Hey rest of the world, you may now breathe easy: neon braided belts, tailored chinos and crisp pinstriped shirts are finally coming your way. And it looks like you have New York’s own FiftyOne to thank for that.
FiftyOne is a global e-commerce platform that has helped some of the biggest names in fashion scale their businesses internationally. We first reported on them when they helped Gilt Groupe expand their reach to 90 countries. According to CNET, they’re at it again today with client J.Crew, helping the quintessentially Americana brand grow from 29 to 107 international markets overnight.
FiftyOne’s chief strategy officer, Kris Green, told CNET, “To do international by yourself, you need to place bets on what countries you think have the biggest opportunities for your brand, and spend significant dollars setting up shop there. We help retailers avoid needing to make those bets upfront.”
Going the e-commerce route allows brands to extend their global reach without having to build physical stores in other countries. This way, brands can test how successful sales are in international markets without having to waste money and time constructing brick-and-mortar stores.
“For J.Crew, it’s a chance to bring its collection of turquoise ballet flats and faded oxford shirts to the growing overseas middle class,” notes CNET. Oh, we can hardly wait.
