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Shop Locally With Styleshack.com

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Shopping at Detroit-area boutiques has become easier with the launch of Styleshack, a website designed to give busy consumers a personalized shopping experience with local retailers -- all at their own convenience.

Rachel Schostak, founder of Styleshack, says the website, www.styleshack.com, allows users to search local retailers online based on their personal style and location.

"Shopping online can become overwhelming, and it's not as personalized of an experience as people would like it to be," Schostak said. "At Styleshack, we simulate the experience of working with in-store stylists by learning about our shoppers' preferences and delivering relevant results. By creating a customizable, local shopping experience online, we can help drive business to the local economy."

Styleshack offers products from 18 Detroit-area stores and designers. Consumers are matched to products from these businesses after taking a personal style quiz that identifies a shopper's preferred stores, brands and style genre. Once registered, the user can search for products, and put items on hold for up to 48 hours if a nearby retailer has the item in stock.

"A lot of people want to shop locally, but often don't have the time to go from store-to-store looking for the exact product they are seeking," Schostak said. "Our website allows them to hop on their computer and start searching to see what is out there."

Originally from Detroit, Schostak has experience in the fashion industry following stints working in Chicago and New York. She moved back to Detroit, started her business, and applied to Bizdom, the startup accelerator for tech-based businesses in the urban cores of Detroit and Cleveland.

"It was while working for a retailer in metro Detroit that the idea came to me," she said. "It should be easier for local retailers to be discovered online; Styleshack will do just that."

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