“Cool” new Web site puts fun twist on shopping / LJWorld.com

Archive for Friday, November 21, 2008

There's a cool new Web site in town for those of you who don't want to battle the crowds this Holiday season.

November 21, 2008

For those who don’t want to battle the crowds this holiday season, coolproducts.com claims it’s for you.

Tony Schmidt’s the mastermind behind the Lawrence-based Web site. He and his 15 employees have spent the last two years developing it, he said.

The website claims to have the coolest, most unique gifts from 1,100 merchants across the country and allows users to vote on what they think’s coolest.

“We don’t want adequate products,” Schmidt said. “We want very strong, exceptional, wow, best of class products.”

Users can submit products they like to the site and eventually earn commissions if other shoppers vote them in as cool enough.

“It’s so simple,” said Schmidt.

The company said it’s committed to finding the most unique gifts out there.

“It’s basically like being on a scavenger hunt on the Internet for the coolest products,” said Susan Schutte Buchanan, product searcher for the company, temporarily located at 1617 Saint Andrews Drive.

Schmidt said he has a lot invested in the Web site, which launched Nov. 1. Now, he’s hopeful all his hard work will pay off and people will use the site to buy gifts. The site's received about 200 hits per day since the launch, Schmidt said.

“This holiday season will be a good test,” he said. “We’re getting started a little later than I’d like to. But with the economy the way it is, I’m not sure people have been just roaring out to the malls.”

The new business venture is supported by the Lawrence Regional Technology Center’s business incubator project.