SECOND PLACE WINNER: $10,000
Jennifer Burrell – The Frock Shop
What she does: Rents women’s designer
and vintage dresses for special occasions
Location: Chicago
Business model: e-commerce, apparel
and accessory rental
THE PITCH
“Have you ever wondered why women spend hundreds on dresses that we only wear once? Enter The Frock Shop. The Frock Shop is an online service that allows you to rent designer dresses at prices starting as low as $50. We rent dresses for weddings, galas, and parties. So how does it work? Think Netflix for fashion. Just rent, wear, and return. We take care of the dry cleaning. Our mission is to fill the needs of women who love high fashion and want to look glamorous for all of their nights out without the anxiety of investing in dress after dress. We’ve been operating for 14 months, and our sales grew 70% for the first quarter of this year. Our company started becoming profitable in March. If granted $10,000 we would use it to expand our inventory and enhance our website. So, if you want to look like a million without having to spend it, visit www.frockshopchicago.com.â€
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Jones: I will rent from you, no question. You did an excellent job. I’m the woman on the panel, so I’d be the first to tell you that that works; that idea is fine. You’re going to get this money so you can expand this to an evening, a bridal, and an interview section on your website. So then I want you to ‘upcharge’ that bridal, because you know weddings cost a little more.
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