How Two Former Google & Starbucks Execs are Building a Social Shopping Platform That is Setting a New Standard for eCommerce

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- eCommerce today is a solo sport. It's boring, search driven and purely transactional.

Shopping malls were once a social hub, a place where you could meet friends, eat food and explore new brands. Tuli wants to create a digital mall where you can buy your favorite things and experiences directly from friends, celebrities and influencers that inspire you.

The founder and CEO, David Wilmot, has previously launched successful companies and also spent many years as a Starbucks and Pressed Juicery executive. His co-founder and CMO, Meysam Moradpour, is a digital executive who spent many years at Google, Yum Brands and Mastercard.

"We're obsessed with building products that connect us. We built Tuli with this purpose and our passion for community, inclusivity, and human connection are imbedded in our company DNA. In today's challenging world, Tuli connects us in a different way bringing true community to eCommerce," said Wilmot.

With today's Covid pandemic, restaurants are one of the hardest hit industries. Tuli's initial focus has been supporting restaurants with a complimentary contactless digital menu. It also includes an online ordering solution at an industry-low 10 percent commission including credit card fees.

Soon, Tuli will be offering the same service to a variety of retailers across North America.

With more than 600,000 food locations already pre-built, Tuli makes it easy for restaurants to sign up today. Simply visit Tuli, search for your restaurant, and click "Claim & Sign Up". Customer support will then contact you to build a full profile and a menu free of charge.

Marketing in the food and retail industries is very inefficient. Tuli helps to reduce these costs by allowing restaurant managers to engage directly with customers and influencers on the same app.

Restaurant managers have more time and money to concentrate on things that really matter like food quality, operations and employee support. This ultimately leads to a better customer experience and repeat business.

The state of social commerce is still in its infancy in the U.S.

"We need to elevate the current eCommerce experience from a solo sport that's heavily skewed towards promotions and discounts," said Tuli co-founder Meysam Moradpour. "It's really dull, boring and purely transactional and was never intended to be fun. That's not how people actually shop in real life. 

"Shoppers ask their friends for recommendations, they browse, discover new brands, read reviews and validate with their social circles. Tuli takes all the fun parts of shopping and turns it into a digital platform."

Tuli connects thousands of shoppers, influencers, celebrities & merchants at a touch of a button. Get recommendations, discover new brands, and choose between pickup or delivery at checkout. Learn how Tuli works in this 60 second video.

Today, when you shop at retail stores, you seek advice from people you trust on the newest trends. 83 percent of people say they trust recommendations from family, colleagues and friends about products and services. In addition, 71 percent are more likely to purchase based on social media referrals.

That's what Tuli wants to achieve with social shopping instead of today's common 'search, pay and leave' model.

Instead of just making recommendations on social media posts, now with Tuli, you can make money off your good taste. With Tuli's next update, anybody can be an Influencer and receive a minimum of two percent credit for future purchases from every sale you recommend.

"We don't want to make the mistake where only a few big influencers make lots of money. There's a lot of people who say they have a lot of followers, but the real test is how many people will actually trust them enough with recommendations," said Moradpour. 

Each post on Tuli includes an automatic shoppable product link, so you can see real recommendations from real people. If someone is inspired by one of these posts, simply click on the link and purchase the product immediately.

In addition to Tuli's social feed, you can also shop inside eCommerce shops where you can discover and buy new designers and unknown brands.

Tuli's founding team is working with medical researchers to implement features that elevate the mental health of its users through inspiration, esteem and belonging.

Tuli is mission driven and will continuously work to elevate the lives of others.

For further information, please see the company's media kit or to schedule an interview contact Meysam Moradpour at (917) 288-4595 or [email protected].  

SOURCE Tuli