Intro: Could the Wanelo Online Mall be the Best Wish Alternative?
Shopping in an online mall is like the holy grail for avid shoppers. Instead of being restricted to four walls and a short list of stores, online fashion shopping in a virtual mall opens a world of possibilities.
In this case, those possibilities have some impressive numbers—over 550,000 boutiques, independent sellers, and national retail chains are on Wanelo, the online mall that promises to connect shoppers with “the most amazing products in the universe.”
Because Wanelo connects shoppers with thousands of independent sellers, many consider shopping on Wanelo to be a safer and more reliable Wish alternative.
Photo courtesy of: Wanelo
But before you download the Wanelo app and start shopping, how do you know if this online mall is worth your time? Even more importantly, how do you know that Wanelo shopping is legit?
In our Wanelo review, we’ll look at every aspect of online fashion shopping with Wanelo to answer the following common consumer questions:
- What is Wanelo?
- How does the Wanelo online mall work?
- Is Wanelo legit?
- What do Wanelo reviews say?
- Is Wanelo the next best online fashion shopping app?
If you’re growing tired of the selection at your local shopping mall, in the search for free shopping apps, or if you’re interested in finding shopping apps like Wish, read on. There’s a good chance that Wanelo could be your new favorite source of online fashion shopping.
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Wanelo Review | What is Wanelo?
Launched in 2012, Wanelo is part online mall, part social media shopping app. With 20 million products and over 350,000 stores, there are plenty of online fashion shopping opportunities.
In fact, according to recent data, the average user spends about 50 minutes per day browsing through the Wanelo online mall, a demographic which is largely dominated by women.
Pronounced WAH-nee-loh, its founder, Deena Varshavskaya, named Wanelo through a combination of “Want,” “Need,” and “Love”.
Born out of a frustration with limited shopping in traditional malls, Wanelo is an online marketplace where small vendors, independent boutiques, and national chains can all receive an equal amount of exposure.
Through Wanelo shopping, users can easily find the up-and-coming stores and trendy boutiques with a few simple clicks, making connections that may never be possible through a brick-and-mortar mall.
As a unique hybrid, the startup has received a large amount of media attention, and has raised a total of $14 million in funding from investors.
Wanelo shopping can be done via the Wanelo app or a browser, though the app version—available on Google Play and iTunes—is by far the most popular.
Photo courtesy of: The New York Times
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Wanelo Review | How Does Wanelo Work?
Like Pinterest, Wanelo allows users to create wish lists (or boards) filled with the items they love. They can share their lists, follow other users, and keep track of their favorite stores on the Wanelo app.
Every product on Wanelo is linked with an online store, making it easy for shoppers to locate and buy the items that they love.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bridget Dolan, vice president of digital marketing for Sephora, explains the benefit of linking purchasable products to a social media outlet like Wanelo:
It’s really frustrating when you’re in shopping mode and you want to go to buy something and it’s a blog article or a picture on Flickr…People are coming in [to Sephora] with Instagram saying ‘Can I get this look?’ but with Wanelo, they’re coming in and saying, ‘This is my list, I want to buy these items.’ That’s what I think makes Wanelo so unique. It’s like, let’s just cut to the chase and get shopping going here.
Wanelo is often compared to Pinterest because of the similar basic functions between the two. Both allow users to browse through photographs, save what they love, and share their finds. The crucial difference between the two comes down to the actual shopping experience.
Pinterest may serve as inspiration for future purchases, but the Wanelo online mall takes it one step further, directly connecting users with online shopping.
For real-life examples of how online fashion shopping on Wanelo works for individuals, our Wanelo review found that the site publishes in-depth profiles of popular users.
To see how avid users of the online mall use Wanelo online fashion shopping to fulfill their own shopping addictions, check out these personal accounts from Veronica Gledhill, Michelle Lam, and Dave Cuzner.
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Basic Signup Process
Part of answering the question “How does Wanelo work?” comes from the basic signup process.
Our Wanelo review found that signing up for an account is relatively quick and simple, requiring either an email address or signup via Facebook.
Before you can begin using the Wanelo shopping app, you’ll be given a series of options including:
- Viewing men’s or women’s products
- Following the top-performing stores
- Following the most popular users
From there, you’re ready to start using Wanelo for online fashion shopping to find your own unique items to follow, save, and purchase.
Photo courtesy of: iTunes
Is Wanelo a New Wish Alternative?
Wanelo could also be considered a Wish alternative, since the Wanelo app uses the same basic premise as Wish—create a global marketplace where shoppers have access to a new selection of vendors and a wide range of prices.
Although Wanelo might be placed among sites like Wish and shopping apps like Wish, there are a few key differences between the two for shoppers to consider.
First, vendors on Wish are largely based in China, and selling items at wholesale prices. With the bulk of sellers located overseas, shoppers often experience issues with delayed shipping times, customs fees, miscommunication with sellers, and product quality.
With headquarters based in California and 90 percent of users located in the United States, Wanelo may have an advantage over other sites like Wish in terms of product quality and reliability, even with a global user base.
Considering that the Wanelo online mall relies heavily on social media elements, it may not even be fair to compare Wish and Wanelo.
Still, shoppers searching for sites like Wish and shopping apps like Wish will likely find Wanelo to be a breath of fresh air.
The advantage that Wanelo has over Wish, and sites like Wish, is that Wanelo takes the model of a vast online marketplace and turns it into an interactive online mall, making a truly unique online fashion shopping experience.
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Wanelo Review | Is Wanelo Legit?
Asking the question “Is Wanelo legit?” is crucial—even if you only plan to view the Wanelo online mall, you should feel confident in using a legitimate online fashion shopping app.
To answer whether Wanelo is legit, our Wanelo review will look at three different elements: corporate transparency, national recognition, and the safety of Wanelo online fashion shopping.
Corporate Transparency
Wanelo has a public profile on Crunchbase, which displays each round of funding by amount and by investor. This is important for establishing the legitimacy of startups, since it allows anyone to see exactly who is supporting the company.
The company also conducts research into its millions of active users and top-performing stores to give shoppers an idea of how people are interacting with the Wanelo app.
National Recognition
Since its inception, the Wanelo online mall has gained an impressive amount of media attention in various Wanelo reviews from major national news outlets.
Some of these Wanelo reviews can be found in well-respected outlets like:
Each Wanelo review highlights the impressive growth, unique ideas, and dynamic team behind the Wanelo online mall, increasing the app’s legitimacy.
For more examples of Wanelo reviews from media outlets—including fashion and beauty magazines— you can visit the Press section of the Wanelo website.
Safety
According to their Privacy Policy, Wanelo ensures that all personal information will neither be rented nor sold, creating a safer space for users to share identifying information like email addresses and names.
When it comes to payments, however, our Wanelo review did find one potential issue. Rather than allow users to pay via PayPal, the Wanelo app uses a secure, encrypted browser to store credit card information and process payments.
Although Wanelo states that credit card information is encrypted and secure, it’s worth mentioning that the inability to use PayPal as a buffer may make some shoppers wary of purchasing through the Wanelo online mall.
With a focus on corporate transparency and a wide array of national recognition, it’s safe to say that yes, Wanelo is legit.
However, depending on your online fashion shopping preferences, in-app payments may make you hesitate over whether the Wanelo app is truly safe to process payments.
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Wanelo Review | What Do Wanelo Reviews say About the Wanelo Shopping Experience?
If you’re on the fence about shopping on the Wanelo online mall, looking at Wanelo reviews from users can be a great tool to determine whether Wanelo shopping is worth it for you.
In the sections below, we’ll cover Wanelo reviews from popular consumer review sites to show you what actual users are saying about the Wanelo shopping experience.
Wanelo Reviews on SiteJabber
There are nearly 250 Wanelo reviews on SiteJabber, giving Wanelo shopping an overall rating of 2.0 stars out of 5.
Over 60 percent of Wanelo reviewers rated their experience with one star, with many expressing issues with payment processing, delayed shipment, and the overall quality of products purchased.
One recent Wanelo review discusses being double-charged for a purchase, and waiting over three weeks with no delivery. Another user expresses a common complaint among Wanelo reviewers, saying they had no idea that their purchases were being shipped from China.
In one Wanelo review, the refund process is criticized, with the user expressing frustration over being offered store credit rather than an actual refund.
Ultimately, Wanelo reviews on SiteJabber seem to revolve around one common issue—because the Wanelo shopping app acts as a medium between buyers and sellers, the company has little to no control over individual shipping policies and procedures for sellers.
Photo courtesy of: SiteJabber
Wanelo Reviews on TrustPilot
There are only 6 Wanelo reviews on TrustPilot, giving the online mall an overall rating of 4.3 out of 10.
Wanelo reviewers echo many of the same sentiments expressed in the Wanelo reviews listed above—poor quality of items, long shipping times, and the prevalence of overseas vendors rather than US-based stores.
As one Wanelo reviewer noted, “Wanelo does not vet their vendors, buyer beware!!”
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Conclusion: Is Wanelo the Next Best Online Fashion Shopping App?
With a fluid combination of social media and online fashion shopping, Wanelo is poised to be a powerful force among free shopping apps.
Is Wanelo shopping worth it? Wanelo reviews cast doubt on whether this is the best online mall for you to try. While many news outlets applaud Wanelo for its ingenuity, it’s hard to find a positive Wanelo review from actual users.
Based on Wanelo reviews from SiteJabber and TrustPilot, the Wanelo shopping experience may need some improvements and updates on the shopping side of things.
Still, if you’re curious about Wanelo shopping, the app is easily found on both iOS and Android, and does provide a unique way to browse through vendors. For those who are frustrated by the inability to directly purchase loved items through apps like Pinterest, the Wanelo online mall could be a great option.
As with any of the free shopping apps at your disposal, however, users should make purchases with caution. Researching new shops and using due diligence is just as important on Wanelo as with any other online fashion shopping experience.
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