Shnap launches internationally

Shnap, a new visual search tool created by the team behind fashion search engine the urge, today announces its international launch. Available on iOS, Android and Chrome browser extension, Shnap lets users take a photo of and instantly shop any product that they see to find and compare what they're looking for.

Shnap lets users snap a pic and shop it instantly, removing the guessing game of what's that brand, style or retailer of any product that they like. Instead, Shnap searches the world's best stores to find which store is selling it at the best price. Shnap uses AI-powered image recognition technology to identify styles, patterns, colors and other product characteristics to find visually similar products and rank results based on a relative score, finding the exact same item wherever possible. It will also locate similar styles available for sale from retailers around the world.

Unlike Google or Pinterest where there is no level of product curation, all stores on Shnap go through a thorough review to ensure they sell only legitimate and branded products. The tool aggregates retailers from around the world, making use of an in-house web crawling engine as well as data feeds via affiliate networks. With changing consumer habits towards resale and sustainability for fashion, over 25 percent of the products available via the Shnap app are labelled sustainable or pre-owned.

"We want Shnap to be tightly integrated into the overall shopping experience. As a result, we make it easy for anyone to quickly find what they're looking for and discover new brands, while driving traffic, sales, reach and exposure for our retail partners," said Cayley Ostrin, co-founder of Shnap, in a statement. "Everytime I use the app, I'm blown away by what the team has been able to accomplish - the results are phenomenal."

In addition to being cell phone ready, Shnap also comes with a browser extension to find which stores sell the same item at the best price. The app is currently available in both English and French, with plans to roll out other languages soon.

photos: courtesy of PR Newswire