It’s hard to believe at times, but there are consumers out there who’d prefer to buy things you can’t get on Amazon.

Souler, an e-commerce start-up that partners with social media influencers, is carving a space devoted to attracting that type of consumer. Catering to the premium-to-luxury space, its marketplace hosts both consumer brands and influencers in the health and beauty, fashion and home categories who are concerned about brand dilution.

The company was co-founded by Josh Wexler and George Manley and got its start as a spin-off platform for dropship provider RevCascade. After launching a beta version in 2018, Souler went live with the full site in September 2019.

Influencers set up their own curated merchant pages where their followers can buy things directly, and Souler then collects a percentage of each sale. (Manley, Souler CEO, declined to specify the figure, though the site breaks down a few options.)

The company, which counts such influencers as Real Housewives’ Kelly Bensimon among its ranks, also works with consumer goods brands, including Versace, Zac Posen, Sam Edelman and Celine Dion Handbags.

While Souler doesn’t prohibit Amazon-sold SKUs, it does strongly discourage the practice. The company works with sellers to understand they’re unlikely to see success if products they promote are also found on Amazon, Manley tells RIS. Instead, the company wants to train consumers that there’s a reason to return to Souler.

(Amazon, of course, has its own influencer strategy, having launched The Drop initiative last year. The site partners with influencers for limited-edition collections that are only available for 30 hours.) 

Rather than act as a simple e-commerce site, Souler supports influencers with amenities like photographer discounts for content creation, and it holds events connecting influencers and brands. The company also has plans to develop a loyalty program for participants, Manley said.

RIS spoke with Manley about Souler, how it works with influencers, and what we can expect to see in the direct-to-consumer disruption. What follows is an edited version of the conversation.

RIS: Tell us about Souler’s targeted audience.

Manley: It’s primarily a consumer who is really not a commodity shopper. Someone who goes to Amazon knows exactly what they want. They’re coming to Souler to learn about new brands, to browse brands and products maybe they haven’t seen before. And they’re being driven there by an influencer they trust and follow.