Stitch Fix vs. Trunk Club: Which Online Personal Stylist Provides the Best Digital Experience?

Are you among those who love personalized and stylish clothing but hate to spend a lot of time and energy pushing through shops and crowded malls around the city?

If yes, then this report is surely going to catch your attention as I am going to review and compare the digital retail experience of two of the most popular online clothing shops that provide personal styling services- Stich Fix and Trunk Club.

Personal stylists, once only a thing for the rich and the famous, are now available and accessible to all of us – thanks to technology. For those of you who are unaware of this concept, let me help you out. You sign in to a website, answer a few questions that cover your preferences in style, fit, and price, and at last get a box of fab clothes and accessories picked out especially for you. Sounds cool? Right!

But to succeed, personal stylist sites must offer a dignified connection between digital and physical experiences. To bring your vision to life, it is crucial to have exceptional and detailed digital (online and mobile) features to perfectly grab the taste of the shoppers and at the same time educate them about fashion and style.

So, let’s cut it short and get started with the comparison report.

Stitch Fix

Stitch Fix stylists send their customers boxes of clothing and accessories according to their body types and style preferences, either at regular time intervals or on-demand.

As women rave about their service, I also decided to give it a try.

Here is how it works-

1.First, I was required to sign up for a Stitch Fix account

2.Then I filled out an extensive “Style Profile” which was basically a survey of my body type, style preferences and budget. I honestly had a lot of fun filling out my style profile. It really helped me to think through what I love and what I don’t love. The questionnaire was comprehensive and involved everything from my weight and height to which jewelry tones I like, how I prefer my clothes to fit each part of my body, to what types of clothing I am specifically looking for (more casual, all business, a mix of both, etc.). In fact, it also asked me to rate some clothing styles like the ones pictured below on a scale from “love” to “hate.”

<img src="http://customerthink.com/wp-content/uploads/assesment-img12.png" alt="assesment-img12" width="500" height="235" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-799844" /

3.Submit and WHOOSH! I was told my first “Fix” would arrive next week.

Features of the website I liked most

1.The survey was well thought. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and makes you feel confident that your stylist would succeed in finding at least a few items that you will adore. They ask you very specific (and necessary) questions, in hopes that you get the best “Fix” possible
2.They ask to share a Pinterest board and links to your social media profiles to get some ideas of your fashion taste
3.You can select a preferable date to receive your “fix” shipment
4.The “Style Guide” section offers extensive and detailed content in the form of articles and blogs to educate customers with fashion tips and outfit ideas. For example- “The Best Summer Outfit for Every Body Shape”. I found it really helpful in improving the decision-making while choosing stuff and becoming a fashionista
5.Separate tabs to cater to different sizes such as petite, plus and maternity clothes
6.Their mobile app is both Android and iPhone friendly
7.The “Help Center” tab helps you find your right size and check out latest customer testimonials.

Turn-offs of the Website

1.Agreed that their survey is quite detailed but, still, one could have an immediate question or doubt to ask before placing the order. But unfortunately, you would not find any live chat option
2.I didn’t enjoy the mobile app much, as ads kept popping up constantly which was obnoxious

Based on our outside-in assesment, Stitch Fix has the following customer experience capabilities

Trunk Club

Trunk Club is founded on a relationship between the customer (men or women) and a personal stylist. The process is somewhat similar to Stitch Fix. You enter your personal details such as height, weight, age and usual sizes along with the brands you wear and add your Pinterest (optional), but suddenly things diverge. You enter into a chat room with a live person, your stylist, who now has a name (for me it was Sophie). You have a conversation with the stylist where she asks you things like work or weekend wear, if there are particular items you’re looking for, how you like them to fit, and what colors and patterns to stay away from.

Features of the website which elevated my experience:

1.Live chat option is available to get in touch with your stylist anytime
2.The stylist shares a preview of the Trunk (your set of clothes) via the mobile app or web. The clothes are shipped only after the customer approves the virtual trunk
3.They ask your brand preferences- Where do you usually shop? Like in the image below:

Things which I didn’t Admire:

1.I felt that I was having to basically pour my heart out to my stylist because their survey questionnaire was not very comprehensive
2.The site is not that content-rich and educative as Stitch Fix. On top of that, you can have a look at their fashion tips and other articles only when you sign in as a user
3.No filterable search tab
4.You can’t sign in using your social media account profile
Based on our outside-in assesment, Trunk Club has the following customer experience capabilities

Final Take

Both Stitch Fix and Trunk Club gather the same information through different methods, but I preferred Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix is a perfect blend of data and style. I think it’s easier, and probably more accurate. It has an elaborative and extensive profile for customers to fill in (multiple answer questions) that covers preferences in style, fit, price, size and body type unlike Trunk Club where you are required to describe it to someone in words.

I am yet to receive my box of clothes from either site and I really don’t know which one will live up to my expectation. But in in terms of digital shopping experience, Stitch Fix definitely makes it fun-filled and effortless. Their website is designed to truly deliver personal shopping at scale.