Less is more

In the new world of online retailing, companies really need to stand out from the crowd. No more so than in clothes retailing, a traditionally fickle and fast-moving market. Enter Everlane, who burst onto the online scene in 2011 with a simple T-shirt – the ultimate in sartorial basics. After initial success, they added ties and bags, all made using luxury materials, yet sold at a realistic price level, and sales really took off. So, what singled them out from the competition? I decided to find out for myself while researching my series of lectures on Retail and Merchandising, and it made for interesting reading.

Image © EVERLANE

Conscious of the millennial generation’s preference for all things ethically sourced, Everlane chose ‘radical transparency’ as its mission statement. When customers bought a bag from them, they could watch a video of the factory where it was made, and track all the costs along the line to see exactly what the mark-up was – always reasonable. And Everlane have never followed fashion. They produce well designed, classic items based around ‘customer experience’, providing a 24/7 wardrobe that is made to last. Only time will tell whether this is a retail formula that has real staying power too.

Dig deeper –

Challenges old and new
Global giants
Offline and Online
Seismic changes ahead
Then and now – what has changed?