Shopgate Eyes New Expansion, New City And New CEO

Shopgate has made a name for itself by focusing on how it can best serve its customers through better mobile app development and engagement. However, it’s taking at least a little time on itself for now.

Shopgate announced Thursday (Feb. 25) that it had appointed Marc Biel to serve as its new CEO. Biel, the former COO and CFO for Shopgate, recently made the decision to move the company’s headquarters from the traditional hotbed of Palo Alto to the up-and-coming tech crucible that is Austin, Texas, and Biel is confident that both recent announcements will set Shopgate up for a productive 2016 and beyond.

“We plan to roll out cutting-edge technology in 2016, including one that we think will make a big splash during our first-ever SXSWi in March,” Biel said in a statement. “Technology leadership will define the successful retailer in 2016. Retailers must strive to create retail experiences that not only engage but drive customer loyalty. Retail apps are the single best way to create brand evangelists.”

The SXSW music and arts fesitval wasn’t the only reason that Biel chose Austin for the site of Shopgate’s future in mobile app development. The company’s new CEO noted the city’s vibrant tech scene, which includes both accomplished developers, as well as those who want to come there and be a part of it, too.

“After a review of several cities in the U.S., we quickly realized Austin offered the best opportunity for the kind of rapid growth we envisioned,” Biel said. “Austin is home to an incredibly robust eCommerce ecosystem, including some of our strategic partners, like Bigcommerce and Volusion. Access to veteran talent was another contributing factor to our move, as Austin continues to attract the kind of skilled staff we need in areas such as B2B sales, strategic marketing and customer success.”