When the game is fashion, the stakes are high.
When the business is online shopping, the competition is fierce.
…but despite this tough scene to crack, af83 is ‘flying high’ on both counts with the social shopping website UpFactory!
Four weeks ago, the fashion platform UpFactory was released and already there are over 130 creators and 1200 products for sale on the site and these numbers are increasing. So what makes this ‘Social Shopping Website’ different? The site was developed for 3 Suisses, the large mail order catalogue company, in order to directly involve them in the current global dialogue about shopping. The title UpFactory is a melange of the word ‘Up’ referring to things which are up-to-date, new and trendy and ‘Factory’ suggesting that the site is a place and location where trends can be created and monitored. The term ‘uppers’ refers to the users who are structuring, interacting and creating the trends. The site is currently up and away in
GLOBAL CONTEXT
There are sites such as shopstyle.com and stylehive.com where you interact about fashion/clothes/shopping. However, the main problem with having sites like this is that while they are social, it is necessary to go to an additional site in order to purchase a product. At the other end of things, there are sites where you can go to buy and sell products, the most obvious example of this is ebay, but it is not possible to interact on a site such as this…so UpFactory has made its home in the niche between these too markets and done so in a way that is innovative in both format and function.
UpFactory specifically markets young designers and creators and therefore takes a more organic and ethical position. There are two options on the site: either to be a buyer/user or to be a seller/creator and with both you have the opportunity to create and develop your online identity. Users can rate and discuss designers and create an area called ‘mon boudoir’ which is comprised of their favourite designers and things they like on the site. They can also categorise this information for easy navigation. Users are not obliged to make a purchase and it is possible to simply interact around products. However, they are only allowed to upload a picture after they have bought something on the site. Users are encouraged to recommend the site to friends and are rewarded with discounts for doing so. In a similar way, designers are able to choose an online image by selecting a fictional location ‘city’ (all the major fashion cities in the world are represented on a fictional map of city islands) and they also upload a photo of themselves as well as of their creations. The creators are then able to manage and analyse their professional social network, monitor the online reception of their brand by viewing their fans, ratings, discussions and alerts about their products. The designer ultimately has complete control over which comments are displayed, which fans they represent on their profile and in this way they can modify and moderate the online image of their brand. In addition, users are able to place requests and give feedback about the designs in order to request the sort of products they would like to see on the site from that particular designer.
ADVANCED INTERMEDIATION PLATFORM
The legality of the site is very detailed and thorough unlike sites such as ebay where you simply have a photo and there is no follow-up on purchases. An innovative aspect of this is the one page shopping card (the first of its kind online) whereby it is possible to modify all information on just one page rather than in three steps. When someone wants to purchase one of your products, the designer will receive an order/request to validate therefore the purchasing process is flexible and it is possible for a designer to refuse an order. After an order has been validated, there are constant updates for example, ‘waiting to be validated’ ‘waiting to be sent’ and ‘in delivery’. There is also a return policy if the product is unsatisfactory and it is possible to contact both the designer and the team concerning any issues. There is an ORD (online dispute resolution) aspect of the site too and therefore UpFactory will intervene to solve any problems with the transaction between buyers and sellers. There are also evaluations/ratings from the buyer following the purchase, like on ebay, therefore it is in the designers best interest to make sure that a product is satisfactory.
PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATED PLATFORM
On the UpFactory site, it is required that the designers are professionals and there are certain guidelines they must follow in order to provide a professional service. The description and detailing of the products must be advanced in terms of stock management, details of the materials and for all products the European washing guidelines must be selected and followed. The designer is able to track all transactions, calculate the VAT (products may be subject to TVA) and the transaction fees and commissions are clearly displayed and explained throughout the process. In addition, the website offers the most complete and professional product presentation for fashion online sellers by presenting the piece of clothing in all the different colours available. See http://www.upfactory.com/model/show/290 for more details.
The form of UpFactory makes it easy for users to navigate, view products and interact around them. On the website there is a superfluity of products and therefore an innovative ‘infinite’ slide has been developed in order to visualise all the products regardless of the amount. This is very user-friendly and innovative in that no matter how many products are eventually placed on the site, it will always be possible to view them within one sequence and slide. This is an attractive and innovative way to view a very large online catalogue. Firstly, it is necessary to select the appropriate categories in terms of gender, type of product, colour and size, and then all the results matching the search will be displayed on the infinite slide.
So there you have it, that is UpFactory…its ON THE UP!