Stylefruits

Stylefruits GmbH was a German e-commerce entity that operated as a social shopping platform, founded in 2008. The founders included Ingo G. Ulmer, Michael P. Wähnert, and Mathias Ziegler. The company established itself as a notable player in the social commerce sector in Germany and expanded its operations to the UK, the Netherlands, and Poland.

The platform's business model centered on creating a community where users, primarily women, could discover and share fashion and home furnishing ideas. Users could assemble outfits or design rooms by selecting items from a wide range of products offered by various partner shops. These creations were then shared with the community for feedback and inspiration. The core idea was based on the principle of "women helping women" to make purchasing decisions. Stylefruits monetized its platform by driving traffic to its partner e-commerce sites, earning revenue from the leads generated. The company curated the product selection available on its site, focusing on trendy and affordable items to cater to its target demographic of young women.

Initially focusing on fashion and beauty, Stylefruits later expanded its offerings to include an interior design segment. At its peak, the company employed 120 people and cultivated a significant social media presence, with millions of followers across various platforms. In April 2016, the advertising and marketing firm Ströer acquired Stylefruits for approximately 14 million euros, with potential for further payments based on performance. However, the platform faced challenges in adapting its business model to mobile devices, leading to stagnating revenues while competitors grew. Consequently, Ströer shut down the Stylefruits platform on December 28, 2017, just over a year and a half after its acquisition.

Keywords: Stylefruits, social shopping, e-commerce, fashion platform, affiliate marketing, online community, outfit creation, interior design, German startup, Ströer, Ingo G. Ulmer, Michael P. Wähnert, Mathias Ziegler, social commerce, fashion discovery, product recommendation, user-generated content, partner shops, lead generation, e-commerce shutdown