It is barely a year since three Wageningen students developed United Wardrobe (UW). The website has been a huge success, with almost 30,000 people using it. That meant it was time for the next step, says Thijs Verheul, one of the UW initiators. ‘Soon you will be able to shop online for vintage clothes using your mobile phone, whether you are in lectures, travelling around or back home. You no longer need a random reader. It only takes one click for you to have your favourite item of clothing delivered within two days. It doesn’t take long either to create your own ad. Just take a photo of your item of clothing and put it online. In short, it’s all getting much simpler.’
Creating a good app was no easy task. Thijs: ‘It’s a tricky process. Not only do you have to think about the design, but the app also has to have its own payment system. And the app and website have to continuously be synchronized. Quite an effort in programming terms.’
The team’s energy and commitment have not gone unrewarded. The results of the nationwide Ac- centure Innovation Award will be announced on 14 November, two days after the app is launched. And United Wardrobe is currently leading the polls for the prize awarded by the general public. ‘At the moment we have 300 votes more than the competition. That says it all.’ The app will be available initially for iOS users only. The Android app will be released in two months’ time.