Inside fashion tech company Stitch Fix UK’s huge Leicester warehouse

Behind the scenes at an unassuming industrial park on the outskirts of Leicester a fashion revolution is taking place.

Rows of on-trend clothes fill a warehouse belonging to Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service that calls itself the ‘smarter, easier, and more fun way to shop’.

Stitch Fix has already taken the US by storm, and launched in the UK earlier this year.

The service provides shoppers with fashion ‘Fixes’, which are tailored to them using algorithms and human stylists.

Fixes are delivered directly to their doors, taking the faff out of walking around the shops or scrolling online for that perfect outfit.

Founded by CEO Katrina Lake in 2011, Stitch Fix says it learns more about shoppers than most traditional retailers ever do.

This means they’re able to provide a much more personalised experience than the high street.

French Connection, Warehouse, Karren Millen, Whistles, and Leicestershire’s own Joules are among the 60 plus brands featured on the platform.

How Stitch Fix works

After signing up to Stitch Fix, customers fill out a ‘Style Profile’ providing the company with their pricing, style, and fit preferences.

The customer is then matched with an expert stylist who curates a five item ‘Fix’ for them.

Each Fix contains five hand-selected items of clothing or accessories, a personalised note from stylist, and styling cards with images to help illustrate the various ways to wear and style each item.

Customers only pay for what they keep, and all postage and returns are free.

For each Fix shipment there is a £10 styling fee which can be redeemed against the items the customer chooses to purchase – and there is a 20% discount if all five Fix items are kept.

Sharing feedback on the items they receive helps Stitch Fix improve their future experience, and if they choose to shop again, customers can choose to receive Fixes either monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or on-demand.

Why Leicester?

Stitch Fix has created more than 50 jobs locally after choosing Glenfield as the location for its warehouse.

Some of those employees work for Stitch Fix, while some are employees of Geodis, a global logistics and operations company hired to support the warehouse team.

Simon Leesley, managing director of Stitch Fix UK, oversees all aspects of business and operations.

He said that choosing Leicester for the warehouse was mostly down to the city’s central location.

Simon said: “All of our stock is specific to British women and men and we store all of that inventory in our Leicester warehouse.

“Leicester provides us with a well-connected distribution hub in the UK, allowing for quick delivery times to London and the four countries we serve in the UK.

“In addition, it’s close to our shipping partners, Royal Mail & Hermes, which provides us with later cut off times for getting Fix shipments to their respective depots.

“Lastly, it’s an easy day trip for our team in London to access as needed.”

Talking about the company’s launch in the UK, he said: “The UK market has a high e-commerce penetration and consists of tech and fashion-savvy customers who have demonstrated they’re open to trying new ways of shopping.

“We think our high touch, personalised shopping experience will fit in well with their lifestyle. We can’t wait to show UK customers how effortless and fun Stitch Fix is.”

Simon added: “This is just the beginning for Stitch Fix.

“We’re focused on ensuring the UK launch is successful for our new customers and we’re very excited to hear their feedback.

“Long term, our hope is that Stitch Fix can predict and serve your wardrobe needs before you have to ask ‘it’s time for a new jumper’.

“We want to play a part in making personalisation the expectation for retail. One day, we’ll say, ‘Remember when we used to wander around stores to find clothes that fit us?’

“We’ve built a platform and a model that personalises at scale – that opens up a lot of future potential.”