students - has had several spotlights within the Boston community, including a couple of shout-outs from us. Each profile has mentioned what motivated Alexandra Shadrow, the founder and Boston University alumna, to create the company: She wanted to make a more secure website where students can sell their unwanted belongings.
But, no one’s ever talked about the real reason why Shadrow bit the bullet and finally decided to form an actual company: booze.
“Basically, I started UNItiques when I was drunk and frustrated,” she told me. “I was pre-gaming at my place, had to go a party and had nothing to wear.”
That’s right.
“People will now be able to set up a guest account, so non-college students will now be able to log on, look at items and express interest in buying them.”
“Earlier that week, I had tried to go to Buffalo Exchange to sell my clothes that didn’t fit anymore, so I could then buy new ones,” Shadrow elaborated. "I dragged bags of clothing there to get rid of them, and then they just said to me, ‘We’ll take these few items, sell them for $70 and give you $7.’ That wasn’t going to happen.”
"I was already angry and annoyed, so I had a person from Craigslist come to my place to buy the clothes,” she continued. "He wouldn’t leave my apartment and I had to call my friend to come and get him out.”
Lastly, Shadrow resorted to eBay - an option she quickly abandoned when the site asked for her bank account number and the routing information.
“It had been a week of frustration, and in that moment when I was drunk in my apartment, I decided, ‘Forget it. I’ll do this myself.’”
From that alcohol-induced moment of clarity, Shadrow went on to found UNItiques, which has grown immensely in the past several years. The site is most widely used by BU students, but it also has a big presence at Suffolk, Emerson, Northeastern, Harvard and MIT. And because it’s been gaining momentum, Shadrow is making some major changes in the coming months.
Changes coming
“Our big news is that we’re going to be launching a new, sleek version of our website soon," Shadrow said. "It’s going to make everything way smoother.”
There’s a long list of new features that the UNItiques update will include. For example, users will be able to write reviews of different sellers on the site, as well as search for specific items using a Google-like search bar at the top of the page.
Although a fancier interface and more sophisticated features are always a plus, they’re sometimes an indication of something bigger happening at a startup. I’d say that’s the case with UNItiques.
One of the most major adjustments that Shadrow mentioned was that the site is going to be opening up more to users outside the college community. UNItiques is hoping that this will broaden people’s possibilities to sell their gear, while still maintaining a safe and protected environment for students.
“People will now be able to set up a guest account, so non-college students will now be able to log on, look at items and express interest in buying them,” Shadrow explained.
The founder walked me through the log-in process for someone without a .edu email address. Essentially, it’s as easy as it would be for students. However, you have to check a box specifying you aren’t a student and then the site places limits on your capabilities.
“It’s all restricted,” she told me. "When you find something you like, you can send the seller a message, but you can’t see any of their personal information. Everything is kept anonymous about students, so they’re still protected. Students will get a message and it will specifically say that it’s from an outside user. They get to choose if they want to go ahead with any transaction, and we send them safety tips to make sure they’re not putting themselves in risky situations.”
Additionally, outsider accounts can’t upload items for sale. So there won’t be any scams to lure in students.
Getting ready to scale
With more buyers on the UNItiques site, building up inventory is crucial. Shadrow has already recognized that fact, and her team is employing several strategies to scale the site with things for sale.
“Right now, when something amazing goes up, people buy it instantly, and it’s gone,” Shadrow said. "Then, what’s left is all of the stuff that nobody wants. We know we need to take on way more inventory so we have a continuous cycle of amazing items and people keep coming back to buy.”
UNItiques is tackling this issues in multiple ways. For starters, the company has a team running all over Boston campuses, photographing consignment items and uploading them to the site overnight. But Shadrow knows that to have a steady stream of appealing inventory, she needs to get businesses on her side.
Not just any business will do, though. UNItiques is committed to building a strong college community online, which is why the startup is partnering with other student-led ventures. Student apparel and accessory businesses - like EM John Jewelry and Feline Company - can now use UNItiques to get the traffic and attention they’ve been lacking by offering their goods on the site. At the same time, UNItique users benefit because they often have access to exclusive discounts and generally lower prices.
With these multiple inventory sources, UNItiques should be all stocked up and ready to go for its new website launch within the next couple of months. And, most importantly, all of the sources will still be coming from students. So despite the looser buyer limitations, the startup will still be continuing to support campus communities and in a more secure fashion.
Image via Alexandra Shadrow.
