Technology has evolved through the years and continues to evolve. With the invention of the Internet, other technologies have soon followed. Virtual showrooms are a technology that has come to the forefront of the fashion industry as well as other industries. “Virtual Showrooms provide potential customers with the experience of being at a place without having to physically be there. Allowing them to more easily make a buying decision without having to travel.” They have changed the fashion game, in a good way. It provides more opportunities for designers and less of a hassle for the buyers. Pretty much it is a win, win on all sides of the equation.
While there are many virtual showrooms that have emerged on the scene, there are three I chose to highlight today:
LA Showroom
LA Showroom first started their brand in 2006. They have since expanded with many clients. Their categories offered include women manufacturers, women distributors, men, children, accessories, handbags, footwear, and other. They offer a plethora of services including professional fashion photography services, personalized email campaigns for their virtual store, website administration and graphic design services.
Their Mission: Their mission is to, “bring designers, apparel manufacturers and distributors together with buyers from around the world by offering pre-screened collections of wholesale boutique clothing and accessories through virtual showrooms.”
Faire Showroom
Faire Showroom was first founded in 2016. Their categories offered include accessories, stationery, kitchen, kids, women’s apparel, jewelry, beauty, and home décor. They help retailers find the perfect products for their store.
Their Mission: “Faire is on a mission to revolutionize the way retailers shop for their stores. We take all the pain out of buying for store owners. Retailers can come to Faire to find unique and exciting products from thousands of makers all in one place. We have also created the first wholesale marketplace to offer free returns. Our goal is to make every item in your store a bestseller.”
Fashion Go
Fashion Go first emerged on the scene in 2002 by a small group of wholesalers and retailers. Their categories include women, shoes, accessories, handbags, beauty, kids, men, and others.
From there, the brand has since expanded and Being a buyer on Fashion Go poses no cost.
Their Mission: “The FashionGo team promises to always uphold our philosophy of total customer satisfaction. FashionGo.net continuously strives to incorporate the latest technology and develop new strategies and features to provide all of our customers the best online shopping experience possible. Our mission is to help you grow your business to its fullest potential.”
My Opinion
I think Virtual showrooms are a great tool for smaller companies and bigger companies alike. It is a great way for companies to be seen when usually it would be difficult to be seen in traditional circumstances. Traveling costs get expensive and people have busy lives, but with virtual showrooms potential buyers can look at your collection from their smart device or computer.
There are always positive and negative aspects to every technology but I believe Virtual Showrooms present more benefits to the fashion marketplace. I use virtual showrooms with my clients and they have found it abundantly beneficial. Their business has picked up with business transactions every month.
You still have to remember your branding and brand story when doing a virtual showroom. Branding is so important, I cannot stress that enough. Especially with virtual showrooms, you are not presenting to potential buyers in person so your photography must be outstanding with a clear, concise message. Make sure the angles, lighting, and clothing are crisp. You want your photography to have the most optimal conditions possible within your budget of course. These are just some things to consider when deciding to use virtual showrooms.
Virtual showrooms are a newer technology that many fashion companies use to further their brand expansion. It’s a quick and easy way to be seen worldwide and makes your brand more accessible. There is a lot of competition in the fashion industry, but virtual showrooms make it a little easier to get ahead of that competition. This technology is still pretty new and continues and will continue to evolve. Keep this in mind when deciding to buy garments for your new line or when deciding to display garments wholesale on a virtual showroom.
