By Aimee Chanthadavong
As men’s fashion retailer Fletcher Jones entered into the voluntary administration, Melbourne-based e-commerce pureplay Vinspi.com.au is reaping the benefits in the growth of online shopping.
Selling bespoke tailored men’s suit across the country, Vinspi allows men to design a suit online, insert their measurements and have it delivered in two weeks.
Tailored suits start at $419 with free shipping across Australia and also come with a free returns policy and up to $50 credit for minor alterations to be made at a local tailor.
Founder and managing director Ivan Lim, who was also the former marketing manager of online retailer OZHut, told RetailBiz that Vinspi aims to win market share from department stores and suit labels by offering a perfect fitting tailored suit instead of standard off the rack sizes.
“I think online shopping has a very strong appeal to male shoppers especially for fashion / apparel products. Shopping online offers the convenience that men appreciate and can really cut down the amount of time and energy needed to go shopping,” he said.
“We have gotten lots of feedback from men who like our site for making suit shopping simple and straight forward. The fact that Vinspi can save a customer's measurements means they do not have to visit multiple stores trying to find a suit that not only looks good, but also fits right. They can design a suit that matches their style and know that it will already come tailored to their body shape.
“Men can appreciate style and I believe an online store like Vinspi allows them to shop from the comfort of home and not exhaust themselves going through a shopping mall.”
According to Lim, he also realised that most men were put off from tailored suits by the expensive price tag and realised that an online solution could reduce the costs by cutting high margins and simplifying the tailoring experience.
Lim said while Vinspi is an online retailer it still provides the personalised one-on-one experience that traditional retailers often provide.
“The first is a personalised measurement system that contains videos to show customers how to take each of their measurements. Videos are easy to understand and ensure customers get a perfect fit measured exactly to their body shape,” he said.
“Vinspi also provides an additional $50 of credit for every suit to make extra alterations. Every person's style is slightly different, so when they receive a suit they may want to shorten a sleeve or slim down the pants. Our $50 of credit allows customers to go to a local tailor make the adjustments and we'll refund them the cost, up to $50. This allows customers to customize a suit to match their style.
“On top of all this, we intentionally have our Vinspi phone number on every page to allow customers to call and contact us for advice and help. It’s these features that make the Vinspi experience customer orientated and highly personalised.”
Lim said he hopes to take the business beyond suits and hopes to evolve Vinspi into a menswear destination online.
“There are a lot of staples in a man's wardrobe that extend beyond just suits and I believe we could provide an excellent shopping experience for these products as well. At the moment we do offer tailored men's shirts and hopefully we will be seeing more products in the future.”