Encore, an innovative AI-powered search platform, aims to revolutionize how people discover and shop for vintage and secondhand treasures online. By combining GPT-4 with its custom machine learning model, the platform enables natural language searches that can recognize countless brands, styles, and aesthetics across a vast network of resale sites.
Alex Ruber, Encore’s cofounder, grew up immersed in the world of thrifting. As a child, he often accompanied his mother, a Romanian immigrant who settled in Italy and later Canada, to secondhand stores and flea markets. “It felt like a treasure hunt,” Ruber recalls, reminiscing about finding unique items like his first piano at a flea market.
Fast forward to today, Ruber, a former Apple software engineer now based in San Francisco, is bringing the thrill of thrifting to the digital age. Encore aggregates listings from a wide range of resale platforms, helping users unearth hidden gems with intuitive, conversational searches. Instead of typing rigid keywords into platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, shoppers can simply describe what they want as if chatting with a friend.
AI-Powered Shopping Assistance
Encore’s cutting-edge AI lets users conduct remarkably specific searches. For example, you might look for “a dress like Carrie Bradshaw’s in season 6, episode 12, size 0 or 2” or “a mid-century modern walnut dining table with leaves for eight guests.” Need to refine your search further? Follow up with “rectangular only” or “under $1,500,” and Encore adjusts accordingly. If the initial results don’t suffice, users can refresh the search for new options.
Ruber, who cofounded Encore with former Twitter and Asana engineer Parth Chopra, envisions the platform as “the Perplexity of online shopping,” offering a seamless way to navigate and discover items across multiple resale platforms.
The Rise of Secondhand Shopping
The global resale market is thriving as consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability, affordability, and access to luxury goods at lower prices. Encore, launched in June, is already attracting 50,000 searches per month and growing steadily, with 25% monthly increases in activity. It’s part of a larger wave of tools designed to simplify secondhand shopping, such as Beni, which checks for secondhand options from product URLs, and Faircado, a browser extension suggesting preloved alternatives during online shopping.
Encore distinguishes itself by blending GPT-4 with its own AI model, fine-tuned for fashion and ecommerce. Free users receive 30-40 search results per query, while paid subscribers ($36 annually) get twice as many and additional features. Unless a search is especially intricate—like a “boxy bomber jacket with elastic sleeves, similar to Tom Cruise’s in Top Gun 2”—free users can still enjoy high-quality results.
What’s on Offer?
Encore caters to diverse interests, from high-end fashion and furniture to kitchen appliances, books, and tools. Fashion enthusiasts can explore listings from platforms like Poshmark, The RealReal, and Depop, while furniture hunters can browse results from Chairish, Kaiyo, and AptDeco. International options include Japan’s Mercari and France’s Vestiaire Collective. Users can also exclude specific sites to tailor their experience.
The platform generates revenue through affiliate commissions (2-10% per sale) and paid subscriptions but avoids product-listing ads and SEO manipulation. This ensures search results are driven purely by user input and algorithmic accuracy.
Conversational AI: The Future of Shopping
Encore is part of a growing trend toward conversational AI in retail. Walmart’s Ask Sam and Amazon’s assistant Rufus are early examples of how this technology can transform shopping by making searches more intuitive and personalized. Analysts predict the conversational AI market could expand from $13.2 billion in 2024 to nearly $50 billion by 2030.
Encore takes this concept further by tailoring the online thrift shopping experience to mimic the joy of browsing physical stores. Ruber notes, “Secondhand shoppers love exploring rabbit holes until they find that gem.”
Looking Ahead
Encore has ambitious plans to enhance its platform. Future features may include notifications for when specific items become available, or even automated purchases as soon as listings match a user’s preferences. The team also aims to enrich the “discovery channel” with curated content such as staff picks, inspiration boards, and recommendations from micro-influencers.
“It’s like having a personal shopping assistant,” Ruber says, “but one that actually listens.”