The girls of Hukkster: your personal online shopping concierge

This week’s Campus Celebrity turns the spotlight on two Barnard girls from different generations! The common thread between Erica Bell ’06 and Christina Madsen ’14 is their involvement in the cutting edge NYC retail start-up Hukkster, which Erica co-founded and Christina devotedly interns for. Hukkster provides a clever and supportive approach to the psychology of sale-searching and style (or home decor, gourmet food, and book) envy by tracing users’ proverbial wishlists, alerting them when desired items go on sale. HC Barnard reached out to these lovely ladies to hear the mission of Hukkster and other lessons from the chaotic world of e-commerce.

*For a firsthand look, visit: http://bit.ly/12J3UAo *

Can you describe Hukkster’s message and purpose? Why might these appeal particularly to the Barnard community?

Christina: When you go to your favorite online retailers and find a product you want, but aren’t quite ready to buy – whether it’s too expensive or you just need time to think – you simply click the “hukk it” bookmarklet. Hukkster will track the product for you, notifying you as soon as it goes on sale. We’re eliminating the need for flash sale emails cluttering your inbox by sending you only the sales we know you want, as well as helping people to stop making impulse purchases; when you see there’s a sale at your favorite store, you’ll often feel the need to buy something, even though you don’t really want it. As a current Barnard student, Hukkster has been hugely helpful for living on a student budget. We’re in this amazing city with some of the most incredible shopping in the world, but there’s just no time to spend a leisurely afternoon strolling around Bloomingdale’s or Soho. But online shopping isn’t any friendlier to a student budget than shopping in stores; pretty much everything is still out of my price range. With Hukkster, I can track the items I really want – everything from textbooks to a dress for formal – and buy when they’re within my budget.

Erica: Hukkster is a tool  that helps shoppers clear through all the clutter and find out when the specific products they’re interested in go on sale. We take all the work out of scouring for deals and coupon codes,  delivering them straight to your inbox when there’s an opportunity to save on one of your favorite products  — saving shoppers time and money so they can spend it on more important things. 

Describe the Hukkster culture in four words. Can you tell us a particularly meaningful moment you had during your time there?

Christina: Energized, welcoming, fun, exciting.

Which lifestyle blogs or columns inspire you?

Christina: Oh boy…a lot. My favorites are Refinery 29, College Fashion, FabSugar, Fashionista, Man Repeller…and, of course, Her Campus!

Erica: I love who what wear, refinery 29 and turn to twitter as my news source. 

How often do you two reflect on your time at Barnard while on the job? 

Christina: Erica’s shared some stories with me about her time at Barnard, particularly the many internships she had while she was here. It’s been really great to work with someone who’s been exactly where I am now, and to see how she’s taken her experiences at Barnard and used them to create a successful business. She really cares about my interests and professional goals, and makes an effort to help me gain experience in the areas I’m most interested in. I’ve always felt that my ideas are being heard and my work is really being appreciated. Erica and Katie have become professional role models for me; they care not just about the company but the people that are a part of it.

Erica: It’s so fun for me to interview internship candidates and reminds me of all the doors Barnard College opened up for me as a student living in New York City. I love that with Hukkster I can present aspiring young women an opportunity to work for a fast-paced start-up and pay it forward. I’m also working with fellow Barnard alumna to establish an entrepreneurship group that will help encourage Barnard graduates to pursue entrepreneurship after graduation and throughout their careers. I think it’s important to show women that taking risk and starting your own business, while scary at times, is extremely exhilarating and so rewarding.