Business

Key fact: 9 percent of Londoners shop on Net-a-Porter.

LONDON — Not only does a sizable portion of London shop on Net-a-Porter (now — hard to believe — in its 17th year of operation), but Londoners apparently can’t wait to get their Net-a-Porter orders either. No, they must have it yesterday. Of course, Net-a-Porter is all but happy to accommodate.

London’s Evening Standard takes you behind the scenes in a sit down with president Alison Loehnis to discuss efficiency, peak shopping times, and how feedback from its best customers have helped it settle on two new services launching later this year.

The highlights:

Gotta have it now.

“The typical Net-a-Porter (NAP) customer in London: a ‘demanding’ and ‘exacting’ woman who wants her clothes, shoes, handbags, jewellery, whatever it is she’s scrolled through and ordered pre-commute, or post-boot camp, or over coffee, ‘immediately’ — snap. ‘I find the fact that Londoners want their orders even quicker than New Yorkers surprising,’ [Loehnis] says. And price ‘is not an issue’.”

London’s 9 percenters.

“Nine per cent of Londoners shop on NAP, mostly for simplicity, ease and efficiency.”

Two new services are coming later this year.

“Londoners have given ‘feedback’ that has prompted NAP to announce the launch of two new services later this year.

First: wait and return. Loehnis says ‘same-day customers’ (those who want everything now — ie, 65 per cent of us) asked if their deliverymen, who arrive black-clad in a black van, could hang around while they tried things on. ‘Because the customer might have ordered multiple sizes,’ explains Loehnis, ‘or two dresses, or they’ve got something else coming.’

[…]

The second initiative is a ‘home service’ for those who use a NAP personal shopper. ‘We do home visits anyway — if you’ve ordered something outside the delivery window, they’ll bring it to your house.’”

Special services for ‘EIPs’ (extremely important customers) are by invitation only.

“Clothes [are] ‘picked out’ just for them, a whole slew of outfits ‘curated’. ‘They might say: “I have a work event, a social event, four black-tie events, a school thing, can you help me pull everything together?” So we came up with this service where personal shoppers actually go to their customers,’ explains Loehnis.

Ideas are exchanged in person or on WhatsApp or iMessage or WeChat. ‘We put together a whole package. They are only charged for what they keep.’”

That’s justified: EIPs make up a big portion of the business.

“EIPs are the two per cent of customers who account for 40 per cent of NAP revenue.”

What the guys buy at Mr. Porter.

“Men, she says, buy Common Projects sneakers, Sunspel T-shirts and Turnbull & Asser boxers. Although when they measured ‘zeitgeist buying’ in the Mr Porter team they discovered the number one item was socks. ‘Followed by Ray-Bans and trainers.’”

The style breakdown by region.

“New Yorkers are ‘relatively dressy’ and shoppers in Hong Kong ‘really dressy’, whereas Los Angeles and Hamburg are low key. ‘What we find all over is a runway devotee who wants ‘now, now, now, trend, trend, trend’.’”

Peak shopping times.

“Peak scrolling times include the loyal ‘wine o’clock’ crowd. ‘Basically it’s kids-in-bed time, usually around nine-ish, where you see the ‘time for me’ spike. And mornings — super-early or while commuting, or later morning, I deduce, post the school run.’

More shopping is done on Sunday than ever before. ‘Years ago Sunday was quiet. Now it’s a big, important shopping day.’”

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