This clothing service is redefining the way men shop
Tiring, time-consuming, and about as enjoyable as a day of chores, trawling high streets and shopping malls is a grim reality for men intent on keeping their wardrobe stocked.
But all that can change with help from The Chapar. Founded in 2012, the online clothing-concierge service offers its members "trunks" of curated items - including shirts, shoes, and knitwear - tailored to their taste and delivered next-day direct to their door.
"There's a guy out there for whom traditional bricks-and-mortar shopping doesn't really work," says Sam Middleton, The Chapar's CEO and cofounder. "He doesn't have the time, the know-how, or - and this is perhaps the most relevant factor - doesn't enjoy this way of shopping. For him, the idea of spending an entire afternoon trying to choose items that are right for him, from the thousands of styles, fits, and sizes on offer, is overwhelming. Which is where we come in."
How it works
"Speaking to our customers by phone is really important for us, so that our stylists can really get to know them and what they like and dislike," Middleton says.
Using a combination of common sense (Middleton calls it a "human algorithm") and insights pulled from the CRM platform Salesforce, your stylist then puts together a trunk of (usually 12) items with your preferences in mind. Once your trunk arrives, you have 10 days to try the items on before sending back any pieces you're not interested in keeping.
"Of the 12 items we usually send, three or four are kept," Middleton says. "Once we've received the returned items, you're charged for the clothes you've kept. At which point your stylist will ask for as much feedback as possible to better serve your tastes in the future."
And it's working. Since launching just four years ago, The Chapar now has 10,000 members, ships about 500 trunks a week, and counts 53 premium, high-street brands - including the likes of Hackett and Ralph Lauren on its roster. "Eighty percent of customers who order a trunk will come back to order a second one," Middleton says. "And those that order a second one are usually with us for life."
Love clothes but hate shopping? Watch the video below to find out more.
This post is sponsored by The Chapar.