Michael Livingstone is one of the co-founders of DustiD, a Manchester based start-up that are helping tackle the ever-increasing puzzle of why so many of us abandon our online shopping carts before we complete the transaction.
Online Shopping Cart Abandonment is a massive 2 trillion Dollar world-wide problem, which permeates all areas of online retail.
Imagine walking through Tesco’s or Marks & Spencer’s with your basket filled with goodies, you get to the checkout, leave your basket on the side…and just walk out.
Not only is this a global issue for retailers, there are inherent reasons why their customers are choosing not to complete the transaction.
Michael’s DustiD journey began, as he freely admits, because he used to be a bad friend, like millions of people around the world, Michael found it difficult to send surprise gifts to his friends and family because asking for their address details always ruined the surprise. Instead he either sent them a text message with an emoji or nothing at all”
But you can’t be a bad friend for ever and so in 2010 Michael and his co-founder Melanie McGuinness began their mission to become ‘better friends’.
Their original concept was an online platform named ‘Postal genie’, which they entered in an online innovation competition sponsored by a high street bank. By making it easier to address items purchased online Postal Genie would help online retailers increase their revenues by converting sales that previously would have been lost or abandoned.
Unfortunately, Postal genie wasn’t shortlisted to proceed further within the competition
Although they were disappointed at the time, elements of their concept were soon to appear within a major fintech product. To them this not only demonstrated proof of concept, it also validated the technology and the positive shift in attitudes towards personal data.
It’s only now, nine years on from that original competition, that Michael and Melanie feel confident in launching what they believe will be a game-changing global service within online postal delivery and beyond.
Postal Genie now rebranded as ‘DustiD’ after Michael’s late mother-in-law’s constant barrage to get certain tasks ‘Done & DustiD’. They’ve updated the technology, taking advantage of the growth in cloud architecture and API’s. When asked for their elevator pitch; “
DustiD is as an online platform that collects, stores and distributes to online retailers validated and up-to-date delivery address details on behalf of their customers. supported by an iOS and Android App that allows the registered DustiD recipient to manage where they want their DustiD parcels delivered.
Our ‘Addressless Mailing’ process is unique in that buyers never need to find or know any of the recipients shipping address details, unlocking those last-minute impulse purchases.
To be a better friend… or just to know more, contact Michael.livingstone@dustid.com or visit our website at www.dustid.com
Cards & gifts, or anything else in-between, chosen, posted…done & DustiD.