Page 14
Five Brands Whose E-commerce Offers the Best Shopping Experience
Words Mollie Davies
Credit: ShutterstockIt’s not a secret that more people than ever are shopping online. Consumers are not only using the tool of online shopping to find out more information on products and services, but online shopping offers an all round more convenient service. Consumers can shop 24/7, compare products and prices, and most of the time do all of this whilst scoring free delivery and frequent discounts.
You can buy pretty much anything online, from designer footwear to vintage furniture. Which is why many consumers beg the question of why to even bother lacing up your shoes and braving the British weather when you can do it all from the comfort of your sofa, feet up and drink in hand.
Figures show that by 2023, e-commerce sales will account for at least 22% of all retail sales. It comes as no surprise though, with exclusive online shopping events centred around Black Friday, Cyber Monday and even Single's Day and Halloween. If there is a day that can be made sellable, you best believe it will happen.
What this means for the team behind the brand name is that they need to be hot to recgonise trends, intuitive, and offer a seamless experience that keeps the customer coming back despite having no shortage of competition.
When it comes to e-commerce experience, technical innovation, the glitz and glamour and active social media all play a part in being 'the best'. Some brands are especially notable when it comes to their e-commerce efforts, and I’ve taken a look at what makes them special.
Credit: HURRHURR
HURR is the UK's leading wardrobe rental platform that was co-founded by Victoria and Matthew back in 2017. Many consumers are beginning to be more consciously aware of their purchasing habits and how this affects our environment but don’t want to sacrifice style, or the feeling of slipping into a new dress for a special occasion. Enter HURR.
The company's aim is to extend the life-cycle of luxury branded pieces, revolutionising the rental process altogether. That Alexa Chung dress you couldn't justify paying £240.00 for just to wear a few hours at a friend's wedding? Well you could rent it from as little as £27.00.
For CEO & Co-Founder Victoria Prew, ‘it's important that the HURR user journey looks and feels like e-commerce, but without the environmental impact that buying clothes has on the environment.’ By putting customer service and environmental impact above all other priorities, HURR is an innovator in its field.
Not only can you rent clothes, but you can lend your own high fashion pieces too. Both options are available in 6 to 7 easy to follow steps. You can even use a calculator to find out what environmental savings you've made by choosing HURR.
To take things one step further, HURR analyse web traffic data and usability reports to make iterative improvements to the user interface and user experience of the HURR platform. Victoria is proud to say that the company also regularly interview customers to find out more about their pain points and send out surveys asking for feedback on how easy the platform is to use.
There’s plenty more cool information, statistics and features to this rental platform for the savvy shopper.
Credit: @leoniehanneSleeper
Ever had a dream that you could pop to the local supermarket in your pyjamas without looking like you'd just rolled out of bed? Well Kiev-based Sleeper are 6 whole years into making your dream come true. Founded by Kate Zubarieva and Asya Varetsa, two former editors, Sleeper has garnered so much intrigue, love and wishing in the years since launch, proving the power of a social media sensation product.
It may be a cliche, but Sleeper are the perfect example of when your team is happy, you'll do better. The production space is in the same location as the company's headquarters so that every piece can be delicately inspected for perfection, and the company boasts a team of women of all ages and experiences, many of which were previously out-of-work seamstresses.
Garments are made using natural materials, and encourage people to buy pieces with the intention of treasuring them. Not only are they eco-conscious, they’re an instantly recognisable brand. Sleeper are proudly the world’s first women’s walking sleepwear. It’s the stuff dreams are made of.
The website is seamless for the consumer, is that pieces are able to be viewed on and off the model online, but are all shot on neutral or natural backgrounds. There’s nothing worse than trying to shop on a site that features models contorted into positions that makes the garment completely unrecognisable.
But what makes them really special? The social media stir that the brand almost instantly created. Once the brand was featured in Vogue Italia as brand of the month by late editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, the orders came flooding in.
There is a real sense of community on Sleeper socials, with the Instagram account holding nearly a quarter of a million followers. The duo say that Instagram is ‘a perfect way to express ourselves. But the most important advantage of Instagram for us is to receive an immediate feedback from our audience. We can see the photos of our clients in our garments, we read all the comments, so we always can see the final result of our work. We truly believe that our happy customers are the best advertisement.’
Because the pieces are rooted in simplicity, but are delicately beautiful and glamorous, they are timeless and blur all loungewear boundaries. Each piece is made to order, and the team are keen to open pop up shops worldwide.
Credit: ShutterstockFARFETCH
FARFETCH bring the greatest edit of fashion from over 1,300 of the world's best boutique brands by setting out on a mission to be the global platform for luxury fashion - connecting creators, curators and consumers.
The company began as an e-commerce marketplace for luxury boutiques worldwide in 2008, and today, they connect with loyal customers in over 190 countries, stocking brands from over 50 countries.
The venture doesn’t end there. FARFETCH’s additional businesses include FARFETCH Platform Solutions, which services enterprise clients with e-commerce and technology capabilities; Browns and Stadium Goods, which offer luxury products to consumers; and New Guards, a platform for the development of global fashion brands.
They ‘operate a modular end-to-end technology platform purpose built to connect the luxury fashion ecosystem worldwide’ and as of June 30th 2020, FARFETCH were the number 1 global online luxury fashion platform, had over 2.5 million active consumers, and a total of $2.1 billion gross merchandise value.
Discounts are offered to students, Key Workers and those with Youth Discount, and there’s a free pick-up service for returns.
The FARFETCH app is at the top of it’s game because they offer a visual search - a system where you ‘see it, snap it, shop it’ - if you upload a photo of all your heart desires, FARFETCH will find it for you. Vegan and vintage are at the ready, meaning you can shop consciously, and with a personalised feed, completely tailored to you too.
Sézane
A truly romantic and timeless brand, Sézane tells a story. Founder Morgane Sézalory says that Sézane is the ‘story of the men and women who write it, without an end and full of meaning. Make, undo, redo, improve. Become the brand we desire to be at our essence.’
This brand with a love of vintage was born in France. Morgane discovered an abandoned collection of vintage clothing and began to make small adjustments, and sell them on. The monthly drops, or rendez-vous, became an anticipated event in France.
Sézane are proud to have abandoned the beaten track and invest in an alternative route that is fully online. This huge name in the e-commerce world is able to invest in quality and keep prices accessible by cutting out the intermediaries.
Credit: Sézane The brand is all about being aware of their impact, and keeping responsible stock volumes, so the production model is lean. There is no overproduction, and only scrupulously considered pricing. More than half of the garments are Europe, and there is focus on materials, working conditions, production capacities and expertise. Sézane are always upfront about their working conditions and production, which is just one of the reasons that they are such a desired brand, often selling out of new drops within minutes.
Over 85% of the materials are already eco-responsible, and every piece undergoes a mechanical stress testing process to ensure its longevity. Sézane have also recycled more than 12,000 pieces through their recycling initiatives. Pieces are dropped in seasonal collections and small batches, rather than the continual addition of new products to the website each day.
As consumers, we naturally want what is hot, new and the most desired. What Sézane does especially cleverly, is consistently have their 'last chance' section open, rather than a sale. This archive contains some of the most desired pieces from previous seasonal collections, so that they are not ‘old’.
All of these reasons, along with an extremely loyal social media following, and team of adoring influencers, Sézane will remain an iconically French name for years to come.
Selkie
Credit: SelkieWildfox Co-Founder Kimberley Gordon has been in love with folklore since she was a little girl. Her love for make believe, and fanciful, nostalgic, romantic fashion have all combined, birthing Selkie.
Sizes range from XXS-5X, which is an offering not all that common when it comes to stand out, treasurable pieces. So Selkie are able to offer garments that have the power to make you want to look more like yourself than like ‘her’. All of this has created a fanbase so loyal, that Kimberley refers to them as her ‘Selks’.
By offering a fast, easy to use checkout service and multiple payment options, the site is easy to use. Kimberley says that if it wasn’t, people would leave instantly.
Selkie is a low waste company, producing small inventories to test the success of items, then using pre-sale to predict how much to buy on popular styles for future rounds. This ensures no dangerous dumping or contribution to landfill. So now you can look like a cotton candy cloud, and be environmentally friendly.