自从今年2月成了线上租衣平台Rent the Runway的无限量会员后,玛吉特·马克蕾达很快就变成了一个忠实的租衣爱好者。作为纽约市的一名公关从业者,她选择线上租衣服务的原因,与该平台的大多数用户没什么区别——只需要一个月花上159美元,就能享受到成千上万件由设计师精心打造的服饰。赶上品牌的促销活动,成本还能再低一些。马克蕾达基本上一个月可以更换6次“存货”,每次最多能收到4件新品,基本上每一件都令她心花怒放,所以这笔会员会是相当划算的。
不过随着新冠肺炎疫情从3月中旬起开始在纽约地区爆发,今年26岁的马克蕾达也开始了在家办公的生活,她开始质疑自己是不是要继续花钱购买这项服务。“我在家里对它的需求不大,而且有些事情会让我很紧张,比如这些衣服之前放在了什么地方,被谁穿过,包装袋有没有可能粘上病毒等等。所以我在很认真地考虑是不是要暂停甚至取消我的会员,直到纽约的疫情结束为止。”
马克蕾达并不是唯一这样想的人。在这场前所未有的全球性危机中,可能有几十万人都在考虑放弃Rent the Runway等租衣平台的会员资格,不少人甚至已经付诸了行动。由于全美国乃至全世界都有很多人在家办公,加之经济环境持续恶化,省钱成了一种刚需,相比之下,租衣服似乎成了一种不必要的开支,砍掉这笔开支似乎也无可厚非。
而在疫情爆发前,共享租衣服务已经形成了一个市值几十亿美元的市场,一些主要平台也意识到了消费者的这种趋势,而且他们也已经采取了一些措施来缓解会员们的焦虑。不过即便面临迫在眉睫的退订潮,他们似乎仍然相信,市场对共享租衣的需求是不会消失的。
早在美国的疫情扩散之前,Rent the Runway公司就意识到,消费者可能会对服装的清洁问题产生顾虑。该公司在3月4日发给会员的一封电子邮件中表示,将对服装的清洁流程“主动提供细节和额外的透明度”,并指出该公司的所有服装都经过了120至150摄氏度的蒸汽消毒,根据美国疾控中心的数据,这个温度是足以杀死流感病毒的。Rent the Runway还更新了网站的常见问题页面,包括公司针对新冠肺炎疫情的有关做法。该公司还在3月14日宣布,将关闭全美范围内的5个办事处,重新营业时间将另行通知。该公司坦承,在疫情期间,有些用户可能会选择退订服务,不过如果用户选择暂停会员资格而不是退订,那么公司将给予一定的折扣和奖励。
另一个热门租衣平台Nuuly也采取了类似的措施。Nuuly在其官网上详细说明了公司针对新冠病毒的防范措施,并特别强调了所有服装都会经过120摄氏度的蒸汽消毒。目前Nuuly还没有把这些信息直接传递给用户。不过Nuuly表示,该公司已经简化了用户注销和暂停会员资格的流程。“用户可以选择中止会员资格1个月、2个月或3个月,也可以按月延长会员资格。” Nuuly的一位代表对《财富》表示:“我知道我们的用户眼下面临的不确定因素很多,所以如果他们选择暂停会员资格,我们也能理解,并且准备张开双臂迎接他们回归。消费者的舒适和安全始终是我们最关心的。”
在过去的一个月之中,虽然由于疫情的关系,共享租衣服务遭到了严重的打击,但其他一些会员制服装服务公司的业务却出现了意想不到的变化。比如说,诺德斯特龙的线上购物平台Trunk Club是最先试水男装试穿的平台之一,它会按月、双月、季度或者按照用户指定,向用户一次寄送最多10件服装,用户试穿后再决定购买哪件、退回哪件。由于用户可以随时调整寄件的频率,而且这项服务本身是免费的,所以该平台目前还没有任何用户真正取消会员资格。不过它也注意到了一些其他趋势。Trunk Club的一位发言人表示:“我们发现,很多用户都让我们多提供一些休闲装和运动装,以便他们在家办公的时候穿。有的时候,我们的造型师还以视频聊天的方式,帮助用户整理衣柜。”
有越来越多的研究都指出了着装得体的好处——虽然在疫情期间宅在家里,你很可能好几天都穿着同一条运动裤。而各大共享租衣平台和造型服务公司也希望他们的产品能成为疫情中的一座灯塔,为在家办公的职场人带来一些正式感。比如Rent the Runway就表示,它的很多用户现在就是出于这个原因在使用它的服务,而该公司的服务也真的能为大家带来一丝精神上的慰藉。
西雅图的科技公司RealSelf的内容主管卡罗琳·许表示,Rent the Runway的服务很适合需要开视频会议的人。“我整天都在Zoom上开会,而且经常要打开摄像头,这样我会感觉与其他团队成员都在一个房间里。”她解释道:“但不管是在办公室还是在虚拟会议室里,我都喜欢穿一些让我能在专业场合感到自信的衣服。”
她补充道,新冠肺炎疫情的爆发,让她重新审视了自己的一些消费行为。目前,她租衣服的频率变慢了,穿这些衣服的周期也变长了。但目前看来,大家在视频会议里对她的着装的溢美之辞,仍然令她觉得这个无限会员资格是值得的。(财富中文网)
译者:隋远洙
自从今年2月成了线上租衣平台Rent the Runway的无限量会员后,玛吉特·马克蕾达很快就变成了一个忠实的租衣爱好者。作为纽约市的一名公关从业者,她选择线上租衣服务的原因,与该平台的大多数用户没什么区别——只需要一个月花上159美元,就能享受到成千上万件由设计师精心打造的服饰。赶上品牌的促销活动,成本还能再低一些。马克蕾达基本上一个月可以更换6次“存货”,每次最多能收到4件新品,基本上每一件都令她心花怒放,所以这笔会员会是相当划算的。
不过随着新冠肺炎疫情从3月中旬起开始在纽约地区爆发,今年26岁的马克蕾达也开始了在家办公的生活,她开始质疑自己是不是要继续花钱购买这项服务。“我在家里对它的需求不大,而且有些事情会让我很紧张,比如这些衣服之前放在了什么地方,被谁穿过,包装袋有没有可能粘上病毒等等。所以我在很认真地考虑是不是要暂停甚至取消我的会员,直到纽约的疫情结束为止。”
马克蕾达并不是唯一这样想的人。在这场前所未有的全球性危机中,可能有几十万人都在考虑放弃Rent the Runway等租衣平台的会员资格,不少人甚至已经付诸了行动。由于全美国乃至全世界都有很多人在家办公,加之经济环境持续恶化,省钱成了一种刚需,相比之下,租衣服似乎成了一种不必要的开支,砍掉这笔开支似乎也无可厚非。
而在疫情爆发前,共享租衣服务已经形成了一个市值几十亿美元的市场,一些主要平台也意识到了消费者的这种趋势,而且他们也已经采取了一些措施来缓解会员们的焦虑。不过即便面临迫在眉睫的退订潮,他们似乎仍然相信,市场对共享租衣的需求是不会消失的。
早在美国的疫情扩散之前,Rent the Runway公司就意识到,消费者可能会对服装的清洁问题产生顾虑。该公司在3月4日发给会员的一封电子邮件中表示,将对服装的清洁流程“主动提供细节和额外的透明度”,并指出该公司的所有服装都经过了120至150摄氏度的蒸汽消毒,根据美国疾控中心的数据,这个温度是足以杀死流感病毒的。Rent the Runway还更新了网站的常见问题页面,包括公司针对新冠肺炎疫情的有关做法。该公司还在3月14日宣布,将关闭全美范围内的5个办事处,重新营业时间将另行通知。该公司坦承,在疫情期间,有些用户可能会选择退订服务,不过如果用户选择暂停会员资格而不是退订,那么公司将给予一定的折扣和奖励。
另一个热门租衣平台Nuuly也采取了类似的措施。Nuuly在其官网上详细说明了公司针对新冠病毒的防范措施,并特别强调了所有服装都会经过120摄氏度的蒸汽消毒。目前Nuuly还没有把这些信息直接传递给用户。不过Nuuly表示,该公司已经简化了用户注销和暂停会员资格的流程。“用户可以选择中止会员资格1个月、2个月或3个月,也可以按月延长会员资格。” Nuuly的一位代表对《财富》表示:“我知道我们的用户眼下面临的不确定因素很多,所以如果他们选择暂停会员资格,我们也能理解,并且准备张开双臂迎接他们回归。消费者的舒适和安全始终是我们最关心的。”
在过去的一个月之中,虽然由于疫情的关系,共享租衣服务遭到了严重的打击,但其他一些会员制服装服务公司的业务却出现了意想不到的变化。比如说,诺德斯特龙的线上购物平台Trunk Club是最先试水男装试穿的平台之一,它会按月、双月、季度或者按照用户指定,向用户一次寄送最多10件服装,用户试穿后再决定购买哪件、退回哪件。由于用户可以随时调整寄件的频率,而且这项服务本身是免费的,所以该平台目前还没有任何用户真正取消会员资格。不过它也注意到了一些其他趋势。Trunk Club的一位发言人表示:“我们发现,很多用户都让我们多提供一些休闲装和运动装,以便他们在家办公的时候穿。有的时候,我们的造型师还以视频聊天的方式,帮助用户整理衣柜。”
有越来越多的研究都指出了着装得体的好处——虽然在疫情期间宅在家里,你很可能好几天都穿着同一条运动裤。而各大共享租衣平台和造型服务公司也希望他们的产品能成为疫情中的一座灯塔,为在家办公的职场人带来一些正式感。比如Rent the Runway就表示,它的很多用户现在就是出于这个原因在使用它的服务,而该公司的服务也真的能为大家带来一丝精神上的慰藉。
西雅图的科技公司RealSelf的内容主管卡罗琳·许表示,Rent the Runway的服务很适合需要开视频会议的人。“我整天都在Zoom上开会,而且经常要打开摄像头,这样我会感觉与其他团队成员都在一个房间里。”她解释道:“但不管是在办公室还是在虚拟会议室里,我都喜欢穿一些让我能在专业场合感到自信的衣服。”
她补充道,新冠肺炎疫情的爆发,让她重新审视了自己的一些消费行为。目前,她租衣服的频率变慢了,穿这些衣服的周期也变长了。但目前看来,大家在视频会议里对她的着装的溢美之辞,仍然令她觉得这个无限会员资格是值得的。(财富中文网)
译者:隋远洙
After signing up for Rent the Runway Unlimited in February, Margit Malcreda quickly became a clothing rental convert. As a public relations professional in New York City, she started using the service for the same reason most of its customers do: to access thousands of designer items for the low cost of $159 a month, or even less with one of the brand’s many promotions. Malcreda would swap her inventory six times a month, receiving up to four new pieces of her choosing with each exchange, and she loved almost everything, so the membership was entirely worth it.
But when the coronavirus pandemic broke out in mid-March and the 26-year-old was ordered to work from home, she began wondering if it made sense to keep paying for the service. “I don’t have a huge use for it at home, and I find myself feeling nervous about where the clothes have been, who has been in them, and the potential for a contaminated garment bag,” she says. “So, I’m really considering pausing, if not canceling, my subscription until the dust settles here in New York.”
Malcreda is far from alone in feeling this way, and in fact, many of the hundreds of thousands of people who use clothing rental services like Rent the Runway are ditching their memberships, or contemplating doing so, during this unprecedented global crisis. With many people nationwide (and around the world) now working remotely and concerns over saving money mounting as the economy continues to take a hit, clothing rental can seem like an unnecessary expense—and one some customers have no problem dropping. Key players in the billion-dollar clothing rental market are aware of this growing trend, and they’re already making attempts to ease members’ anxieties. But even as the threat of cancellations looms, they appear adamant that demand for their services won’t stop.
Even before COVID-19 cases in the United States started to rise, Rent the Runway anticipated that its customers would likely have some questions surrounding the company’s cleaning protocols. In an email sent to members on March 4, the company stated its intent to “proactively provide details and additional transparency” around its cleaning process, noting that all of its garments are steamed at temperatures between 248 degrees and 302 degrees Fahrenheit, a level that kills flu viruses according to the CDC. Rent the Runway also updated the FAQs page on its website to include information about its practices as they relate to COVID-19, and it announced on March 14 that it would close its five brick-and-mortar locations across the country until further notice. The company acknowledges some of its customers may still opt out of its rental services for the duration of the pandemic, instead offering discounts and incentives for those who pause their memberships rather than cancel them outright.
Nuuly, another popular clothing rental service, has taken similar measures, adding details of its COVID-19/coronavirus precautions to its site, with particular emphasis on the 250-degree steaming process that all garments undergo. Nuuly has yet to communicate this information directly to customers. The brand says, however, that it has made it easy to cancel or pause memberships. “Users can choose to pause their subscriptions for one, two, or three months, and they can extend it on a month-to-month basis,” a Nuuly representative tells Fortune. “We know our subscribers are navigating uncertainty right now, so if they choose to pause, we will be here with open arms when they are ready to resume the service. The comfort and safety of our consumers are always a top priority.”
While the rental space has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, other membership-based clothing services have witnessed unexpected changes in their business over the last month. Trunk Club, an online personal shopping platform from Nordstrom that pioneered the try-on model in men’s clothing, sends users a curated selection of up to 10 items on a monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or on-demand basis and lets them choose which to buy and which to send back. Because customers can adjust the frequency of their trunks at any time and the service itself is free of charge, the company hasn’t really experienced actual cancellations, but it has noticed other emerging trends. “We have seen a lot of customers ask us for more loungewear and athleisure that they can wear while they are working from home,” a Trunk Club spokesperson says. “And some of our stylists are also helping their customers clean out their closets through video chat.”
As more and more studies come out claiming the benefits of getting dressed—even when it’s easier to wear the same pair of sweatpants for days on end—clothing rental companies and stylist services hope that their products will provide a beacon of normalcy to members. Rent the Runway, for example, says that many of its customers are using their rentals for this very reason and that its services can actually be an emotional and mental benefit.
Carolyn Hsu, who serves as the head of content for Seattle tech company RealSelf, says that her Rent the Runway Unlimited subscription has come in particularly handy during Zoom calls and virtual meetings. “I'm in Zoom meetings throughout the day and usually keep the video on so I feel like I'm in the room with the rest of the team,” she explains. “Regardless of whether I'm physically in the office or in virtual meetings, I usually like to wear something that makes me feel confident in a professional setting.”
Hsu says the coronavirus outbreak has made her rethink some of her consumption behaviors, and she’s been renting clothing at a slower pace and holding onto items for longer as a result. For the time being, though, she says compliments on her top or jumpsuit during Zoom calls still make her unlimited membership worth it.