WONDERZINE DISASSEMBLES, how famous online stores work: what to buy from them and what to look for during delivery. This time we will explore the project The Corner.
The Corner was launched in 2008 as an online menswear store, and a year later the women's department joined it. The retailer is part of the Italian company YOOX, the giant of online commerce. While Net-A-Porter is one of the most well-known virtual luxury stores, The Corner is not inferior in terms of brand range and delivery options. Moreover, last year there were rumors that YOOX was going to acquire Net-A-Porter and in this way almost monopolize the fashion market on the Internet. However, Natalie Massenet refused to sell her brainchild and continues to compete with the enterprising Federico Marchetti.
It was Federico Marchetti who founded yoox.com back in 2000, the world's first online service that allowed European customers to buy designer items from past collections. In those days, online shopping was not so commonplace, and, of course, Marchetti's idea sounded dubious. The Italian businessman was one of those who changed the minds of wealthy customers and made them believe that buying a Burberry trench coat with the click of a mouse is as prestigious as going to a boutique. Federico claims that starting an online retailer was his dream, for which he quit his former job as an economist and went into debt. Year after year, the "dream" was gaining momentum, and the site took on new horizons: first the United States, then Japan, China, and since 2006 Russia.
Having securely established YOOX in the world as a service for the sale and delivery of clothes, Marchetti presented in 2008 the second project thecorner.com, which was distinguished by a selection of brands and things aimed at a more advanced buyer. No matter how brilliant an economist Federico was, he understood that the main thing in an online boutique is the product, that is, the brands. The Corner focuses on new names and brands and supports young talent. So, since 2011, the store has been cooperating with Vogue Italia, the CFDA award, and presents collections of young designers on the site. In addition, The Corner supports the finalists for the Parisian National Fashion Development Association ANDAM. The retailer has already attracted designers Hussein Chalayan, Alexander Herchkovich and others to create limited collections. As for the interest in Russian brands on The Corner, in 2012 Vika Gazinskaya's things were successfully sold on the site. The Corner is divided into sections "For women" and "For men", and each of them has subsections "Designers", "Clothes", "Shoes", "Bags", "Accessories", "Ideas of style" and "Guide to gifts ". By the way, in the same year, Marchetti launched a third project - an online store entirely dedicated to shoes, Shoescribe.
Federico Marchetti
“It took a lot of effort to convince some brands to cooperate with us. It helped that I'm Italian. I was able to come to an agreement even with French brands, because our culture has a lot in common, and not only language. We understand their needs, interests, even to some extent their egos. Today, online shoppers want to buy quickly and easily because they value their time. People also like to order goods over the Internet because the search gives them pleasure, because the "web" is a real cornucopia! The ability to get fast, high-quality results, to have fun, completely surrendering to fascinating research - that's what motivates people to buy online. I think that the current generation of 20-year-olds will spend more and more time online and less and less out in the real world."
Designers A – Z
The company tried to simplify the navigation on the site. In alphabetical order, the site contains a solid list of brands thecorner.com partners with. The section, in turn, consists of four headings: "New", "Luxury brands", "Actual brands" and "New names". The first list shows new additions to the site, including, for example, Frame skinny jeans, sweatshirts with Markus Lupfer prints and our beloved Marques'Almeida denim. Looking under the heading "Luxury Brands", you can find a very cool Maison Martin Margiela leather biker jacket or an equally successful Missoni scarf with a price corresponding to the title of the section, at 700 euros. The creators of the site, among others, classified Acne Studios, Carven, MSGM and Opening Ceremony to the category of "Actual Brands". Well, the New Names department is filled with brands like Altuzarra, Each x Other, J. W. Anderson and Kate Middleton's favorite Roksanda Ilincic. Soon, we believe, the list of brands will be replenished with astronomical items from the French Arnaud Vaillant and Sebastian Meyer - the creators of Coperni Femme.
Sections
All items in the store are divided into the usual categories "Clothes", "Shoes", "Bags" and "Accessories". In the Shoes section you can buy MSGM lacquered ankle boots, bright Kenzo sneakers and Rick Owens stocking boots, in Bags you can find Marni classics for every day, and in Accessories you can find a leather backpack with Marc by Marc Jacobs zippers and even a red one. a quilted Moschino handbag inspired by McDonald's. Among the accessories, the hats and caps of the Italian brand Super Duper Hats deserve special attention.
Ideas of style
The Corner service not only delivers clothes, but also helps to choose them. If you are not sure what length of a skirt is the most fashionable now or what thing can become the basis of an image, then the section "Ideas of style" will help you. Things are organized by thematic groups, from trends like cage and origami to a selection of basic things. To the basics of the wardrobe, the stylists of the store referred to the Acne sweatshirts and trapezoidal skirts, MSGM colorful shirts, Marques'Almeida bell-bottomed jeans, Kenzo sneakers.
In the Ideas of Style section, you can also find the store's lookbook and the short film I Don't Know You by Italian actor and director Stefano Accorsi. The film tells a love story, while the main characters showcase pieces from the new collections available for purchase at thecorner.com.
Gift Guide
The section is divided by price and thematic categories (leather, cashmere and must-haves) so that it is convenient to choose gifts for every taste and for every wallet. In the “For Him” section, there is a minimalist Jil Sander embossed backpack or MYKITA metal-rimmed glasses. You can pick up a gift worth up to € 200: Maison Takuya leather iPhone and iPad cases, Cara D x DKNY top from Cara Delevingne's new collection, and McQ Alexander McQueen sweatshirt with abstract prints.
Delivery
The Corner delivers free of charge, and if the client urgently needs an order, he can receive it for 30 euros and within 3 working days. In this case, the buyer should familiarize himself with the customs policy of the country, since the amount of delivery may significantly increase. All items are sent from the company's warehouse located in Bologna. The principle position of the Internet retailer is that clothes travel the world in special packaging made entirely from recycled materials. Each product has its own original code, thanks to which the client can follow all stages of delivery.