Marketing Local Clothing Shops Through
Hybrid Shopping
Introducing LocalFits a one-stop shop for local clothing brands. From minimalism to maximalist, find your style, support local businesses, and embrace sustainability.
Timeline
4 Months
Role
UX Researcher
Team
Solo
Tools
Figma
Unsplash
Mural
Challenge
Smaller businesses lack comparable promotional opportunities and resources, putting them at a disadvantage in the digital marketplace.
Big corporations, as exemplified by H&M, play a significant role in shaping consumer awareness in sustainable fashion. These industry giants enjoy greater visibility in advertising campaigns, creating a heightened level of consciousness among consumers.
Focus Area
Helping people discover local clothing stores in their area contributes to fostering sustainable purchasing decisions and supporting local businesses.
Ensuring users are informed about the ethical clothing manufacturing processes behind their apparel instills in them a profound sense of confidence and relief. When customers are aware that the clothes they purchase adhere to ethical standards, it not only promotes transparency but also cultivates trust in the brand.
Problem
Many users, despite residing in a specific vicinity, lack familiarity with local shops, leading to a reluctance to engage in shopping from them.
A substantial number of users exhibit a preference for renowned retailers like H&M, wherein their awareness of sustainable clothing is confined to the products featured in the company's sustainability line. This lack of awareness about local shops impedes potential support for neighborhood businesses and limits the diversity of shopping choices available to users.
Solution
An app aiming to help users discover local fashion brands and establish meaningful connections within their communities.
This application will not only foster brand loyalty but also elevate the personalized shopping experience, creating a stronger bond between brands and consumers, with a overall focus on mitigating the environmental impact of clothing waste.
Key Features
Local Must Haves.
This application will not only foster brand loyalty but also elevate the personalized shopping experience, creating a stronger bond between brands and consumers, with a overall focus on mitigating the environmental impact of clothing waste.
Problem
Participants are frustrated with fast fashion's poor quality but feel stuck due to a lack of access to local stores.
Participants are tired of fast fashion due to poor quality and lack of durability but feel limited to these brands because they don't know where to find local stores.
Solution
A feature to find nearby local clothing stores expands options and supports small businesses.
A feature that helps users discover nearby local clothing stores can broaden their shopping options and support small businesses.
Key Features
Hybrid Shopping.
Discover the seamless fusion of online convenience and in-store satisfaction as you effortlessly browse, add to your dressing room, and try on clothes.
Problem
Participants prefer shopping alone to avoid pressure and find in-store shopping time-consuming due to stock and location uncertainties.
Participants prefer shopping alone to avoid feeling pressured to find items quickly. They find in-store shopping time-consuming because they often don't know if items are in stock or where they are located.
Solution
A feature to browse and reserve in-stock items streamlines in-store fittings and saves time.
A feature that lets users browse and select in-stock clothing items to try on in-store helps save time and makes the fitting process more efficient.
Key Features
Visual Search.
Discover styles matching your preferences and wardrobe needs. Using clothing images, explore a wide array of options to elevate your fashion game.
Problem
Participants dislike fleeting fast fashion trends and prefer clothes that suit their style
and wardrobe.
Participants dislike fast fashion trends because they are
fleeting. They prefer finding clothes that match their style and existing wardrobe.
Solution
A feature that lets users visually search for clothing items using photos to find similar styles.
A feature that allows users to visually search for clothing items using photos to find similar items based on their style.
Primary Research
I conducted 10 interviews as primary research, focusing on participants' shopping habits and engagement with local stores.
I explored their preferences for online versus in-store shopping and identified challenges they face in finding local clothing options. The feedback provided valuable insights into their expectations for a potential app, highlighting features that could enhance their shopping experience and support local businesses.
Consumers prioritize well-made clothing items crafted from durable materials.
Users want more inclusive sizing options for diverse body types.
Emphasizing durability over
disposable fashion.
Promoting local stores for community economies and sustainable shopping.
Key Insights
The project progressed by examining how local shops market their businesses using the POEMS research method.
It involved organizing information from news and fashion articles. The process also included analyzing this data through primary research. This helped gather insights for the project.
Diverse Market Trends
While Canada is a popular market for testing brands from Europe and Asia, assumptions about purchasing habits between Canada and the US can be misleading.
Sustainable Shopping
Canadians are increasingly seeking sustainable options for online shopping, particularly in reducing
clothing waste.
Global Reach via
Social Media
Social media and influencer marketing have provided opportunities for local Canadian companies to reach a global audience.
Target Audience
I created the persona of Stella May to highlight the frustrations of participants who prefer in-store shopping but struggle with limited sizing options.
I developed the persona of Stella May to capture the frustrations of most participants who prefer to shop in person to try on clothes but face limited sizing options.
Goal #1
Wants to find inclusive sizing options in store.
Goal #2
Wants to be able to find affordable local shops around their area.
Frustration #1
Big clothing companies aren't offering size-inclusive options in their stores, leaving out many people.
Frustration #2
Competitor Analysis
I analyzed popular Canadian shopping apps, focusing on online and in-store features, and studied competitors like H&M, Shein, Zara, Lululemon, and Nike for insights.
This analysis helped identify industry trends, strengths, and gaps, providing a clearer picture of what users expect and what could set a new app apart. Additionally, I explored how these brands integrate personalization, stock availability, and customer feedback to improve the experience.
Key Opportunities
Include features for both online and in-store shopping.
Utilize visual search to explore items with your own photos and scan price tags instore to check availability and find more sizes/colors.
Access store locator and inventory check on the app for added convenience.
Co-Creation
These sessions encouraged active collaboration, where participants provided feedback on design ideas and shared their thoughts on features they found most valuable. By engaging them in hands-on exercises, I gained deeper insights into their preferences and pain points, helping to refine the overall user experience. Additionally, the sessions allowed for iterative testing of ideas, ensuring that the final design would better meet user needs and expectations.
Uses desktop to enter web app url.
Clicks on the shop
now button.
Browses different t-shirts and clicks on the first t-shirt.
Clicks Book online &
Try in-store
Select the date and time for the dressing room.
Arrive to the dressing room,
to try on the items you’ve choose online.
Insights
Implement a city search function and list all local vendors.
Introduce a profile feature for saving sizes and mixing/matching items.
Allow users to save specific clothing sizes for different stores in their profile.
Provide information about local clothing sellers backgrounds and specialties.
Create a "Sales" category on the homepage for discounts and promotions.
Offer curbside and in-store pickup options for local clothing brands.
User Journey
I crafted a user journey map to identify patterns in hybrid shopping, pinpointing overlaps between online and in-store journeys.
This process revealed key touchpoints where users switch between digital and physical experiences, allowing for a more integrated shopping flow. Additionally, I identified areas where friction occurred, helping to address potential barriers and enhance the overall customer experience. By aligning both online and offline touchpoints, the journey map also optimized user satisfaction and convenience.
Reflection
Insights I’ve learned from this project.
I've learned that no project is truly individual, collaboration is key in creating a service or platform, especially for others. Working with my target demographic has fueled the evolution of my project. However, I struggled at times, trying to shift my mindset from seeing it as just an online shopping site to something unique and embracing that. Processing all the feedback was challenging, and I felt the pressure to incorporate it all. I've learned to trust myself and continuously hone my skills. Design is iterative, and I'm committed to making ongoing improvements.
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