The paradox of choice: Why made-to-order might not solve the fashion industry’s problems
Mass customisation might seem like a marketer’s dream, but as Shoes of Prey proves, the power of choice is not quite as straightforward, explains Jessica Pallant and Sean Sands in this crossposting from The Conversation.
How could you go from winning awards for “Store Design of The Year” and “Best Shoe Ever” to selling nothing?
In 2009 the Australian startup Shoes of Prey set out to make exactly the shoes its customers wanted. Customers could pick the designs, sizes and exact specifications, and Shoes of Prey would deliver exactly what they ordered.
They wouldn’t make shoes no one needed. Traditional retailers use flash sales to move stock that has gone out of fashion. Or they burn or bury it. British fashion label Burberry says it has destroyed more than A$150 million worth of unsold clothes, accessories and perfumeover the past five years.
