After Selling Your Startup To Microsoft? Sell Toilet Paper And Trash Bags
In 2007, Microsoft acquired Jellyfish, a social search engine that ultimately became the Live Search Cashback program. The company’s founders – Brian Wiegand and Mark McGuire – have since moved on, and are now working on a stealth startup called Alice.com that is announcing a $4.3 million financing round.
While the founders aren’t giving away too many details just yet, what they are saying is intriguing.
According to Wiegand, “The sale of consumer staples like trash bags, toothpaste and bathroom tissue is a huge untapped eCommerce market that is ripe for innovation. We are thrilled to be leveraging the Internet to change the way consumers supply their homes with these consumer staples.”
The company’s website promises “free shipping, saving you time, and making sure you never run out of bathroom tissue” and “[fewer] shopping trips, clipping coupons, and hauling a case-pack of laundry soap out to the car to save a buck.”
So, from that you can surmise that Alice.com is essentially some sort of subscription club for consumer packaged goods – you know, the one-offs that you’re constantly running out to the store to replenish when you realize you’re out of them.
Photo by Alice.com.
Dane Carlson on November 18th, 2008 4:01 pm
No matter how bad the economy, people still need toilet paper. If they can offer it with free shipping for less than the price of driving to Walmart, navigating the store, waiting in line, paying, driving home and unpacking, then they’re on to something.
cassy on November 19th, 2008 3:07 am
I agree with Dane…
Sometimes, being so busy can make a person forgot something especially like toilet paper.
I think this site can be succesful if what they offer is true.
Jaclyn Wells on November 19th, 2008 11:42 am
I completely agree with Dane, since i’ve become a mother…going to the store is a real hassel for me. having to pack up a baby, myself, drive to the store, carrying a heavy baby in a car seat into the store and then dealing with the temper tantrums of my baby throughout the store…i can not tell you how many times i have forgotten about half of what i went to the store for in the first place which is usually the stuff that i really needed like toilet paper, cleaning products and such. if people could do most of their shopping online with the free shipping, even if it was only free shipping after spending so much…that would be a great deal for us who don’t always’ have the time to shop.
Felix Uwa on February 2nd, 2009 11:02 am
Not sure if this is the reply you are expecting, but your posting above on tissue is exactly what i have had in mind for a long time. I am looking to start up a tissue buisness too, and stumbled on your website. Any advise on startup advise, production, sales , financing etc.
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