May 22, 2019
URBN/Facebook
URBN, the company behind Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People announced it's launching a monthly clothing subscription service called Nuuly in summer 2019.
The company behind clothing store Urban Outfitters announced on Tuesday it's launching a monthly clothing subscription service this summer called Nuuly.
URBN, the Philadelphia-based company that owns Urban, Anthropologie and Free People, announced Tuesday that for an $88 month fee, Nuuly subscribers get to select six new pieces of clothing each month, then swap those out the next month for six new items. There's also an option for customers to buy the styles they can't part with.
The pieces will include URBN's own brands, as well curated vintage styles, athletic wear from Reebook, Fila and Champion, and more than 100 third-party brands like Levi's, Universal Standard, Wrangler, and Naadam.
At launch, Nuuly will stock more than 1,000 pieces with plans to add more than 100 every week during its first year, as per the company's announcement.
The cost of postage is included in the membership fee and the clothing is washed and dried before re-shipping, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“URBN enters the rental landscape with many strategic advantages,” said David Hayne, chief digital officer at URBN, Nuuly president and son of the company's co-founder and CEO. “We bring our distinctive brands and their proprietary assortments, millions of existing customer relationships with rich preference histories, long-standing brand partnerships, a broad point-of-sale distribution network, as well as deep, operational know-how and investable capital. When paired with our proven ability to develop creative lifestyle brands, we believe Nuuly is uniquely positioned to deliver the dynamic subscription rental experience the modern customer desires."
Nuuly is hitting the market at a time when clothing subscription services like Rent the Runway, Le Tote, Fabletics, and Stitch Fix have captured the millennial shopper in ways traditional retail hasn't — giving shoppers the option to be both sustainable and fashion forward. Rent the Runway is currently valued at $1 billion, Business Insider reported.
According to The Business of Fashion's 2019 "State of Fashion" report, the age of clothing ownership is dwindling. For many, the "lifespan of fashion products is being stretched as pre-owned, refurbished, repaired and rental business models continue to evolve," the report said. Like streaming television on Netflix, or sharing music on Spotify, the report notes that this evolution in the industry is fundamental — and expected to grow.
Those interested in Nuuly can get on the waitlist here to be notified for the summer 2019 launch.
Follow Emily & PhillyVoice on Twitter @emily_rolen | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Emily’s RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.
