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Moss Bros and LK Bennett to launch subscription rental services in the UK

Tom Bottomley
14 April 2021

Leading B2B rental technology platform CaaStle, which powers clothing rental services in the US for major retailers including Banana Republic, Scotch & Soda, Express and Vince, is bringing its subscription clothing rental platform to the UK with Moss Bros and LK Bennett.

CaaStle will be launching Moss Box, the first UK unlimited rental service for men, in partnership with Moss Bros, on 20 April 2021. LK Bennett’s unlimited rental service will launch in late summer, 2021.

CaaStle’s B2B technology platform enables retailers and fashion brands to provide "Clothing as a Service" (CaaS), a subscription-based unlimited rental model with an option to buy, as a complement to their existing retail and ecommerce business.

Moss Bros CEO, Brian Brick, said: “We launched our hire service in 1897 and we’ve outfitted people for the biggest moments in their lives ever since. With such a long heritage, we’re well known for our formalwear, but over the last several seasons we’ve evolved with shifts in mindsets and shopping patterns to suit the more casual way men dress now.

“We’re excited to partner with CaaStle to offer our diversified product line-up on a new channel in the UK menswear market with Moss Box. The subscription model will drive awareness of the Moss Bros brand, engaging our current customers as well as reaching new ones by offering them to try our product before buying.”

CaaStle pioneered the men’s rental market in the US in 2019, through its partnership with Scotch & Soda for the launch of Scotch Select, and most recently with Express for its Men’s Style Trial service.

Moss Box will offer customers unlimited access to rent styles from their favourite menswear brands, including Moss Bros, Hugo by Hugo Boss and Ted Baker. For a flat monthly fee of £65, members can create the ultimate waste-free wardrobe selecting two styles to rent with unlimited exchanges, and the option to keep and purchase any items at a discount.

The service includes the ability to swap one or two items when ready, and as many times as a customer wants, with free unlimited shipping and returns, and complimentary eco-friendly laundering services.

Darren Topp, CEO at LK Bennett Fashion Ltd., commented: “We’re thrilled to partner with CaaStle to bring a new way of shopping to customers. We believe this new rental offering will attract a new customer base to LKB, as it will satisfy those seeking a more sustainable way of shopping. We don't see this replacing core ecommerce, but rather complementing it and adding choice.

"Rental will allow customers who can't afford, or don't want to spend the amount required to own an LKB item to wear, an LKB outfit for a special occasion. If they’re already an LKB fan, this service enables them to rotate their wardrobe regularly and get fresh items for their everyday wardrobe.”

CaaSle Founder and CEO, Christine Hunsicker, added: “In today’s challenging retail landscape, subscription rental offers accretive operating income through better return on assets, and a powerful new digital acquisition tool for brands that previously relied heavily on their physical stores to grow their customer base.

“We have seen strong results from subscription rental in the US and look forward to bringing those benefits to the broader market and fuelling a deeper connection between UK retailers and their consumers.

“The pandemic has shifted shopping behaviours, and accelerated the need for retailers to provide a cost effective solution that enables customers to introduce variety in their wardrobes and to experiment with fashion from home.”

A retailer running on the CaaStle platform uses its own inventory, controls its brand and owns customer relationships, while CaaStle operates the rental service in a fully managed way, including all proprietary technology and logistics.

For its UK launch, CaaStle has partnered with ACS Clothing Ltd, the leading sustainable garment solutions provider in the UK, to handle all cleaning and fulfilment operations for its international platform at ACS’s state-of-the-art facility in Glasgow.

CaaStle provides retailers with a predictable and recurring revenue stream, reduced inventory risk, improved yield optimisation and stronger customer engagement than in traditional retail alone. Further rental services in the UK market are planned for 2021.

 

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