London-based e-tailer The Outnet.com is marking its decade in business. It plans to focus on new projects, partnerships and a growing customer database, as well as handle all of the brand’s own distribution needs.
“When the Outnet.com launched, discount shopping wasn’t the norm,” said Emma Mortimer, managing director at the Outnet.com. “Brands were quite shy about promoting their end-of-season stock. It tended to be hidden in out of town malls or sold via flash sales. As a business, we completely disrupted this and redefined the discount model, something that’s been recognized globally by the industry.”
The Outnet is a luxury fashion website that offers out of season discount past season goods. The site was launched to compete with the likes of Net-a-Porter in well-known fashion capitals like London, New York, and Paris.
Designer Emilia Wickstead believes that the beauty of the Outnet.com is finding that special piece from a previous season. “The fashion industry can be so fast,” said Wickstead. “We can move so quickly, so often not fully appreciating really great pieces from designers. I design my collections in mind that they become a core part of peoples wardrobes for years to come, The Outnet.com has really helped make this possible giving access for their customers in an exciting and beautiful way.”
The company has evolved a lot as time goes on, with technology playing a key role. “At launch, our customers were shopping on their desktop computer during their lunch hour,” said Mortimer. “Today we operate with a mobile-first strategy, our customers are now shopping whenever and wherever they want, with mobile use accounting for more than 50% of global sales.”
The company recently launched a limited edition range to coincide with its 10th anniversary. Prices range from $52 for the Markus Lupfer T-shirt to $2,645 for the Paco Rabanne chainmail dress. Highlights include a silk dress from Oscar de la Renta, a Delpozo peplum dress and cut-out sweatshirt from Christopher Kane. As part of their three-year strategy, the company will continue to develop localized sites across key markets as well as explore new projects and partnerships that could grow their customer database. Mortimer noted: “the important thing is quality, not quantity.”
