GiftZip.com is moving its marketing division to downtown Detroit and bringing a couple of employees with it. They will set up shop in part of the third floor office space in the
Iodent Building, just above
Centaur Bar.GiftZip.com is just the type of creative, new economy start-up Detroit’s leaders want staking a claim in what they envision as Detroit’s
Creative Corridor. The 6-month-old start-up specializes in providing and sending a large variety of gift cards primarily over the Internet.
A group of college students from Michigan State University got started on the business while taking a supply chain class. They saw a number of inefficiencies in the gift card industry and believe there is a lot of room for profit for the company that eliminates those inefficiencies.
"The company is run by a bunch of college students," says Sam Hogg, CEO of GiftZip.com. "They're the best people for this because the marketing is done virally."
The guys behind GiftZip.com decided to set up shop in Detroit because of the number of amenities and resources the Motor City offers. For instance, they now have easy access to Metro Airport and other start-ups run by young people.
GiftZip.com plans to open a wedding registry application in May and come out with a version 2.0 of its website later this summer. The company is also looking at creating Facebook and iPhone applications this fall.
"I have a feeling we’re going to grow quite a bit," Hogg says. "Our growth is only limited by how many people find out about us."
Source: Sam Hogg, CEO of GiftZip.com
Writer: Jon Zemke
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.