Try Before you buy services are seeing new demand during Coronavirus
With more shoppers spending their days in front of a computer and online shopping, Try before you buy is getting more and more popular among online shoppers. As retail stores remain closed amidst the global pandemic of COVID-19, companies with a try-at-home service are seeing an uptick in new customers and they are taking advantage of it. Now that stores remain closed, fashion brands are cautiously looking to scale these services without overextending their resources.
Adore Me and Gemist are few such fashion brands who are using this strategy during this time while being careful about how they market the service, to avoid coming off as capitalizing on a global pandemic.
In 2018, Adore me (@Adoreme) propelled a curated attempt at-home box called Elite taking motivation from Stitch FIx’s model. As indicated by the group over at Adore me, individuals like to arrange 5-6 things and afterward, they keep what they like and send back what they don’t. This encourages the fashion brand to realize the client’s different preferences and to help send them boxes loaded up with items that they would cherish. A few fashion brands that have plans of action like that of Stitch Fix are as yet observing development but at the same time are confronting a few obstructions.
According to the head of content at Adore Me, typically 30% of the new customers opt for the try before you buy fashion service but in the past 4 weeks or so they’ve seen the numbers jump to 50%. Elite is something the company has been building slowly; it has not been super aggressive about promoting or marketing it. The company did not share how many customers are actually purchasing after trying at home. (they even have a quiz to assist buy your first beauty product for a discounted price here)
Gemist, (@gemist) a jewelry company now gives its customers the ability to design their own rings, in 2019 after several months of beta testing. In December, the company launched its try-on service, specifically for engagement rings wherein Customers could order three styles at a time, to keep for two weeks for a $45 refundable deposit. Now the service includes all types of rings, but most are focused on engagement rings. When the customer sends the product back, they can request specific design changes, including adjustments to the setting, stone or band. Or, they can keep the ring as is.
The company has seen more customers opting to try rings at home before making a purchase and only started doing digital marketing in fashion around the service in February. Sales have also been up to over the last three weeks. However, she is being cautious about how she markets this to customers during such a sensitive time.
Birchbox is another subscription-based service that offers subscriptions starting with $10 per month. Subscribers receive a package full of beauty product samples chosen specifically to match their profile, including skin or hair type. They have a range of fashion brands from Mac, Kiehl’s, Quai, etc. Users can try the products and purchase the full-size version on the Birchbox Shop. With a service like Birchbox, you come across so many new fashion brands and products every month and their customers love it.
Stitch Fix was founded in 2011 and since then it is offering customers personalized shopping experience. They charge a $20 styling fee and the customers receive five items and can decide whether to keep or return them and if you keep all the products you get 25% Off your purchase. Customers can subscribe to receive shipments monthly, quarterly, or at a frequency of their liking. The service is highly customizable and their Try before you buy model is what has helped Stitch Fix become so successful. Their handpicked products model has really resonated with the users and it is one of the oldest fashion brands to offer this service.
Nordstrom Trunk Club is another example of a fashion brand that curates a customized wardrobe for their customers. It was started in 2009 and then later taken over by Nordstrom in 2014. It is now backed by this major retailer and its merchandise is extensive. Users can choose whether they want their trunk monthly, quarterly, seasonally, or on a specific date. Customers can connect with stylists to share their style, choice, and preferences. Trunk Club says its focus is on human relationships. According to their spokesperson – “When someone signs up for Trunk Club, they share their size, style, fit, and budget preferences and are then connected directly to a personal stylist. They can then discuss style specifics and any clothes needed for upcoming events.”
Try before you buy or try-it-on programs are so flexible, and advertisers can observe the extraordinary ways these projects amuse clients and customize the shopping experience. As a customer, I’d be increasingly attracted to a business that would let me try the product before I commit to buying it.
Content Credits: NETGAINS
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