Our discussion in class last night regarding the ways that retailers are experimenting selling products through Facebook and mixing products in with editorial content got me thinking about the newest wave of fashion marketing emails hitting my inbox- online fashion clubs with monthly subscriptions. Originating with the online bag and shoe clubs, which sell shoes and bags at steep discounts with monthly subscriptions, these new websites blend editorial and curation with the monthly subscription model. Jewel Mint lets users create a style profile, after which they’re shown jewelry that is curated for them based on users’ style. Beginning with the first purchase at $29.99, the monthly subscription includes a new piece of jewelry each month. StyleMint does the exact same thing with t-shirts. In addition to these innovative models, the two sites have the celebrity plug. StyleMint is run by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and JewelMint by Kate Bosworth. Despite this new way of mixing fashion advice and retail, to me these seem like just another fad, as the editorial and curation part doesn’t actually add value. It seems like it’s just stuck on to add sales. Unless there is a lot of iteration in the coming months, I don’t see a large enough group of people signing up for these.
However, emails and websites that began as mainly editorial and innovated with retail partnerships later, such as WhoWhatWear and Refinery29, look like the wave of the future for fashion retail. These sites are already providing value and have established themselves as “fashion experts.” It’s a logical next step, and even helpful for readers, for them to not just provide advice but the actual clothes as well. Has anyone here signed up for monthly subscriptions through a retail site? What are your thoughts on it?
4 comments:
Don't forget ShoeDazzle, which recently raised $40mm from Andreessen Horowitz in May 2011 and is backed by Kim Kardashian Link
Thanks for this. I have been looking into social commerce a great detail and similar to you - I wonder whether it is just a fad. I have emails from Gilt Group, the White Book (an Australian fashion newsletter), ASOS and I recently came across Polyvore. Polyvore apparently has 10 million unique users a month and the concept is that people create 'fashion sets' and you can then purchase the entire site or individual pieces from selected retailers.The bulk of content is created by 5% of users who are very influential. To your point on the value add, I like this because they do add value by matching different pieces of clothing together. It seems that many fashion outlets are going down this route, I just hope their time and expenses are spent on the things that people actually care about when buying.
I think this is a great idea for music and can't wait to see what happens in the next few years w/social commerce.
Just happened to look up some stats on Boutiques.com... I wonder why isn't it more popular?
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