American Apparel, in a bid to change its fortunes, is hoping to get a jumpstart from same-day delivery through a new partnership with Postmates, allowing consumers to order and receive product within an hour, the company said in a press release.
The same-day delivery service will be provided from 79 American Apparel stores in the U.S. covering 31 markets, giving consumers access to 50 “on-demand basics” like hoodies, t-shirts and socks from the brand’s inventory for men and women.
The rollout comes after successful pilots in major cities like New York and San Francisco, using limited marketing, the company said. American Apparel said it is the first official and largest in-app apparel partner of Postmates.
Thoryn Stephens, American Apparel’s Chief Digital Officer, said the company is leveraging RFID tagging and inventory management to provide real-time inventory access and availability to the Postmates Order app. Participating stores will have access to the app via an Android tablet, which will display them directly on a terminal in the store. Associates can then retrieve and package the order while the Postmates driver is en route.
“The combination of American Apparel’s real-time, local inventory paired with Postmates’ superior delivery technology and national footprint is changing the way customers can access their favorite brands,” said Holger Luedorf, Senior Vice President of Business for Postmates in the release. “One or two day shipping is no longer an option – we are creating entirely new customer expectations.”
With a one hour guaranteed delivery time, Postmates estimates this process will save 15-20 minutes per order and result in higher order accuracy. The integration is also set up to allow Postmates to invoice American Apparel instead of the driver’s credit card at pickup, saving credit card fees and time.