Today’s consumers expect the buying experience to be consistent and convenient both online and off. This concept, known as “omnichannel” within the retail world, has recently become a top priority for companies serving digitally savvy shoppers. The pandemic has only accelerated the need for retailers and brands alike to meet customers wherever they are, and deliver on a truly omnichannel shopping experience. 

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 According to a recent Shopify survey, 47% percent of consumers said having a local presence was a significant or very significant influence on choosing which brands to purchase. But the problem for many direct-to-consumer brands is the shopping experience between their website and local stockist is siloed. Enter Lucky. Lucky improves the shopping experience for customers by allowing them to find their favorite products locally and make purchases seamlessly. Lucky provides a critical connection point between a brand’s owned properties and their retail partners by integrating with retailers’ inventory to let brands fulfill orders at the closest store. This direct integration with retailers’ inventories allows consumers to look up a product online, browse local merchants that have the product in stock, and pick it up later that day.

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Focused on giving customers the best experience possible, Lucky’s vision is to become an omnichannel data company focused on standardizing information and creating an agnostic middle layer between brands and retailers.  Lucky has already captured some of the nation’s largest DTC stockists – including active partnerships with market leaders like Nordstrom and Sephora.  

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Lucky is a win for all players in the value chain. 

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For Brands: Lucky’s integrations give brands visibility into inventory and the option to offer same-day fulfillment. For example, when someone goes to order online from a brand, Lucky goes to work finding it on the shelf of a local Nordstrom and then notifying the customer of the option to pick it up at the store.

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For Retailers: Brands and retailers both have a ton of data about how products move and sell, but there’s still a major disconnect between the two. Lucky empowers brands to use the data to understand their real-time inventory distribution and scale faster. On the other hand, it enables retailers to make data-driven decisions to move accurately and discover and merchandise brands in-store.

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For Consumers: Lucky allows consumers to buy what they want, HOW they want. Consumers love Lucky because it increases access to their favorite brands faster, cheaper, and more sustainably.

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After experiencing these data silos firsthand while working at Nordstrom and other major retailers, I understood the need for Lucky right off the bat. Getting to know Sneh and Nafis further only deepened my conviction - they are truly students of their customers and will not stop until they deliver a world-class experience for everyone. 

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*Luckily* the feeling was mutual. Lucky founders Sneh and Nafis said "What really stood out was Unusual’s ability and willingness to actively work alongside us in these early days of our company. A lot of firms talk about helping, but we’ve never seen anything like the deep operational value that Unusual has provided.”

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Unusual Ventures is thrilled to be part of Lucky’s mission by leading the company’s $3m seed round. All of us at Unusual Ventures are excited to partner with the innovative team at Lucky and look forward to revolutionizing the shopping experience for modern consumers.

Congratulations to Sneh and Nafis and the entire Lucky team!