With the rise of online shopping over the last 15-20 years, the number of potential items shoppers could purchase has mushroomed. No longer confined to what’s available in local stores, consumers can buy items from around the world, often at lower prices and no shipping charge. Access to goods and products has never been easier than with online retail. But a paradoxical challenge has arisen from this new reality: if you can buy anything from anywhere, how on earth do you decide what to purchase? Some companies are stepping in to mine the mountain of possible purchase for the diamonds of irresistible items. It’s a growing segment known as “curated retail.”
“Personalized shopping is quickly becoming a major business strategy as more consumers welcome curated retail options to escape the overwhelming number of choices available to them,” explains TrendReports. “Curated retail ensures focused shopping and product relevancy — it provides a customer with choices that will most interest her depending on her previous shopping choices, interactions and set preferences.”
Customers looking for curated retail are expecting more than just recommendations based on an algorithm, they want a personal touch.
Beauty Army is a curation service that sorts through 20,000 beauty products to make personalized recommendations. Women fill out a brief profile (skin, makeup, hair, scent, product interests, beauty concerns), and the site’s algorithm selects products based on that information. Users can choose to receive a monthly sample box or buy full-sized products directly.
The site is waging war on the overwhelming experience of trying to find the right beauty products. “We like to say we’re on the front lines of beauty, fighting for you,” CEO Lindsay Guest explained to SFGate.
The curated retail experience is also helping out men who have a hard time choosing clothes. Upon registering with Trunk Club, men share their work look, going-out look, preferred fit, favorite stores, and sizing information. Trunk Club then connects them with personal shoppers who select a trunk-full of clothes to try on. Subscribers keep the items they like and send the rest back. They will soon be offering their services for women’s clothing as well.
“Trunk Club was started to solve a simple problem: shopping for clothes in stores is overwhelming and inconvenient,” the company explains. “With Trunk Club, you’ll discover great clothes that are perfect for you without ever having to go shopping. We combine top brands, expert service, and unparalleled convenience to deliver a highly personalized experience that helps you look your best.”
The curated retail experience goes beyond helping people look better—it also helps people eat better.
Blue Apron is a home-delivered “meal kit” service that lets people cook fresh homemade meals without having to grocery shop or search for recipes. Every week, subscribers receive pre-measured local, seasonal ingredients and accompanying recipes created by the service and guest chefs. The meals are quick and easy to cook, and feed two or four.
Founder and CEO Matt Salzberg told The Street that Blue Apron’s goal is to provide “the freshest, seasonal ingredients to our customers. Our sourcing experts have built strong relationships with farms and suppliers so we can send hard-to-find ingredients directly to our customers, without having the food sit on a supermarket shelf or in a distribution center for days.”
Companies like these are changing the way people shop by pointing the way to the products that consumers will enjoy but might not find on their own. Consumers who are too busy or overwhelmed to find the items they want can now look to curated retail services to do it for them.
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Tags: Consumer BehaviorConsumer SegmentationConsumer SegmentsGlobal RetailingRetailShopper ResearchTrends