Why I think we need instant delivery for Fashion & Beauty
Uber Eats, but make it Fashion.
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Don’t get me wrong, there’s already some work that has been done in the field of instant fashion delivery. We’re talking ‘F90’ by Farfetch, ‘ASOS Instant’, Amazon One-Hour Delivery and many other such services. They all have something in common, however.
They’re NOT what I’m talking about this week.
I’m based in Paris. Out here we’ve got Amazon Prime, UberEats, Deliveroo, a bit of eBay and a generous serving of independent retailers that’ve partnered with Chronopost to get things where they’re supposed to be.
The US is a bit ahead with its Instacart, Postmates and things.
And in India, my lovely homeland, we have the most effective option — manpower.
In most economies still, most instant delivery systems partake in the food industry. Because, well, food has a need for speed. And I’m here to share why I think Fashion & Beauty have it too.
Post-COVID I’ve personally been very strict with not be seen in closed public spaces for as long as I can help it.
I e-find, e-search & e-shop.
My cute Indian family and shopping patterns make me a rather loyal customer (like most in the Beauty industry especially). This loyalty factor brings me to my first point.
1. Repeat Purchasing:
The Beauty Industry survives on Brand Awareness and consequent Brand Loyalty.
Once we’ve got that serum that’s making our skin shine but not glare, we don’t let go so easy.
Imagine if, every time those bottles gave out their last bit of product, you could hop onto an app like “UberBeauts” or something (lol) and order all that you need from a nearby drugstore/mall. Time it, track it live and everything!
2. Nature of Beauty Stores:
Most drugstores & cosmetic sections in malls are merchandised for maximum exposure. By maximum exposure I mean, the most purchased, obvious, daily-use products are always at the end so that we’re forced to look at all their fancier, low-use companions.
During COVID particularly, and in general as well, when tried and tested products are to be bought, an instant delivery app is the perfect option for a complete refill of the cosmetic drawer!
3. The ‘sense of urgency’ factor:
Ah, my favourite!
Food has a sense of urgency to it that is unmatched. We’re hungry, we need food and that’s a non-negotiable.
For Fashion & Beauty, on the other hand, I’m cold and I need some socks. Not so urgent, to be honest. The sense of “urgency” in their case, takes the form of ‘instant gratification’ instead.
So, what is ‘instant gratification’?
“Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment.” — Entrepreneur
It’s the same principle that drives Social Media as well.
A question worth asking: Would we still post all this content if there was no immediate reciprocation?
Anyway,
In the internet age more so, the consumer is smart. They not only crave instant gratification, they KNOW for a fact that it’s possible. And as brands, it’s our job to provide it.
An instant delivery system for beauty & fashion would play with the same principle.
Even though consumers don’t need these products immediately, they do need it soon enough. Better asap than later!
Another insight: As a consumer myself, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve decided to get a product, tried to order it online, seen the shipping cost/delay in delivery and decide to get it later.
Later never comes.
The lesser the time to think, the more the chances to buy.
4. Supporting Local Businesses:
When it comes to experimenting, we are lazy. We lack the time and energy to go out of our way to find local businesses to support unless they’re overtly on our way. Despite COVID, how many of us went out of the way to find small local fashion businesses and helped them out? It’s not just laziness, it’s also a lack of information due to lack of aggregation of such resources.
Instant delivery apps work on geolocation and thus, offer options of local, small businesses in the field, near our homes, all at one place.
Imagine you’re looking to buy some socks. You go on the app to order H&M but find a cute local brand selling the same socks, just better quality and similar prices! Support, Support and Support! ♥️
These were just a few reasons I can list out on why I think we need instant delivery in Fashion & Beauty. The reason I say Farfetch, ASOS & Amazon aren’t competition is that they offer Luxury brands which aren’t the easiest to purchase ‘in a jiffy’!
What do you think?
Feel free to write to me!
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