Rent the Runway, an online company that began in 2009, is a place where customers have access to designer fashions from clothes to accessories at an affordable price for rent. In the past, the clothes were only for special occasions such as weddings and cocktail parties. Now a new feature offers casual everyday clothing and a new way to rent clothes.
The Unlimited feature, added earlier this year, is a subscription service with a rotating selection of designer clothing and accessories giving customers a better way to shop and choose clothes, said Brooke Hartmann, senior vice president of subscription for Rent the Runway.
"'Unlimited' is a subscription service that puts your closet on rotation with clothing to cover everything women have going on in their lives, from an important work meeting to a beach weekend or even a wedding," Hartman said.
Customers are given three items at a time, which can include anything from jewelry, handbags, dresses, skirts, tops and pants for only $139 dollars per month. The cost includes dry cleaning, insurance and shipping. Items do not have a return date, but if customers receive an item they are not happy with, it can be exchanged for something else. If the item is something you would like to keep permanently, you can do that as well.
"If you fall in love with a Carven leather pilot jacket and don't want to send it back, you have the option to purchase it at home for a discount to the retail price," Hartmann said.
There is also an option to pick up and drop off items at retail stores in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. Each store carries various lines of clothing from different designers. The stores also are listed on the company's website.
"We carry over 350 designers, including some of the most covetable brands like Derek Lam, Jason Wu, Giambattista Valli and Narciso Rodriguez," Hartmann said.
From formal occasions and casual everyday clothing, Rent the Runway offers customers a variety of clothing choices.
Hartmann said their new feature is similar to Netflix and Spotify being able to enjoy your favorites items for a fee each month.
Customers can use this Unlimited option on the computer or through downloading the Rent the Runway app on their smartphone or iPad. The feature is only a few months old, but Rent the Runway is still creating new features to help its customers with clothing choices.
"A lot of exciting things are happening right now at Rent the Runway," Hartmann said.
A new Style Studio just opened located at Rent the Runways' headquarters in New York City. The Style Studio allows the team to test new retail concepts and offers customers a chance to get fitted for the right clothes for their body type.
"Customers choose from six tiers of personalized appointments, ranging from group appointments catered to bridal parties or a fit appointment where full measurements are taken and designers that work best for a customer's body shape are recommended," Hartmann said.
This is great for people who have a hard time finding clothes because of their unique body shape and figure. It is also useful when shopping, because the style team helps customers with making smart clothing choices.
Rent the Runway is still looking for ways to improve shopping for its customers and new features are sure to come in the future.
"We are constantly evolving and looking for new ways to innovate," Hartmann said.
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