Ssense's Montreal store is a unique new retail destination that blurs the lines between online and offline shopping, as it fuses the immediacy of being able to try products in a brick-and-mortar fitting room with the convenience of e-commerce and home try-on services.
Online, consumers are invited to browse the retailer's extensive product selection and upon spotting something that catches their eye, they have the ability to book a next-day Shopping Appointment. Since Ssense will be given an adequate amount of time to prepare for the appointment, it has time to gather the consumer's preselected choices from its warehouse and prepare them for presentation at its five-story building.
Since the retailer's complete collection consists of thousands of items, Ssense co-founder Rami Atallah says: "It’s physically impossible to put 20,000 different styles into one space, but now people can select what they want from the comfort of their own home and when they get to the space everything is already ready for them."
Appointment-Based Fashion Boutiques
Ssense's Shop Has Consumers Book Next-Day Try-On Appointments
Trend Themes
1. Appointment-based Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a platform that connects consumers and fashion retailers for personalized, appointment-based shopping experiences.
2. Blurring Online and Offline Shopping - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create technology solutions that seamlessly integrate online and offline shopping experiences, offering convenience and immediacy to consumers.
3. E-commerce and Home Try-on Services - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design platforms that combine the benefits of e-commerce with home try-on services, allowing consumers to experience products before making a purchase.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Retail - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement appointment-based shopping and technology solutions to enhance the customer experience and drive sales in the fashion retail industry.
2. Retail Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative retail technologies that bridge the gap between online and offline shopping, creating a more seamless and personalized experience for consumers.
3. E-commerce - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the integration of home try-on services into e-commerce platforms, enhancing consumer confidence and satisfaction in online shopping.