Whole9Yards ‘Try Before Buy’: A new way to shop online

Online shopping is by far and large a part of everyone’s daily lifestyles. From makeup to clothes and electronics, everyone always has a finger on their mouses scrolling through endless lists of products. Now whether a purchase is made is a whole other story.

Typically, many are still apprehensive about shopping for clothes online, especially when they are marked with hefty price tags and even chunkier return policies. Then there are fit issues because how could you be certain that the cutting will be flattering? So, until technology catches up to offer 3D projection of the clothes, we can find some solace in Singapore based label, Whole9Yards, who has found a way to comfortably ease our commitment issues.

As a new brand in Singapore, the design team is very much focused on providing well-constructed apparel that are whimsical with a touch of vintage and yet suitable enough for everyday wear.

Now, they have essentially shaken up the entire online retail scene by offering a ‘Try before Buy’ service. With this, customers are given the option to pick three garments, have them couriered to you to try, before deciding which ones to keep, if any. Everything you need to return the pieces will be provided in the package and costs will be borne by the brand.

Confused? Here’s a quick video depicting the process:

Our Verdict?

Generally, we appreciate having the option to try clothes that you see online before dropping a chunk of money, which makes the idea of online shopping a little more inviting. So putting the service to test, we picked out three pieces we fancied and got them delivered. When we received the items, we tried them on and while all three we loved, we decided to keep the Crop Dress in Mystic Print. It felt a little more versatile and out of the three would definitely receive more wear. From then on. the return process was fairly simple and there were several points that we really liked:

+ The clothes we chose were all well constructed and of good quality fabric.

+ It was a breeze to request for a pickup to return the items (online request form available).

+ No need to queue at the Post Office for returns

+ Everything you need to carry out the return was provided in a thoughtfully designed packet (shipping label, bag and instructions all included)

+ Shipping and returns are completely free

That being said, there are a couple of points that could be improved on as well:

– We didn’t receive any order confirmation after completing the order online, which made us unsure if the request had gone through.

– Considering the pieces are sufficiently pricey, we were surprised that they didn’t come packed individually in some delicate  tissue paper.

Note: Shoppers will be directed to the Paypal site to either make a purchase through your Paypal account or by entering your credit card details. Rest assured though, the total amount of the selected outfits will not be deduced but instead, put on hold. Once the returns have gone through, only the amount of the pieces you kept will be deducted.

Ideally, more online retailers should jump on this bandwagon and offer such a service. It would make the experience a lot more convenient and enjoyable and boy are we pleased that our little nation has such a brilliant e-tail service. Kudos to Whole9Yards!

Tarandip Kaur