Curated ecommerce came to the UK last week with the launch of ToTheTops, a venture backed by former MySpace and Vente Privee executives.

The format, which relies on celebrities to pick-out their top products, is huge in the US. Market leader Beach Mint, which has collections curated by the likes of pop stars Justin Timberlake, Jessica Simpson and actress Rachel Bilson, has raised a whopping $75m in funding and has a rumoured valuation of over £150m.

ToTheTops claims to be the first entrant in the UK and has launched with fashion blogger Bip Ling, former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and beauty expert Liz Earle. These celebrity experts handpick a range of products to recommend to consumers.

Curation is a growing trend in ecommerce with time poor shoppers unwilling to trawl through masses of product to find a purchase and using the power of celebrity is an age old trick, one on which online giant Asos was founded.

Check out ToTheTops at tothetops.com/accueil/. I’m sure it won’t be long before copycat sites spring up across the UK.

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