Last Updated: 24th September, 2024
Web-based dress rental platforms like Rent the Runway, Bag Borrow or Steal, Le Tote, etc. let style-conscious people rent designer dresses, clothes and accessories for special occasions and have become the topic of discussion in the fashion industry.
The idea of renting out clothes may seem odd at first, but the success of Rent The Runway like platforms has proven the potential of this emerging rental business model.
In this post, FATbit Technologies would like to help aspiring entrepreneurs who want to launch a similar business by explaining the process they need to follow to build a dress rental website like Rent The Runway.
Read on and learn what features & functionalities you need to consider to make a superior clothing website and to rent out designer, weddings, prom, or other dress collections.
An online dress rental portal like Rent the Runway is more than just a fashion company. It is also a technology company that is reinventing the fashion rental industry. The business model is based on strategic partnerships with multiple designers and agencies to give their audience access to their newest outfits and accessories.
As a dress rental platform owner, you will rent out items for up to one week and charge a certain percentage of the rental price as a platform fee. The rental price covers the service charges, dry cleaning, and other minor expenditures.
When an order is placed, the product will be dispatched from the vendor’s inventory with per-addressed packaging. There should also be a provision for holding an insurance amount during the rental period to cover any sort of accidental damage.
Besides making money from renting clothes, your online dress rental platform can generate revenue from the following channels:
In addition, you can also upgrade your online designer dress rental platform by adding a selling feature to it. Allow fashion brands to sell their products on your website, and it will serve as another source of revenue in the form of commissions from those sales.
Most of these dress rental websites cater to a specific geographical area. So, it would be wrong to consider them as a competitor to your dress rental portal, unless they operate in the same market that you are targeting.
Now that we have understood the business model and have an idea about the top online dress rental marketplaces, let’s find out more about the required website features.
Note: If you are planning to build a multi-vendor dress rental website powered by Yo!Rent, then make sure it has the most – if not all – features listed in this post. Let’s begin!
As mentioned earlier in this post, your online clothing rental platform is more of a technology business, thus, its website should be loaded with interesting features.
Let’s start with the homepage and highlight the elements that can make it highly conversion-focused and engaging.
The homepage should focus on two important things that customers care about i.e. discovering and renting dresses. The homepage should also have a neat design and use the white space carefully. It should not be lengthy and only consist of the most important sections. Here are the most prominent ones:
Banner: You need to add a pinch of innovation on the homepage banner by adding two conversion elements. One should take visitors to How It Works page while the other should start the dress booking process instantly. Don’t forget to use an image and a website message for the banner area to make it more attractive.
Most popular styles: Some designers and dresses would be popular amongst customers. These should be displayed on the homepage in a slider to get visitor’s attention. The ideal place for this section would be below-the-fold area. In addition to dress images, the section should also display:
Seasonal Styles: The homepage should feature another eye-catching section that introduces the visitor to different seasons. This should be in the form of a dedicated page and display lists of seasonal collections. You may also add filters in a side panel to generate tailor-made results.
In addition to that, you can offer a discount on the first purchase to encourage users to buy from your website or app and boost conversions..
Make sure that they get to know about it by displaying a pop-up that highlights the discount & registration link when a user lands on the homepage of your dress rental website.
A large number of e-commerce stores are following this strategy to increase user registrations and establish communication through email even if the visitor doesn’t place an order.
Now, let’s take a step ahead and discuss how a website’s inner pages should be designed.
Item pages of your website should be an inspiration for e-commerce stores as well as users. They should be highly informational with zero clutter.
From renting process to image reviews, everything has to be organized while keeping the user experience in mind. It would be best if you cover the dress page one section at a time.
Rental Form: The process of reserving a dress should be quick. Users should be asked about necessary information like zip code, size, delivery date and at the end of the form, there should be the ‘Reserve’ button. The following value added options can also be featured in the section:
Dress Images: Like most online stores dealing in clothes, your website should consist of high-quality images clicked professionally. But you shouldn’t stop there. Beside the product images it should also have a place to display customers’ photos who previously rented them.
These images can be fetched from reviews and would help the customers see how a dress really looks. Implementing such competitive features will add more value to your brand.
Review system: The rating and review system should be implemented in a way that users can easily discover relevant reviews. Here are a few things you can implement to deliver a satisfying user experience:
Recommendations Section: Sometimes, just one dress is not enough. That’s why your website and app should add a ‘You may also like’ section just below the product details.
From design to implementation, everything should be right with dress recommendation feature.
Up-renting (like upselling): A dress needs accessories to complete the look and you can give your users the option to get them using a ‘Complete the look’ section on the dress page that suggests supplementary accessories.
On the main navigation bar, there should be tabs for main product categories like Dresses, Clothing, Occasions, and Accessories to lead users to the selected product category page. Other than that, following tabs can also be displayed to make the section easier:
Let’s discuss how the page tabs listed above should be designed and understand their unique features, starting with the Subscription tab.
Subscription: This page deserves a special mention because it carries the service that is at the apex of a website’s revenue generation strategy. In order to accomplish the feat of making your customers rent from you on a daily basis, you need to come up with some engaging subscription plans. For example, year long free delivery, unlimited clothes, and more.
Here is a list of sections that improve engagement on the subscription page:
Note: For all web designers working on rental clothing websites and apps, our recommendation is to plan & craft this page meticulously.
Designers: Under this tab, list the designers associated with your dress rental marketplace. Designers should have a dedicated page that features an introduction about them followed by their products and their availability for rent or sale.
Stores: Under this section, list the stores that act as physical addresses for a brand. Clicking on any store will take users to the respective store’s page, which should feature the following:
It is recommended that you use a reliable third-party solution for booking functionality. This will reduce the website building cost and provide a secure and tested payment gateway to your customers.
Product category pages
How to find the right size, length, color, sleeve, body type, neckline, age, trend, style, and designer when looking for a dress? The answer is simple — use filters. Make sure that you offer a detailed set of filters that give complete freedom to your customers and helps them search for what they are looking for in a seamless manner.
The details required to rent or shop a dress were gathered in the beginning. Now, it is time to furnish the card with shipping details. Unlike most e-commerce stores, your dress rental website shouldn’t divide the whole process into different sections and wrap it all up on a single page. Don’t forget to emphasize the security of the payment gateway.
Additionally, you can enable a feature that allows your customers to pick up the order from nearby locations instead of getting them delivered.
Through their account, registered shoppers should be able to view and manage every detail related to their orders, profile, and rewards. It should have dedicated sections for:
Basically, users should be able to manage every aspect of their activities on your website and app through their respective accounts.
Features of a dress rental website can be overwhelming for people who use e-commerce websites regularly. Hence, to simplify things for users your team should plan and deliver an extensive Help section. Major highlights of the Help section include:
Detailed search filters, intuitive contact forms, and links to other helpful resources should enable your website’s Help section to answer every query related to the website’s features and functionalities.
Incorporating the features discussed so far will help you in building an ideal dress rental website. But why stop there? Take it a level further with the following recommendations.
Quality assurance is a challenging aspect of every e-commerce business. But since the products are reused things become more challenging for rental marketplaces.
Image Source: YoRent Fashion Rental Software Demo
Renters get a dress in the condition it is displayed on the website, but when the dress is returned, will it be in the same condition?
Such concerns need to be addressed proactively to ensure a smooth renting for your online rental business.
Here are some steps you can take in this regard:
There is a possibility that your target market already has an online rental marketplace and maybe new ones will emerge with time. And in order to stand out from the competition, you need to offer something unique.
Request an Item is one such feature. Its purpose is simple, if customers don’t find the dress or accessories they are looking for, they can request for it on your marketplace. In the long-term, this feature will also help you expand your product categories without spending extensive efforts on market research.
Not every visitor will be comfortable with registering right away. Many e-commerce stores let their visitors ‘like’ products and even add them to cart without registration. This feature can increase the time customers spend on your website or app and improve conversions and must be taken into consideration when building a dress rental website.
Every e-commerce store owner hates cart abandonment. Optimized checkout pages can play a pivotal role in minimizing cart abandonment rate. In an effort to close the deal on a single page, do not clutter the checkout section. Take inspiration from other e-commerce stores and implement a design that is a best-fit for your business.
You may incorporate some other interesting features like creating a rental product calendar that displays real-time stock availability, define buffer days for product return, block unavailable dates for rented products and extend rental duration from the admin panel.
The rental model has its positives, especially when it comes to variety and savings. Incorporate the features and recommendations mentioned in this post and create your own advanced online dress rental platform today. Make sure it is flexible so that changes and enhancements can be made.
All innovation starts with an idea to solve real-world problems. At FATbit Technologies we are passionate about driving digital transformation to prepare businesses for a digital-first tomorrow. Let’s discuss your BIG idea NOW.
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Comments (32)
Jessica Rosado
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Sameer Khan
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lena
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Lakshika
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Sneha Sultania
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drew
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Pre shipment Inspection
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Lakshmi
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Vishnu Nair
Sarita Sonavane
Need a dress rental website. Please sen me an estimated
Hello Jessica,
Thanks for reaching us out. One of our representative will get back to you soon.
Cheers
Hey Frank,
One of our expert will get in touch with you soon.
Thanks
Hello, i want to build an ecommerce website with a uniqhue 3 hour delivery service in hyderabad, India. Please get back to us to help us.
Hello Sameer,
We will be more than happy to help you.
Our experts will get back to you soon.
Cheers !
i am interested in creating an online dress rental business. Can you please get back to me asap.
Cheers
Hello Lena,
Our startup expert will contact you soon !
In the mean time, kindly send us your business requirements via https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html , this will help us serve you better 🙂
Regards,
FATbit Team
Hi,
I want to start an online renting business..Please share Estimate cost that I need to put in.
Hi Lakshika,
Thanks for connecting with us.
We would be glad to work on this project.
Our expert will get in touch with you to discuss the same. Meanwhile, you can share your detailed requirements with us via https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Regards,
FATbit Team
Hi FatBit team, exploring this business idea – need help with developing the platform. Please connect to discuss. Thanks.
Hi Sneha,
Thanks for showing interest in us.
We would be glad to work on this project.
Our expert will get in touch with you to discuss the same. Meanwhile, you can share your detailed requirements with us via https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Regards,
FATbit Team
Hello Fatbit team, I’m interested in starting a clothing rental website, would like your help. Can you get back to me ?
Sure, we will be more than help you 🙂
Our business team will get in touch with you soon.
Meanwhile, if you have any specific requirements related to the clothing rental website, you can share with the team at [email protected]. This will help us serve you better.
Have a nice day.
FATbit Team
I loved the way you discuss the topic great work thanks for the share.
You’re welcome.
Keep visiting us for more such interesting topics.
Cheers!
Team FATbit
This is great information for students. This article is very helpful i really like this blog thanks.
You are Welcome.
Cheers!
Team FATbit.
Hi FatBit team,
I want to start the rental business. Can you please get back to me asap.
Thank you.
Hello Janice,
Thanks for reaching us out. One of our representatives will get in touch with you soon to discuss the details. Meanwhile, please send your more queries if any, through https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Cheers!
Team FATbit.
Nice post 🙂 Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Hello I’m interested in starting an online rental company. Could someone reach out to me for consultation?
Hello Stephanie,
One of our experts from the business development team will get in touch with you shortly.
Have a nice day!
– FATbit Team
Hi there – would like to get some figures on building a clothes rental website.
Please advise. Also, do you provide the back-end inventory management?
Thanks!
Hi,
Thanks for connecting with us.
We would be glad to help you.
Our expert will get in touch with you to discuss the same. Meanwhile, you can share your queries with us (if any) via https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/enquiry.html
Regards,
FATbit Team.
The only thing I’m struggling to find information on, is how to charge customers for damaged or lost items. Once a customer is charged when they place the rental, there is no way to charge them again if the items isn’t returned. If someone could shed some light on this, I’d be grateful.
Hello Drew,
Thanks for connecting!
In the scenario you mentioned, you can charge a security amount when the product is being rented out. The security amount can equal to or less than the cost of the product. If the product is returned in the same condition, then the whole amount can be refunded back to the rentee. If the condition is not up to the mark, an amount can be dedicated which is decided mutually by the admin and the renter.
Yo!Rent, a rental ecommerce solution, has an inbuilt security deposit at the admin end. The security is received and kept with the admin and is released once the item is returned. Check the admin demo to know more https://fashion.v3demo.yo-rent.com/admin
We hope you have received an answer to your question. If not, please let us know more. https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
I’m interested in starting a clothing rental website and superb blog.
Hello,
Please send in your details, we’ll be glad to assist.
https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Thanks & Regards,
Team FATbit
I heard this online rental business first time, but i am excited to do.
Hello Lakshmi,
That’ll be great. Please feel free to get in touch. We’ll be happy to help.
https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Thanks & Regards,
Team FATbit
Detailed article. Can you people guide me on the integrations and plugins your software supports?
As per study added by Value Market Research, the online clothing rental refers to services that allow consumers to rent garments for a specific time. The booming online retail industry is one of the main factors driving the market growth worldwide. Additionally, a growing urban population with higher fashion consciousness is also contributing to the increasing service demand.