Introduction
The digital business gained popularity due to its convenience and availability. For example, in 2017, approximately 40% of Internet users shopped online more than once (Ijaz & Rhee, 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown forced the global population to transition to an online mode, increasing consumers’ preference for purchasing goods and services online. Despite an increased opportunity for online retailers during this time, only electronic shops with attractive and user-friendly website designs can satisfy their customers (Ijaz & Rhee, 2018). Indeed, online stores that cannot quickly change and improve are destined for failure (Baltzan, 2019). Moreover, digital commerce requires payment for the platform and online advertisement on various other websites (Chen et al., 2020). Still, online stores need less investment into building or space. Other advantages of e-business are worldwide expansion, reduced costs, and enhanced effectiveness (Baltzan, 2019). Four business models are known: business-to-business (B2B), consumer-to-consumer (C2C), consumer-to-business (C2B), and business-to-consumer (B2C) (Baltzan, 2019). The new online tailor store is structured based on the B2C model, allowing consumers to choose the design and size of clothes online and receive the product for low-cost delivery.
The Online Business Description
The new online clothing and tailor store will offer customers an opportunity to purchase clothes of a unique design. The business model of this new store will be B2C which will sell products directly to the consumers online (Baltzan, 2019). All clothes will be sewed by the professional tailors who will be working from home. They will be provided with the assistance of product delivery to customers across the United States. Furthermore, the head office will regulate their remote work to ensure timely completion of orders and product delivery.
Payment will be asked from customers immediately, and tailors will be paid for each sold item. However, customers will be eligible for a full refund within two weeks after receiving the product in cases of dissatisfaction with the result. The strict refund policy should ensure that tailors will produce high-quality clothing. The headquarters will provide the fabric and sewing supplements, but the employees will be expected to have their sewing machines and at least one year of experience in this craft. All tailors will participate in weekly online meetings to discuss concerns and goals. The importance of collaboration and company structure will be discussed with each worker. Like any other online store, this tailor shop will require advertising, licensing, subscription payment, transaction fees, and website maintenance (Baltzan, 2019). Therefore, tailors will be receiving a certain percentage from the per-item price.
The website content managers will be responsible for creating an attractive design that is easily understandable for users. Indeed, content management is critical for creating a website appealing, straightforward, and uncomplicated for first-time users (Kautish & Sharma, 2018). Moreover, fashion advisors will assist in updating the website content and helping customers with choosing a design that will suit them best. Communication between different company departments will ensure high consumer satisfaction and increase the popularity of this tailor shop.
The Problem
One of the main challenges in creating an online shop is building and maintaining trustful relationships with customers. E-business demands proper protection of consumers’ personal information and communication with customers to understand and satisfy their needs (Baltzan, 2019). However, it may not be simple at the initial stages of the store functioning to reassure consumers that their orders will be completed on time and they will receive an item of exclusive design.
Consumer trust is crucial in modern times because customers possess the power of portraying the company positively or negatively. Indeed, social media gave people an opportunity to comment, share, praise, or criticize the work of companies, which requires them to constantly monitor the web to respond instantly (Baltzan, 2019). Therefore, unique advertisements and special first-order discounts should be implemented when starting this online tailor shop.
Target Market and the Customer Profile
Determining the target market and the average profile of the potential customers is essential when starting a business using the B2C model. Although the market is filled with clothes of various qualities, designs, and prices, the demand for textile products is not decreasing (Chen et al., 2020). Furthermore, the world’s most known brands are shifting to providing consumers with online shopping opportunities (Chen et al., 2020). The main reason the clothing business remains in favor is that fashion item play an essential role in symbolic interaction in society (Kautish & Sharma, 2018). Therefore, people’s desire to expose their individuality on special occasions should be an asset for the new online tailor store.
The predicted consumer behavior can identify the target market requirements and customer profile for the online tailor shop. For example, the theory of reasoned action suggests that human behavior and decision-making are driven by their attitudes and values (Ijaz & Rhee, 2018). Since attitudes vary in different age groups, social classes, and communities, the shop’s website should provide an extensive design choice for people of all groups. For example, high-school graduates are interested in unique dresses and suites for their promenade dance parties. Another example may be younger students who want to buy an eccentric costume for Halloween or Christmas celebrations. Furthermore, married couples may decide to order a bride’s wedding dress at a tailor shop instead of buying one. All these customers will require a personalized approach to meet their needs and deliver a high-quality product.
The concern may arise with why customers would benefit by ordering new clothes from the online tailor shop if so many ready luxury brands are available in online and offline stores. Indeed, a quick purchase and the subsequent instant gratification with the new item may be advantageous for the stores that sell ready clothing (Kautish & Sharma, 2018). However, the right marketing campaign that will elegantly target individuality, one shared value for all groups of American society, can attract the target audience to the tailor shop. Furthermore, making clothes according to the customers’ measurements will remove the need to fit the market’s standard sizes.
Competitors vs. the New Online Tailor Shop
Rivalry is inevitable in business; thus, knowing the competitors’ strengths and weaknesses is critical for adaptation to the market. The competitors of our new online tailor shop are brand online clothing stores and other tailors. For example, such online tailor services as Modern Tailor, Step One, Tailor Store, CTD, and Black Lapel are the established firms in this market (“Top 20 best men’s and women’s online custom tailors,” 2021). Still, competitive pressure is advantageous for creating a mature and robust business (Kautish & Sharma, 2018). However, a thorough analysis and comparison of our idea and their companies are necessary to determine deficiencies in the existing plan.
The competitors mentioned above offer tailored services for men and women. However, many of them provide only a limited choice of clothing types. For example, Black Lapel produces suits and shirts for men; however, Modern Taylor provides customers with a broader selection, adding women’s dresses to the product list (“Top 20 best men’s and women’s online custom tailors,” 2021). Since our tailor shop will be accepting various orders from dresses to masquerade costumes, it gives a competitive advantage to our online company.
How This Internet Solution is Different
As previously mentioned, one of the problems of e-business is gaining consumers’ trust. One way to do it is by providing outstanding protection to the customers’ personal information (Baltzan, 2019). However, the best way to gain popularity in the target market is to fulfill various orders professionally and creatively so that consumers will share pictures and praise comments on social media, mentioning the new online tailor store.
Completing many different orders will require employing creative tailors who want to work remotely for our company, which will be a unique feature of our store. We will ask potential candidates to send their resumes and pictures of their previous works before the interview. Each tailor will be assigned a specific number of projects per week that will require sample designs, drafts, and final products. To ensure customer satisfaction, our company will need to monitor and respond to the dynamic business environment (Baltzan, 2019). Therefore, we will try to find fashion advisors and managers that will update the website information periodically.
Conclusion
To sum up, the digital business became popular in the modern era due to technological advancement and reached its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online stores are convenient for consumers because this type of shopping saves time and finances. Online clothing and tailor shops are welcomed among users because of the symbolic value that apparel gives to people, making them make constant purchases online or offline.
Our new online tailor shop will be an effective and profitable business due to this store’s unique style of clothes. Tailors will be primarily working remotely, which allows employing workers from different states. Employees will have strict deadlines for delivering clothing items, but the firm will assist with purchasing fabric and providing products to customers. Finally, our content managers will make sure to maintain the website appealing and the advertisement engaging.
References
Chen, P., Zhao, R., Yan, Y., & Li, X. (2020). Promotional pricing and online business model choice in the presence of retail competition. Omega, 94, 1-13. Web.
Baltzan, P. (2019). Business-driven information systems (6th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Ijaz, M. F., & Rhee, J. (2018). Constituents and consequences of online shopping in sustainable e-business: An experimental study of online shopping malls. Sustainability, 10(10), 1-24. Web.
Kautish, P., & Sharma, R. (2018). Consumer values, fashion consciousness and behavioral intentions in the online fashion retail sector. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 46(10), 894-914. Web.
Top 20 best men’s and women’s online custom tailors. (2021). The International Man. Web.