The online fashion shopping industry has only gotten even bigger amid the pandemic. In fact, stats tell us that the global online fashion market will grow to $872 billion by 2023. Amid a fast-growing market and an equally thriving competitor arena, The Yes stands out with its unique approach to styling.
The startup’s founder and CEO, Julie Bornstein, isn’t a stranger to e-commerce. After all, she has worked with some of the most popular brands worldwide. In fact, Bornstein was the person behind Nordstrom’s ecommerce site launched in 2000. In addition to that, she was also the COO of a successful digital-first fashion platform, Stitch Fix.
The key differentiator in online shopping
So, what exactly sets The Yes apart from all its competitors? For one, it uses AI to present you with stuff that you may like and would suit you. In fact, the company describes itself as a shopping experience provider that “learns your style and actually gets smarter as you go.”
In an interview with Found, TechCrunch’s weekly interview podcast, Bornstein explains how The Yes differs from her former company, Stitch Fix.
“If you think about Stitch Fix sort of for the comparison, someone is a shopper for you, and they’re just sending you a box. You’re not involved in the process at all,” Bornstein said. “We’re really sort of, I would say, a different kind of platform where you want to shop for yourself, but you want to have lots of assortment.”
According to Bortnstein, the app has an algorithm that works around a user’s size, style, price point, colors, and other preferences. That said, no two user feeds are alike. It’s akin to shopping online but with choices already filtered out to suit your wants.
The platform’s appearance is somewhat similar to Instagram and Pinterest’s collaged look, but with models with white backgrounds. As a result, the user isn’t bombarded with too many visuals, some of which are not helpful to one’s shopping experience.
Because the algorithm works with the info that you put in, the onboarding process is a crucial aspect. Luckily, it only takes around three minutes to onboard. A user would have to answer short questions. The system will use the answers to these questions to filter one’s feed in a way that suits the user’s style. The questions vary – from things that you’ll never wear to your primary and secondary sizes.
Feeding the algorithm
Aside from the onboarding process, the app continuously hones its algorithm. To do this, it constantly asks for feedback from you. For instance, the platform has a Yes or No button that you can click when shopping. This is their branded version of thumbs up and thumbs down and gives the app a great signal.
Added to that, the platform also has pop quizzes. The user may choose to answer or not, but the extra questions further sharpen the algorithm.
“They’re super quick and easy to answer, and they’re kind of fun and satisfying,” Bornstein said. “And so we get a very high completion rate, so that helps us sort of getting the upfront.”
Another thing that makes the app stand out is the variety it offers. The Yes works with hundreds of brands, both small players and luxury brands like Prada and Ralph Lauren. In a way, the platform levels out the playing field for fashion brands and really focuses on the users’ style.
The people behind the platform know that a one-size-fits-all experience is not an ideal one. By bringing back the focus to the end user’s unique taste, the platform avoids overwhelming shopping experiences. By filtering out all the stuff that a user wouldn’t buy anyway, the shopping process becomes smoother and more fun.
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