Tmall launches try-before-you-buy

Tmall introduced a “try before you buy” option for fashion fans shopping on the platform.

In a market where e-commerce is already ubiquitous, the B2C marketplace said it wanted to make shopping even more convenient by eliminating the hassle of returns and refunds for consumers searching for the perfect fit.

The new service will let Alibaba Super Members with a Zhima credit score of over 550 to order clothes without payment and try them for seven days. If they decide to keep them, Tmall will automatically deduct the cost from their Alipay accounts. If not, shoppers can return them free of charge.

Currently, more than 14,000 products from 15 local and international brands are participating in the service, including Italy’s Miss Sixty, Vancouver-based Lululemon and China’s home-grown labels Stella Luna, Dazzle, Ein, Yiner and Conquis.

“Fashion brands can attract more premium consumers through this all-new shopping model… and it highlights how these brands are dedicated to enhancing the customer experience,” said David Ye, head of Tmall Fashion and Luxury’s customer operations unit.

Tmall plans to expand the model to other categories and channels in the near future, Ye said.

“We will also take the try-before-you-buy service offline, allowing consumers to book [garments] online and try on in-store, so they can at once access a wide variety of products online, as well as get the sense of certainty in shopping at brick-and-mortar stores,” he said.