Europeans are expected to spend 19.09 billion euros (£16.76B, $20.88B) on intimate apparel in 2023, with the average person purchasing 1.59 pieces (Statista).
Similar factors influence the underwear industry as the clothing industry, such as sustainability, technological advancements, and corporate and social responsibility. Also, body positivity has gained momentum in recent years, resulting in the desexualisation of the women’s underwear segment.
The push-up bra, once a staple of lingerie drawers, has fallen out of favour recently. As a result, since 2017, push-up bras sales have been rapidly declining (until recently, thanks to a new collection by Skims), while sales for bralettes or triangle-shaped bras have skyrocketed. This is partly due to the rise of athleisure, which popularised more comfortable and functional bra styles. And more recently, because of the pandemic motivated many women to trade in their structured undergarments for more comfortable options.
As France is the second largest importer of women’s underwear in Europe, Yade, founded in 2018, was in a prime position to capitalise on the growing demand for form-fitting underwear that balanced comfort and sexiness with performance and sustainability
Yade’s Three Critical Issues
Since the startup had achieved product-market fit, Yade were ready to expand its product range and operations. But as a digital-native company that’s only recently become available offline through other retailers, the team wanted to tackle three critical issues with its online store before branching out further.
First, the team needed to reduce page loading times. The addictive nature of web browsing means that most shoppers won’t wait for an online store to load. Even worse, websites with slower page speeds rank lower in search results. Unfortunately, Yade’s original site used an older Shopify theme template that didn’t take advantage of the speed-optimising features of Shopify 2.0. As a result, Yade needed shoppers to explicitly search for their brand or products to avoid losing sales to the competition.
Websites with slower page speeds rank lower in search results.
Second, product and cart abandonments had become a thorn for Yade. The team had added a custom product variant to enable customers to buy multiple items at a lower price, intending to increase order values. However, the new price variable made adding various items to the cart more challenging, resulting in higher abandonment rates.
Lastly, Yade’s change in brand direction required a new website design. The team needed a sleek, minimalist design with customisable features to support product variants. They couldn’t find a pre-existing theme that met their needs, so they invested in a custom store theme. This would allow Yade’s website to grow with the brand as they expanded their product range.
The benefits were plain to see. Improving these areas would result in Yade’s bottom line reaping the rewards.
Capturing a Larger Market Share
Like many DTC brands that experienced enormous growth during the pandemic and have since seen a softening of online sales, Yade is working hard to remain attractive to customers despite the challenging economic conditions. The previous website attracted, on average, over 35.5K unique monthly visitors, with 13% opting into their mailing list. However, only 2% of those visitors converted into paying customers.
Although the average conversion rate for a business of their size, region and industry is 2.38% according to Shopify’s statistics, Yade’s ambition for the next stage of their brand is far from average. According to the company, the average order value of a customer’s first purchase is around €56, and customers typically make two more purchases within 90 days. So the team was ready to boost conversion rates and capture a larger market share.
The Direct-to-Consumer Model Is Under Threat.
Digital native brands like Yade have been significant disruptors in the retail industry in recent years. The direct-to-consumer model offered lower prices and a more personalised shopping experience by cutting out the middleman. However, DTC brands are now facing several challenges impacting long-term growth.
One challenge is that the pandemic-fueled boom in online shopping is starting to slow down. As lockdown restrictions lift, consumers are returning to physical stores. For example, research by Statista found that 63.9% of consumers prefer to shop for underwear offline. With site visits to intimate apparel sites starting to dip compared to during the pandemic, Yade is embracing omnichannel retail, revamping customer journeys to include wholesale to be physically closer to customers.
Yade is actively searching for ways to grow their top line to be successful in the long run.
Another challenge facing DTC brands is the rise of social commerce. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are making it easier for consumers to discover and buy new products through those channels. But not all brands can count on customers who find them through social media to be loyal, mainly when a dozen lookalike rivals appear on their feeds. As a result, DTC brands are increasingly investing in social media marketing to remain competitive, driving up advertising and acquisition costs.
Finally, DTC brands are also facing competition from traditional wholesale brands. To build stronger relationships with consumers, classic wholesale brands that once ruled multi-brand retailers are expanding ecommerce operations.
Increased competition makes it more difficult for companies to stand out online. But like digitally native brands, these larger incumbents struggle to achieve significant profits as they spend money chasing new customers to meet growth targets.
Though many DTC brands are cutting costs in various ways to weather the current economic storm, Yade’s founder is savvy enough to recognise that cost-cutting measures are not a long-term solution. So instead, Deborah and her team are actively searching for ways to grow their top line to be successful in the long run. This drive is the motivation behind the team revamping their website.
Thriving in a Changing Economy.
In an uncertain economy, digital brands must decide whether to cut marketing costs to preserve growth or maintain spending and risk lower profits. But brands relying heavily on short-term performance marketing need help to win customers in an increasingly saturated digital environment.
Yade were determined to get ahead of the competition. The brand had decided to focus on brand building to increase conversions and customer lifetime value in the short term and to attract out-of-market customers who will purchase further down the line.
Yade’s brand statement reinforces a message of inclusivity.
But Yade’s website was starting to encounter significant issues with traffic and conversions, which was beginning to hamper their sales efforts. Since the start of 2023, the online store has received 54% fewer visitors than the competition, and its bounce rate was a staggering 80%. It was clear that something needed to be done.
Websites with slower page speeds rank lower in search results, negatively impacting Yade’s bottom line. In addition, the website could have been more user-friendly. The layout was confusing, and the messaging was unclear or missing translations. According to a report from Shopify, three-quarters of people prefer shopping in their native language. These issues were causing Yade’s bounce rate to go sky-high, as visitors quickly clicked away from the site after seeing an ad.
Yade’s online store got a fashionable makeover.
Yade knew they needed to change their Shopify store significantly to turn things around. Not only did they need to upgrade their theme, but they also needed to overhaul the store’s layout and messaging completely.
The New Homepage Tells a Story
The new homepage of Yade’s online store is a feast for the eyes. The hero section features a story-based carousel that showcases the brand’s products in a visually appealing and engaging way. The images are accompanied by text highlighting the brand’s unique selling points. For example, one photo shows women of different sizes and skin tones wearing the brand’s new “shaping bra” that gives breasts a natural “push-up” effect without underwiring. In addition, the accompanying brand statement reinforces a message of inclusivity. The statement reads, “The perfect blend of comfort and sexy available in sizes 34-46”.
The carousel is an excellent way for Yade to share its message and connect with its customers on an emotional level. It is also a great way to showcase the brand’s products in a way that is both stylish and functional.
In addition to the story-based carousel, the homepage also features a section for bestsellers and new arrivals. This makes it easy for customers to find the products they seek. The homepage also includes a section for customer reviews, which provides social proof that Yade’s products are high-quality and well-made.
The new homepage is a significant improvement over the old one. It is more visually appealing, more engaging, and more informative. It is a clear indication that Yade is a brand that is on the rise.
A new look for collections makes shopping effortless
Yade’s new collections layout is designed to make shopping effortless for customers. The format is organised by style and function, making it easy for customers to browse for what they need. The collections also briefly describe each style, showing items from the reverse angle when customers hover over a product.
The new collection page layout is a major upgrade from the previous version. It is more user-friendly and more visually appealing. It is also more informative, providing customers with all the information they need to purchase.
Accentuating product features
Yade’s new product pages are designed to put the customer first. Customers can see the item from three angles with a detailed product description. The page also features top customer reviews, bundle options, and a fixed call to action button when the customer scrolls down the page.
The redesigned page highlights information about product sizing, colour, and materials. In addition, the new layout takes advantage of customer data to personalise the shopping experience. For example, the size and colour of the product are pre-selected based on the customer’s previous purchases. This helps speed up the buying process making it more convenient for customers.
The new product pages also include interactive sections highlighting the unique features of Yade’s underwear. Additionally, these sections can be translated into the customer’s native language, making it easier for customers to understand the benefits of Yade’s products.
Yade’s new online store indicates that the brand is committed to providing its customers with the best shopping experience possible.
The new website is a hit with customers.
We were confident that these changes would help Yade to increase sales and improve the customer experience, and the results were immediate. The initial customer beta test for Yade’s new online store saw traffic increase by 70% and bounce rates decrease by 28%. Conversions were also up. The brand was finally seeing the success it had been hoping for.
Yade’s success story is a reminder that even the best brands need to be willing to make changes. By investing in a new website, Yade was able to improve its online presence and boost its sales.
