Zara Online
Seven years after they opened their first store in India, Zara launched online shopping here this October. Currently, there is only one brick-and-mortar store in my city and getting there is a two-day affair. I need to plan my travel the previous day because it’s not centrally located, spend half a day in traffic and then another half in frustration because their stock is either old or impractical, or not available in my size. That I could now have instant access to their freshest releases was very exciting.
The magazine-style layout of the website and the app is in line with their standard shopping interface in other countries . Now, if you’re a regular at Zara you’d know that their sizing tends to be a bit unusual. For reference, they’ve some ‘small’ size tops that can fit me and some ‘small’ size tops that can only fit my arm. If you’re unsure about buying clothes online because you’re worried about sizing, the Zara Online has a nifty tool to predict your size by taking into account your height, your weight, your body type and your fit preference. Once you’ve picked out what you want, prepare yourself for a slightly tedious registration process. Zara doesn’t offer a guest checkout, so I’d recommend you sign up even if you don’t particularly feel like buying anything. Their famous sales will now happen online as well and you don’t want a boring form to be the reason why you weren’t able to snag the last pair of those fabulous shoes.
Pernia’s Pop Up App
Another online store that made its app debut a few months ago is Pernia’s Pop Up Shop. Pernia’s, founded by Pernia Qureshi, changed the landscape of luxury shopping in India by taking designer clothes out of stuffy boutiques and putting them online in a slick website with a gorgeous interface. I’ve been a regular on her website for a few years now because I don’t have to get a manicure or carry an expensive handbag to see what’s on offer, unlike traditional multi designer stores where salespeople decide if you’re worth their time with a single glance. Their new app offers an ‘augmented reality’ experience where you can convert a sketch to an actual outfit, which sounds cool but is actually underwhelming- All you do is pick a design, key in your measurements, choose fabric and attach embroidery references. There is no visualisation of the final product. The interface of the app is buggier than the website, but the ordering process, thankfully, remains as smooth as ever. I got myself a pair of Ritika Sachdeva earrings and they came home in a few days in a beautiful, black, ribbon wrapped package – very luxurious, unlike the pyjamas I was wearing when I ordered them.