A US-based online bra-fitting service has secured $US2 million in funding from a raft of high-profile investors, becoming the latest significant face-to-face retail service that has moved online.
True & Co claims it has “redesigned the art of bra shopping” by creating a way to fit women online in two minutes, with no measuring tape.
“After a simple quiz, you’ll discover the bra fit and styles that work for you, complete with personal recommendations, and a bra shop created based on your ‘true’ bra style,” it says.
“We’ll send you five bras that are [the] right fit and style. Pick any three bras and add them to your try-on bag.”
“We’ll then pick another two and send you the five styles to try on in the comfort of your own home. Out of the five bras in the box, keep the ones you like.”
“We’ll only charge you for the items that you keep, no strings attached.”
True & Co recently secured $US2 million in seed funding from investors including First Round Capital, SoftTech VC, Aileen Lee, Softbank Capital and former LinkedIn executive Ellen Levy.
Josh Kopelman, a managing partner at First Round Capital, said in a statement the True & Co team is “applying technology in an unexpected way to solve a [difficult] retail problem”.
True & Co’s funding success suggests there is an unmet demand for online delivery of services traditionally provided face-to-face.
Here are two more companies setting the trend:
Based in New York, Warby Parker prides itself on offering boutique-quality, classically crafted eyewear at competitive prices. But unlike most eyewear retailers, Warby Parker is based online.
“Our web-based sales approach allows you to bypass the optical shops and the high prices they charge,” it says.
The business achieves this through its Home Try-On Program, whereby a customer selects five pairs of glasses, which are shipped to the customer for free.
The customer then has five days to try out the frames.
