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New solution for online clothes retailing AS THE POPULARITY OF ONLINE shopping continues to increase globally, so too do the efforts by technology innovators and entrepreneurs to meet the evolving requirements of these Internet- enabled consumers. Online clothes retailing is one such example. It’s a niche that many industry experts thought would never gain traction because of the difficulties inherent in buying items you Business can’t feel, touch or try on. Nevertheless, the sector has grown travel boom markedly. But there are still growing clothing options that are most likely to pains, with research last year by Credit be a perfect fit and to best complement foreseen Suisse – a Swiss-based financial services their physical characteristics. company – indicating that 40% of all “Answer five anonymous questions MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL HAS clothes purchased online are returned, about your body and we can instantly become the largest hotel operator often because of size. give you recommendations for clothes in Africa with the completion of a Now a start-up website operating that fit you,” say the founders of Fitbay, US$186-million acquisition of South out of Denmark, called Fitbay, is aiming which started operating earlier this year. African-based Protea Hospitality to help solve the problem through an “The more [customers] tell us about Group (PHG). The absorption of innovative approach that combines their favourite brands and products, Protea has nearly doubled an online database of two million the better recommendations we can Marriott’s presence in the Middle clothing items with the principles of give to others.” East and Africa region to more than crowdsourcing and social networking. The five founders – all based in the 160 hotels and 23 000 rooms. The idea is that consumers sign up city of Copenhagen – came up with the US-based Marriott, the owner of as members of the website and provide concept after experiencing their own top global brands including the certain information about their body difficulties with online clothes shopping. Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance, is shape, weight, height and physical “Clothing manufacturers usually design banking on continued growth in the features. The site then matches these clothes for the ‘average’ body type region and has plans to develop 65 details with the clothing likes, dislikes because that way they can appeal to the new properties (adding 14 300 and choices of other members who have most customers. The problem is that rooms). Of those, 20 hotels and 3 similar physical characteristics. Based on most of us are not ‘average’,” they say 000 rooms will be rolled out in this, the customer is then presented with on their website. sub-Saharan Africa, which the World Bank expects will grow at over 5% through to 2015. CONTRIBUTE TO OUR MAGAZINE According to 2013 data from management consultancy Strategic Marketing Africa is interested releases, article ideas and other in hearing from industry experts, information on marketing topics, as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Africa’s academics and journalists who may be well as other topics of relevance to the hospitality sector is poised for strong growth in the next five African marketing community. interested in contributing to the magazine PHOTOS: SUPPLIED by writing high quality thought leadership Contact the editor by email: years, with Nigeria expected to be the fastest-growing market, ahead articles, columns and opinion pieces. strategicmarketing@imm.co.za or We are also happy to receive press mike@mikesimpsonmedia.co.za. of South Africa and Mauritius. Third quarter 2014 strategicmarketingafrica 7 06-07 On the Web v2.indd 7 2014/06/26 11:51 AM