Shopping online for fashion – this has been a big debate since a very long time. Retailers realized the potential of distributing their merchandise online and also the necessity to stay competitive in the market. Basically any bigger player in the fashion industry has an online shop nowadays.

If you compare shopping online and offline, the online experience does not really reflect the experience that most shoppers are looking for. You need to go from one website to another and sometimes you would find a department store, like de Bijenkorf. Still, these stores have physical locations, a sophisticated distribution system and warehouses. Now let’s think about this quote that has appeared quite frequently in the last months:

“Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate.”

Continue reading The new models of fashion e-commerce →

It is no secret that fashion or lifestyle bloggers have become extremely influential over the last years and that they have reached a somewhat “celebrity status”. And what is even more impressive is that being a blogger has become a real profession that can be extremely profitable. One of the most prominent examples is Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad whose annual income is estimated at $8 million and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Therefore, it is not a surprise that many bloggers are leveraging their popularity to make a profit. Next to sponsored Instagram posts where one can easily range between $5,000 – $25,000, some even score collaborations with big players in the fashion and beauty industry. 21 year-old Kristina Bazan of Kayture signed a 7-figure contract with L’Oréal last fall. And still: this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Continue reading How much is your influence worth? →