On Friday, Toronto-based startup hovr.it announced the soft-launch of their comparative shopping tool, hovr.it. Hovr.it is a Google Chrome extension that allows users to click on a image of a piece of clothing to find an online retailer it’s sold at. If the service can’t find an exact match, it will suggest several comparables. The extension currently only supports searches done through Pinterest and displays product results for women. However, the company plans to add addtional image-services and support for men’s products in the future. The start-up also plans to add a local component to service further down the road, allowing users to find out if an item they like online is available in the city that they live in.  

The extension is currently in beta and, as such, there are still bugs that need fixing and overall fit and polish that needs to be added to the service before final release. That said, the demo I saw last week seemed to work well enough and there’s definite promise here.

Those interested in trying out the extension have an extra incentive to do so, as hovr.it is holding a contest to mark the occasion. Anyone that signs up for hovr.it during the beta period will automatically be entered in to win $200 in spending money at Fab. In addition, convincing friends and family to try out the service will increase one’s chances of winning. Additional infromation about the contest can be found on the company’s website.

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Igor Bonifacic is a writer working for the Toronto Standard. You can follow him on twitter @igorbonifacic.