I found this article extremely interesting…Everlane’s business model is extremely unique and appears to be resonating with customers. The product itself in fairly uninspiring, but is simple and of good quality; I believe it is the unique concept of transparency in terms of cost, cost/value relation, and an extremely fast delivery to the consumer that in the end is bringing the brand success. It will be interesting to see if other retailers will hop on the bandwagon; though many retailers are online only, very few offer same day delivery and total transparency in terms of cost and production. In today’s era of an extremely competitive marketplace with brands fighting to engage increasingly well-educated consumers, this type of business model may be the future.
By only offering their product online and direct to customers, Everlane has been able to eliminate the cost of the “middle man” and then pass that savings on to the consumer. On most styles on the website, there is an option to view the true cost of the garment, even broken down categorically into labor, materials, transit costs, and even mark-up, which provides the customer a rare glimpse into all of the components that typically go into the price of a garment. This revolutionary concept builds trust with the consumer; the website also provides information about each factory that makes specific product categories, further building trust with the consumer in terms of ethical sourcing and production.
Perhaps most appealing to the consumer is the option to order online in select locations and have a purchase delivered within a few hours the same day. Today’s jaded, busy consumer may make a purchasing decision based on this factor alone; why order from another source when Everlane can offer a similar product of comparable value at a lower cost, ethically produced, and delivered in the same day?
http://www.vogue.com/13283183/everlane-fashion-tech-company/
Artisan of the Floating World 