Armoire is teaming up with an eco-friendly packaging company to provide new, branded sustainable packaging for their clothing shipments and an integrated digital experience.
The clothing rental subscription and EcoEnclose will start shipping their dual-use mailer starting today, and will develop a multi-use mailer for launch later in 2022. This initiative comes on the heels of Armoire's Well Loved Sale of over a thousand gently used styles, which sought to extend the clothing's life cycle and divert all inventory from landfills.
“Clothing rental has been a way for our customers to avoid fast fashion and overconsumption. Rental creates the opportunity to attribute multiple wears to an item, even if people want to wear a new outfit to every event,” said Ambika Singh, founder and CEO at Armoire, in a press release. “Sustainability initiatives are driving favorable customer sentiment across the apparel industry. We’re proud that this new packaging rollout is good for the environment, and good for business.”
When Armoire was first founded, they used one-time, unbranded mailers with a second mailer for returns. “We saw that some customers were canceling their memberships specifically due to the amount of packaging we were including,” said Singh. “So we decided to offer streamlined packaging–no additional plastic, no marketing materials–none of the brand elements we thought of as premium or delightful. Over 70% of our customers opted into streamlined packaging, so that became our default.” In 2020, Armoire began using dual-use unbranded mailers with a return label, so that customers could return clothing in the same package they received.
The latest, EcoEnclose dual-use mailers are made from recycled materials and can themselves be recycled. Armoire will also take advantage of branding opportunities; the new mailers will be Armoire plum and contain the origami dress icon and company logo.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Armoire to provide their customers with a premium experience through more sustainable packaging,” said Saloni Doshi, EcoEnclose CEO. “We know that brands want that unboxing experience to be magical. We’re constantly innovating to ensure that brand magic and our long-term vision of packaging circularity can co-exist.”
What's more, the new mailers will feature a QR code that can be scanned to initiate a user login experience that provides an overview of each item. Customers will be able to see style inspiration photos, be asked whether to buy or review and they can also share a photo. Customers will also get tips for easy returns and clothing item swap options and member-only offers. Therefore, there will be no need for paper inserts in the future, providing Armoire a foundation to offer a paperless shipping experience.
"Armoire is hopeful that positive customer sentiment around sustainability will align with customer behavior at this packaging launch, and mark the next iteration of an eco-conscious approach," they say.
What do you think of Armoire's new packaging?
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