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Chief Commercial Officer Craig Thompson, VP Business Development Jaime LaFontaine and VP Engineering Matt Rubens join Getlabs
Remote healthcare delivery innovator looks to expand national footprint and speed adoption with health systems, health plans, digital health providers, traditional laboratories and more
MIAMI, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --  Getlabs , the leader in providing nationwide infrastructure for remote healthcare delivery, today announced three new leadership team additions, adding Craig Thompson , Chief Commercial Officer, Jaime LaFontaine , Vice President of Business Development and Matt Rubens , Vice President of Engineering. Rubens joins Getlabs from e-commerce innovator Tophatter, where he led product development and engineering efforts. Thompson and LaFontaine join from a patient-centric telehealth pharmacy pioneer Alto Pharmacy , bringing extensive healthcare sales and business development experience. 70% of medical decisions  require laboratory test results, spurring 14 billion lab test orders annually in the United States. The onset of COVID-19 opened new possibilities in how and where healthcare can be accessed and delivered, as healthcare consumers turned to virtual care in record numbers . Nearly half of Americans self-report a desire to continue using virtual care after the pandemic. Traditionally brick and mortar healthcare stakeholders, including health systems and hospitals , have also embraced it. These healthcare innovation tailwinds point to a future in which more aspects of traditional brick-and-mortar healthcare are delivered remotely. With its API and a nationwide workforce of in-person medical professionals, Getlabs bridges the virtual care gap for care providers to make informed decisions and deliver higher-quality care remotely. Getlabs provides at-home lab appointments performed by its full-time phlebotomists, who are nationally certified and vetted to collect blood, saliva, stool, urine, liquid biopsies, H. pylori breath tests, vitals, and biometrics. "The pandemic has shown us that for millions of Americans, healthcare convenience is no longer a luxury. It's a necessity," said Kyle Michelson, CEO, Getlabs. "Craig, Jaime and Matt bring a remarkable combination of healthcare and product innovation experience to Getlabs, and will be instrumental as we look to bring healthcare services into any home or office, starting with labs." As Getlabs' Chief Commercial Officer, Craig Thompson will oversee Getlabs' sales and marketing efforts. Craig brings more than 19 years of management and sales experience to Getlabs. He most recently served as Vice President of Sales at Alto Pharmacy, and previously as Area Vice President, Western US at Abbott Vascular. As Vice President of Business Development, Jaime LaFontaine will be responsible for driving Getlabs' strategic growth initiatives and partnerships across the health ecosystem. Jaime brings 13 years of sales, business development and legal experience to Getlabs, most recently with Alto Pharmacy in sales and business development roles and at Practice Fusion in sales and implementation. Prior, she worked at ExamWorks, Inc. where she served as legal coordinator and regional account executive. As Vice President of Engineering, Matt will manage Getlabs' development teams, using technology to create seamless experiences for patients and partners. Matt brings 19 years of engineering and strategic growth experience to Getlabs, most recently as Vice President of Engineering and Senior Vice President of Product, Engineering and Growth at Tophatter. He also held lead engineering roles at Remind, Change.org, and Amazon, and co-founded two companies: Kickball Labs and Jamglue. About Getlabs
Getlabs provides the nationwide infrastructure for delivering health care anywhere. Patients can book a certified phlebotomist to draw their lab tests at their home or office. Health care organizations can dispatch Getlabs' medical professionals to their patients to collect the diagnostic tests they need. By creating the infrastructure for providers to make informed medical decisions remotely, Getlabs bridges the gap between virtual and in-person care and unlocks the full potential of telehealth. Media Contact:

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Getlabs Enlists Healthcare Delivery, Product Development Talent In Leadership Team Expansion

Tophatter enhances gamification experience on shopping platform
Friday 9 April 2021 12:57 CET  | News
Tophatter , a discovery shopping marketplace, has announced the addition of integrated mini games to its ecommerce platform. According to the press release, with the introduction of two integrated mini games, customers can now earn points and then redeem rewards to personalise their buying experience, receive special advantages that can give them an edge when bidding on products, and apply credits off their purchases. Therefore, users can earn points by participating in the two games – Quests and Treasure Spin. Quests appear as a set of daily and weekly challenges where customers can earn points by completing tasks while shopping, such as viewing products or placing bids. To play Treasure Spin, customers simply spin a digital wheel to earn points, cards, and more. A total of 1.2 billion points have been earned of which approximately 900 million points have been spent in the points economy. Furthermore, customers can currently use the points in the online Card Store toward three types of cards that elevate their ecommerce experience or to unlock other features within the app. To date, shoppers have purchased 2.8 million cards. The cards include:
Win Skins: The skins adjust the look and feel of virtual auctions, adding special effects to bidders' screens such as fireworks or a dancing llama. Functional Cards: These cards can change the function of an auction when played. For example, the Snipe Card allows users to place a last minute bid on an item without resetting the clock to secure a near-guaranteed purchase. Credit Cards: The Credit Cards are redeemable for USD 0.50 - USD 20.00 off a purchase. Mystery Packs: Mystery Packs come in two sizes and include a mix of three to five cards. Mystery Packs can include a USD 5 or USD 20 credit card, respectively. Overall, as a mobile discovery marketplace, Tophatter operates at the category-defying intersection of marketplaces, gaming, and discovery retail – combining the fun of a game, the great deals and rich margins of a discovery retailer, and the lean business model of a marketplace.

Tophatter enhances gamification experience on shopping platform

On Apr 8, 2021
Tophatter Inc., a leading discovery shopping marketplace, announced the addition of integrated mini games to its ecommerce platform, as it continues to disrupt modern retail by combining the fun and engagement of gaming with the economics of a discount marketplace. With the introduction of two integrated mini games, customers can now earn points and then redeem rewards to personalize their buying experience, receive special advantages that can give them an edge when bidding on products, and apply credits off their purchases. Today, about 50% of daily users interact with points. “Almost all mobile shopping is built to optimize the path-to-purchase, but that’s never been our focus. Tophatter’s aim for the last decade is to create a discovery shopping platform that makes online discount shopping fun by adding the entertainment of a game to the experience,” said Ashvin Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Tophatter. “While elements of gamification have always been core to our ecommerce platform, by introducing mini games and an evolving points economy we are further enriching the bargain hunting experience by giving our users more ways to win great deals. Tophatter is positioned at the intersection of gaming and bargain-hunting, offering a one-of-a-kind mobile shopping experience.”
Users can now earn points by participating in two games: Quests and Treasure Spin. Quests appear as a set of daily and weekly challenges where customers can earn points by completing tasks while shopping, such as viewing products or placing bids. To play Treasure Spin, customers simply spin a digital wheel to earn points, cards, and more. A total of 1.2B points have been earned of which approximately 900M points have been spent in the points economy. Customers can currently use the points in the online Card Store toward three types of cards that elevate their ecommerce experience or to unlock other features within the app. To date, shoppers have purchased 2.8 million cards. The cards include:
Win Skins: The skins adjust the look and feel of virtual auctions, adding special effects to bidders’ screens such as fireworks or a dancing llama. Functional Cards: These cards can change the function of an auction when played. For example, the Snipe Card allows users to place a last minute bid on an item without resetting the clock to secure a near-guaranteed purchase. Credit Cards: The Credit Cards are redeemable for $0.50 – $20.00 off a purchase. Mystery Packs: Mystery Packs come in two sizes and include a mix of three to five cards. Mystery Packs can include a $5 or $20 credit card, respectively. As a leading mobile discovery marketplace, Tophatter is disrupting the retail and e-commerce industry— connecting shoppers with thousands of sellers from all over the world and enabling them to browse millions of items and engage in real-time auctions. The Company operates at the category-defying intersection of marketplaces, gaming, and discovery retail; combining the fun of a game, the great deals and rich margins of a discovery retailer, and the lean business model of a marketplace.

Tophatter Enhances Gamification Experience on Shopping Platform; Introduces Integrated Mini Games, Doubling the Average Number of Hours Spent Daily on the App

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You know the feeling when you are in a store and see an amazing, exciting, perfect thing that you instantly know you just have to have? Whether it’s the perfect pair of shoes, a golf club that will change your stroke, or a new ice cream flavor you must try, you get that instant rush and snag the product off the shelf-or out of the freezer. That rush is what made malls the epicenter of American shopping for decades. But these days, people are turning to eCommerce rather than visiting physical retailers. Get The Full Ray Dalio Series in PDF
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Discovery Shopping Is Driving Exciting Developments In Ecommerce
As eCommerce grew and matured, most retailers focused around the frictionless path to purchase: pushing a user from website visit to purchase quickly and easily. But the thrill of encountering something unexpected and perfect still exists. It’s called discovery shopping, and it’s driving the most exciting developments in ecommerce. Gates Capital:  Why (Free) Cash (Flow) Is King
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Most online shopping is aimed at customers who already know what they want. If a shopper wants to buy sheets, they can choose from a traditional retailer like Macy’s or a modern one like Brooklinen, but wherever they choose to shop, the biggest purchasing decision (what they want) is made before they even get to the website. But a significant portion of physical shopping doesn’t work like that at all. From catalogs to malls to just wandering through Target to find a fun treat while you’re picking up necessities , many of the most enjoyable retail experiences are about discovery. Discovery shopping’s power is evidenced by stores like T.J. Maxx and Marshall's— stores built entirely around this style of retail. At these stores, shoppers know they can get a good deal, but more powerfully, shoppers get the feeling of being on a treasure hunt. The Treasure Hunt
That excitement of the treasure hunt  is what discovery shopping is all about. But, if discovery shopping is so powerful, why have retailers struggled to harness its power online? You’ve probably never shopped at T.J. Maxx’s website, and neither have most of its loyal customers. For a long time, discovery retailers were not facing the woes of other brick- and mortar retailers and their treasure hunting format is tactile, spontaneous, and even a little messy—an experience they couldn’t successfully reproduce online. But, it’s not about reproducing but rather recreating the treasure hunt to work online and on mobile. Embrace the Power of Browsing
If you want to incorporate discovery shopping into your eCommerce experience, you have to embrace the idea that browsing is almost as important as checking out. It’s no surprise that’s a challenge for an industry that has an efficient customer funnel down to a science. In many ways, retailers need to think like social media companies. How do they hold their users’ attention day after day? How do they keep them coming back? How do they turn endless scrolling into sales? Discovery marketplace Tophatter uses its single feed to keep shoppers engaged in the online treasure hunt, and it’s unique and surprising auction format keeps them coming back for more. On the other side of the discovery spectrum, a brand like VIDA partners with artists and designers around the world to create an ever-evolving collection of beautiful things to browse. They organize their designs under fun, infinitely browsable categories like “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” and “Bathed in Blue” that you can explore. These experiences are built around browsing, not searching. Elements that power discovery shopping can be added to any shopping experience to grow sales and retain customers longer. Here are three easy tips to inject discovery into your retail experience:
Focus on engagement, not just conversion
Fun is key! Discovery shopping is about being leisurely, not pushing a customer to purchase. Think beyond the search bar and build experiences that let shoppers explore and be surprised. This could take the form of personalization, content marketing, gamification elements, or even just be baked into the site design and UX. Focus on time on site and return visits as key metrics. You’re building loyalty through engagement. Meet customers on mobile (and everywhere else)
You never know when a customer will be in the mood to explore. They might pop into your website or app during lunch to browse or they might fire up your app while they’re in line at the post office. You can’t think of mobile as a secondary experience to web because the browsing bug doesn’t wait until a shopper is at home in front of their computer. Utilize omnichannel marketing strategies to stay top of mind through push notifications, emails, and social media so you’re always reminding your shoppers that they could be having a good time discovering with you. And ensure your listings are just as compelling and easy to navigate on mobile as they are on web. Think of your inventory as a living thing
Staleness is the enemy of discovery. Every time a discovery shopper visits, they expect a fresh shopping adventure, and they always want to be surprised. No amount of engaging content or in-app gamification will keep shoppers coming back if the products you sell don’t make that treasure hunt feeling happen. Showcasing your inventory through personalization, creative marketing campaigns, and discovery-driven tools is your strongest weapon. Even if you’re not ready to abandon the search bar for a pure discovery shopping, you can still build an ecommerce experience that invites your customers to get lost and find the next thing they didn’t even know they wanted until they saw it. About The Author
Sree Menon is COO of discovery shopping marketplace, Tophatter. As head of a team that spans the US, China, and India, she employs her global approach to grow Tophatter’s business operations. An eCommerce veteran, Sree brings her decades of experience to scale the company’s sales, logistics, business development, marketing, and operations strategies. She previously ran eBay’s Motor divisions—it's fastest growing business segment. Prior to eBay, Sree served as eCommerce and online director at Dell and as an operations manager at GE Capital. When not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors her with family, meditating, and working on her newest hobby, tennis. TAGS

Sell More, Retain Customers Longer, And Have Fun With Discovery Shopping

Sell More, Retain Customers Longer, and Have Fun with Discovery Shopping
January 13, 2021 at 8:21 AM EST
By Sree Menon, Tophatter
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You know the feeling when you are in a store and see an amazing, exciting, perfect thing that you instantly know you just have to have? Whether it’s the perfect pair of shoes, a golf club that will change your stroke or a new ice cream flavor you must try, you get that instant rush and snag the product off the shelf — or out of the freezer. That rush is what made malls the epicenter of American shopping for decades. But these days, people are turning to ecommerce rather than visiting physical retailers. As ecommerce grew and matured, most retailers focused around the frictionless path to purchase: pushing a user from website visit to purchase quickly and easily. But the thrill of encountering something unexpected and perfect still exists. It’s called discovery shopping, and it’s driving the most exciting developments in ecommerce. Most online shopping is aimed at customers who already know what they want. If a shopper wants to buy sheets, they can choose from a traditional retailer like Macy’s or a modern one like Brooklinen, but wherever they choose to shop, the biggest purchasing decision (what they want) is made before they even get to the website. But a significant portion of physical shopping doesn’t work like that at all. From catalogs to malls to just wandering through Target to find a fun treat while you’re picking up necessities, many of the most enjoyable retail experiences are about discovery. Discovery shopping’s power is evidenced by stores like T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s —  stores built entirely around this style of retail. At these stores, shoppers know they can get a good deal, but more powerfully, shoppers get the feeling of being on a treasure hunt. Advertisement
The Treasure Hunt
That excitement of the treasure hunt  is what discovery shopping is all about. But if discovery shopping is so powerful, why have retailers struggled to harness its power online? You’ve probably never shopped at T.J. Maxx’s website, and neither have most of its loyal customers. For a long time, discovery retailers were not facing the woes of other brick-and-mortar retailers. Their treasure hunting format is tactile, spontaneous and even a little messy — an experience they couldn’t successfully reproduce online. But it’s not about reproducing but rather re-creating the treasure hunt to work online and on mobile. Embrace the Power of Browsing
If you want to incorporate discovery shopping into your ecommerce experience, you have to embrace the idea that browsing is almost as important as checking out. It’s no surprise that’s a challenge for an industry that has an efficient customer funnel down to a science. In many ways, retailers need to think like social media companies. How do they hold their users’ attention day after day? How do they keep them coming back? How do they turn endless scrolling into sales? Discovery marketplace Tophatter uses its single feed to keep shoppers engaged in the online treasure hunt, and its unique and surprising auction format keeps them coming back for more. On the other side of the discovery spectrum, a brand like VIDA partners with artists and designers around the world to create an ever-evolving collection of beautiful things to browse. They organize their designs under fun, infinitely browsable categories like “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” and “Bathed in Blue to create experiences built around browsing, not searching. Elements that power discovery shopping can be added to any shopping experience as a way to grow sales and retain customers longer. Here are three easy tips to inject discovery into your retail experience:
Focus on engagement, not just conversion: Fun is key! Discovery shopping is about being leisurely, not pushing a customer to purchase. Think beyond the search bar and build experiences that let shoppers explore and be surprised. This could take the form of personalization, content marketing, gamification elements, or even just be baked into the site design and UX. Focus on time on site and return visits as key metrics. You’re building loyalty through engagement. Meet customers on mobile (and everywhere else): You never know when a customer will be in the mood to explore. They might pop into your website or app during lunch to browse, or they might fire up your app while they’re in line at the post office. You can’t think of mobile as a secondary experience to web, because the browsing bug doesn’t wait until a shopper is at home in front of their computer. Utilize omnichannel marketing strategies to stay top of mind through push notifications, emails and social media, so you’re always reminding your shoppers that they could be having a good time discovering with you. And ensure your listings are just as compelling and easy to navigate on mobile as they are on web. Think of your inventory as a living thing: Staleness is the enemy of discovery. Every time a discovery shopper visits, they expect a fresh shopping adventure, and they always want to be surprised. No amount of engaging content or in-app gamification will keep shoppers coming back if the products you sell don’t make that treasure hunt feeling happen. Showcasing your inventory through personalization, creative marketing campaigns and discovery-driven tools is your strongest weapon. Even if you’re not ready to abandon the search bar for pure discovery shopping, you can still build an ecommerce experience that invites your customers to get lost and find the next thing they didn’t even know they wanted until they saw it. Sree Menon is COO of discovery shopping marketplace Tophatter . As head of a team that spans the U.S., China and India, she employs her global approach to grow Tophatter’s business operations. An ecommerce veteran, Menon brings her decades of experience to scale the company’s sales, logistics, business development, marketing and operations strategies. She previously ran eBay’s Motor divisions — its fastest growing business segment. Prior to eBay, Menon served as ecommerce and online director at Dell and as an operations manager at GE Capital. When not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors her with family, meditating, and working on her newest hobby, tennis.

Sell More, Retain Customers Longer, and Have Fun with Discovery Shopping

ShipStation is a web-based shipping software solution that allows online retailers and e-commerce merchants to organize, process, fulfill and ship their orders quickly and easily. ShipStation supports automatic order importing from over 40 shopping carts and marketplaces, including eBay, Amazon, Shopify, Bigcommerce, Volusion, Squarespace and others. ShipStation offers multi-carrier shipping options, and automation features like custom hierarchical rules and product profiles that allow customers to easily and automatically optimize their shipping. Using ShipStation, an online retailer or e-commerce merchant can ship their orders from wherever they sell and however they ship.

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This partnership helps Tophatter sellers ship large volumes of orders seamlessly via ShipStation , allowing them to put more time into growing their e-commerce businesses .

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The a16z Marketplace 100 is a ranking of the largest consumer-facing marketplace startups and private companies created by venture firm, Andreessen Horowitz.

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Tophatter, formerly Blippy, is an entertaining live auction marketplace, with live online auctions every day in a wide variety of categories.

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