Lockdown inspires new ‘work from home’ category for online apparel retailers

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Apr 6, 2020

India’s ongoing lockdown and decrease of sales of ‘non-essential’ goods has led to the creation of a new apparel category, ‘work from home’ (WFH), which a number of multi-brand retailers are promoting to drive future sales. 

 
As clothing retailers face a dearth of orders and pause on deliveries, many are finding innovative ways to shift inventory, ET Bureau reported. Many retailers are focusing on the new need for WFH clothing, which is both comfortable and suitable for possible conference calls. Some sites are accepting orders with delivery scheduled for after lockdown lifts. 
 
Apparel business Madura Fashion has especially pushed WHF wear on its menswear brand Peter England’s e-commerce store. The site promotes a selection of WFH options designed for remote working which will be available to order after April 14. 

“The new vertical is meant to engage consumers in navigating WFH situations wherein they are facing a large audience on camera,”  Madura Fashion & Lifestyle’s CEO, Vishak Kumar, told ET Bureau.

“We plan to make this vertical a permanent feature and increase selection as this culture of WFH is likely to gain momentum.” 
 
Some multi-brand retailers have chosen to temporarily display only goods eligible for delivery under lockdown on their e-commerce sites. Multi-brand apparel and accessories retailer Nykaa Fashion now offers only lounge wear, lingerie, and sleepwear on parent company Nykaa’s e-commerce store as these garments have been deemed eligible for lockdown delivery. 
 
Other retailers are focusing on media content whilst they cannot accept orders, hoping to inspire shoppers to place orders after lockdown lifts. Flipkart’s fashion arm Myntra has released a wide range of WFH style tips, suggesting different items for different types of video meetings, and hopes shoppers will hit ‘purchase’ when lockdown ends. 
 
Lockdown is currently scheduled to run until April 14. However, it is unlikely things will return to normal for longer still, which could make WFH wear a more permanent fixture on e-commerce sites and in Indians’ wardrobes. Coronavirus could indeed become the most striking influence on 2020.