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Bitcoin millionaires are coming for streetwear

A round-up of everything you might have missed in relevant fashion, retail and tech industry news over the past week.

TECHNOLOGY

Levi’s revolutionizes finishing process, driving more sustainable supply chain [TCDaily]
Unilever and IBM’s blockchain experiment: a silver bullet for digital or a ‘glitzy’ quick fix? [TheDrum]
JD.com’s new accelerator focuses on blockchain startups [TechCrunch]
JD.com upgrades AR/VR capabilities for beauty [WWD]

SUSTAINABILITY

Why is it so hard for clothing manufacturers to pay a living wage? [Racked]

RETAIL & E-COMMERCE

Wear now, pay later: credit shopping goes digital [BoF]
‘To find it, just Boohoo it’: How the fast-fashion retailer is making a go of visual search [Glossy]
Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake talks data, Amazon—and hot tubs [FastCompany]
Macy’s just confirmed the end of department stores as we know them [Business Insider]

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

The Outnet is using its chatbot to push out influencer content [Glossy]
The Gap wins over Instagram with this empowering breastfeeding ad [FastCompany]
Allbirds is selling a limited-edition shoe exclusively on Instagram [Glossy]

PRODUCT

Hunter teams up with Target for limited edition collection [TheIndustry]
The US is now buying more stretchy pants than blue jeans [QZ]

BUSINESS

Why Burberry chose Riccardo Tisci [BoF]
How Guess mismanaged its #MeToo crisis [BoF]
Marks & Spencer publishes gender pay gap and pledges to extend monitoring to age, ethnicity and disability [TheIndustry]

La Perla launches try-before-you-buy e-commerce experience

Luxury lingerie brand La Perla is introducing Try & Buy, a service enabling shoppers to try on items at home for 48 hours, before committing to purchase.

The aim is to make it easier for consumers to try-on multiple sizes, experiment with new styles and discover the brand all from the comfort of their homes, without the need to pay anything upfront. Over the course of two days, they can decide what they do and don’t like, and then easily order a free pick-up to return anything they opt not to keep.

“What we do at La Perla is design our pieces from the inside out. We use our lingerie expertise to put bras in our clothing and tailor garments to enhance figures perfectly. Helping our customer discover their perfect fit is our main priority and Try & Buy provides the freedom to do this in the comfort of their own home. It is a remarkable way to bring the world of La Perla closer to the customer,” said Julia Haart, creative director of the brand.

The brand believes its customer is craving a physical experience, and that this service enables them to have a convenient and personal experience in the same way that they would in-store. Importantly, it also breaks down the initial financial barrier on items that range from $500-$1,500.

Try & Buy is available on desktop and mobile in the US and Europe (including the UK, France, Germany and Italy) in time for the holiday season. It will next roll out across all 40 countries where the brand has an online presence.

La Perla follows in the footsteps of the likes of Net-a-Porter and more recently ASOS, both of which offer a try-before-you-buy service. Net-a-Porter’s ‘You Try, We Wait’ version is for its top tier customers, and keeps the courier on hand while the shopper selects what they want to keep. It also has an enhanced experience based on a personal shopper coming for at-home appointments. ASOS at the lower end of the market, on the other hand, offers a 30-day try-on period.

La Perla is also looking at broader technology enhancements for its customer experience ahead, including a two-hour delivery service in major cities, 24-hour live chat with stylists and a virtual fitting room for shoppers, showcasing their inventory of previous La Perla purchases.

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