Net-a-Porter Goes for the Guys in 2011
We just talked about Net-a-Porter as an example of a wildly successful online only retailer who should serve as a heavy hint to retailers who are slow to embrace e-commerce years after it’s proven successful. Now, on the day of their 10th anniversary comes word that style savvy men will be able to enjoy the same combination of editorial and online shopping that has distracted millions of women around the world for a decade.
“We have always said that Net-a-Porter will remain a woman’s brand and now we are ready to create a dedicated men’s shopping destination entirely conceived with the stylish man in mind.
We have a ready-made customer base for our men’s business. 100% of our customers have a man in their lives in some capacity and 59% of them are married or living with their partners… Additionally we look forward to welcoming a new group of super stylish men who join us to shop for themselves.”
– Natalie Massenet, executive chairman of Net-a-Porter
Net-a-Porter makes a move on the menswear market in January 2011 with brands like Dunhill
Mr. Porter (the name of the men’s site) will launch in January 2011 with Spring/Summer 2011 collections from labels including Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Burberry, Dunhill and Rick Owens among 54 others. {Telegraph}
While 60 designers pales in comparison to the more than 250 designers represented on the women’s site, there should be plenty of room for growth. During the worst of the recession, established designers like John Galliano and Matthew Williamson and celebrated upstarts like Alexander Wang and Garth Pugh all jumped into the menswear market to expand their customer base.
While Net-a-Porter’s ladies helped them make it through turbulent economic times, offering a site that has the potential to double their audience of more than 2.2 million monthly shoppers is a smart move at any time.
