Bonobos expands 'try before you buy' service

Bonobos is looking to grow a 'try before you buy' scheme it has been testing out. The e-commerce driven menswear brand had been piloting the service in three physical Boston locations and is now considering expanding the offering to the west coast.

The omnichannel service blends Bonobos' digitally-native offerings with its brick-and-mortar locations, called guideshops. The guideshops are not traditional stores in that shoppers do not make purchases and carry out merchandise the same day. Bonobos introduced the physical locations to provide its consumers style and fit guides. Shoppers can make purchases to be delivered to their homes in the guideshops, as well as returns and exchanges.

In its ty before you buy testing, Bonobos has been using the guideshops as a hub. Customers to order up to 12 items online to be sent to a Bonobos location, where they try on items and decide what to purchase or send back. The guideshop handles the returns of unwanted items.

Digiday reported earlier this week that Bonobos has experienced success with this pilot, which it launched in August. Thirty-five percent of the customers using the new service are new shoppers to the brand, and the company has seen higher orders and conversion rates on average with the service.

Bonobos has not yet announced which west locations might be the next to utilize the service. The brand currently operates guideshops in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego.