With KIDBOX, fashion is in the box.
KIDBOX is an American start up dedicated to the world of children. The idea is easy: having completed a quick and fun questionnaire (size, fashion and taste), KIDBOX sends out 5 or 6 season appropriate articles in a pretty box. The clothes are selected by in-house stylists from around 150 partner brands.
In addition, the brand commits to making charitable donations. In terms of price, baby clothes are around $11-$13 and children’s’ clothes are around $14 and $16.
But other companies go one further.
STITCH FIX: a personal stylist, with added data.
The brand which started out for women, then added menswear, has been catering for children since last Summer.
The promise is simple: “Trust us and let us choose your clothes, shoes and accessories”
Behind this seductive pitch hides a careful blend of style provided by advisors and, of course, data. A lot of data.
Tell me what you like…
The first step is for the client to answer a detailed questionnaire which takes about ten minutes, and covers everything from favourite styles to daily habits. The site collects around fifty items of data which are then run through the algorithm to choose 5 articles.
Using the data, the highest probability of matching client to product is calculated.
It’s at this point that one of the 3,500 brand stylists come into play. He or she will effectively try out the different combinations in order to enhance the proposed selection. If the algorithm recommends a top at 90% probability, but the stylist judges that the top at only 80% is better, he or she has the final say. As a result, each order is not only designed to entice the recipient but the stylist adds a little note to explain their choice or to give some tips on how to accessorise the outfit. The recommendation is twofold: human and technological.
Objective: maximum satisfaction.
And just as at KIDBOX, the client has free returns on unsuitable articles but must pay $20 per order to cover the cost of the stylist.The economic model here is also based on maximum client satisfaction and uses the data’s full potential at every stage: from warehouse logistics to matching the right stylist to the right client, down to the data images (46% of clients have a Pinterest board)….it all gives a seamless experience!
STITCH FIX in numbers:
Created in 2011
1.2 billion dollar turnover in 2018
6,300 employees including 3,500 stylists and 80 data scientists
2,7 million regular clients