Bonobos Showrooms Itself
At the same time that notable online retailers are testing same-day delivery, men’s apparel e-tailer Bonobos is building earth-based "Guideshops" that take the bet that shoppers will tolerate a longer wait for a better fit.
"We think service is more important than instant gratification," Bonobos founder Andy Dunn told USA Today.
In its twist on the showrooming trend, Bonobos is hoping its customers will visit its own physical stores if they want to try before they buy online. The company has opened storefronts in Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and DC’s Georgetown neighborhood, with plans to open five more locations by year-end. Each has only enough space to display a limited range of men’s pants, shirts and suits in addition to the fitting room. Customers visit to try on clothes and get outfit advice from the attentive staff. To cut down on crowding in the cramped quarters, shoppers are encouraged to make fitting appointments online first. If there is a wait, associates have beer on hand to serve as a distraction.
![[Image: Bonobos]](/public/images/discussions/16639/bonobos-still.jpg)
Bonobos was originally founded on the principle that men should have the confidence to purchase pants online based on a superior fit to what they were used to getting with The Gap and other rivals. Although fit descriptions mirror that of other brands (slim, boot cut, straight leg, etc.), the company claims pants come with "some magic in the seat to be comfortable but not frumpy," thereby eliminating saggy bottom issues that plague off-the-shelf men’s fashions. The site, which now features a broad selection of items, including men’s sweaters, shoes and accessories, offers free shipping both ways, a liberal returns policy ("anything, any time, any reason"), and a dedicated "Ninja" customer care staff.
Other successful online merchants have been toying with physical stores, including the hot eyewear dealer, Warby Parker, and Gap’s Piperlime with its recent SOHO, New York storefront. It seems that some online retailers want to have it both ways: win customer loyalty through great online-only experiences, but have storefronts handy for those who feel the need for a human touch. Apparently, any strategy or combination of strategies is fair game as long as it keeps customers coming back.
Discussion Questions
Are small try-on-only storefronts a good solution for online apparel merchants? Would they also make sense for multichannel retailers that built their reputations on a strong physical store presence? What other types of retailers would do well with small showroom locations?
Try-on storefronts make sense for online apparel merchants. They give consumers a chance to get the right fit and interact with the brand. Saving each customer’s size information helps build an ongoing relationship and makes future online shopping experiences easier. And the personal attention helps ensure a great interactive experience.
Consumers expect the online/offline experience to be seamless. Bonobos epitomizes that goal. Other retailers would be wise to study this example, as it could work for a variety of categories, provided that the retailer is willing to undertake the expense of a very personalized shopping experience.
This is not just apparel retailing of the future. This is all retailing for the future. The business model of this showroom (YIKES, did I say that dirty word?) far surpasses the traditional retail model. In fact, it is the only future for retailing.
Online retailers should understand that this solution worked for carpet showrooms, plantation blind showrooms and floor tiling showrooms for the past 50 – 100 years.
These traditional showrooms give customers the ability to vision products they cannot try at their own home and they have someone to go measure and provide a quote and fulfill off-site using delivery.
Online retailers may benefit to extrapolate what works in traditional showrooms and apply to their business for smaller footprint showrooms.
As long as the online retailer realizes that they’re not going to make any money at these sites, all will be well. But if they open more than 20 – 30 of them and the bills start rolling in, combined with a fashion miss or two—look for them to start closing at the same speed with which they’re opening.
The smartest thing I saw about this concept is all the female associates in the stores. THAT definitely will work. From my experience, when a female tells you that you look good in something…sale closed. Human nature.
This makes sense. Having the ability to get the right fit the first time, coupled with creating a brand loyalty and personal attention, seems like a win-win. Nothing more annoying that waiting for a clothing item to come from the online store and then finding out you guessed wrong on the size or fit!
Due to the cost of opening and running these stores, as well as the need to be in more than, say, 5 locations…I would suggest having a revenue option. Perhaps the store would actually sell some accessories or other smaller items with reasonable margins to offset the cost and still work in the small space.
Is this effort pointless? No, they’re offering free beer….
But seriously, I see a few problems. How many stores need to be opened? Five, or even ten, doesn’t accomplish much of anything (other than generating free publcity). Can the critical mass be reached before—as Lee noted—they essentially become a B&M retailer? How much can fit be guaranteed? The problem with all mail-order clothing—and yes, folks, online IS mail order—is that size can vary from one lot to the next. I don’t think this helps the cause much (indeed the problem is manufacturing variability, i.e. quality control, not delivery method).