ABLY : What Sets It Apart from Other Fashion Retailers?
In February 2024, Ably reached a significant milestone by surpassing 8 million Monthly Active Users (MAU), becoming the first vertical commerce platform in the industry to achieve this feat. Notably, Ably's average monthly usage time per user stands at 1 hour and 17 minutes, and its app usage frequency exceeds 572 million, which are 97% and 145% higher, respectively, compared to the second-place fashion vertical platform, which records an average usage time of 39 minutes and 233 million app launches. This reflects how users engage with Ably regularly and enthusiastically, treating the platform almost like a hobby. Article source
In just 8 years, Ably has become a fast-growing women's fashion e-commerce platform, breaking records in both transaction volume and revenue. This success can be attributed to its innovative strategies and technological advancements. In this post, we will analyze the key factors behind Ably's rapid growth, with a particular focus on its style portal strategy that stands out as a unique and effective approach.
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| (c) ABLY |
1. AI-Powered Personalization and Big Data Utilization: Revolutionizing the Shopping Experience
Ably has innovatively transformed the customer shopping experience by utilizing AI-powered personalized recommendation systems and big data analytics, setting itself apart from traditional e-commerce platforms. While traditional platforms recommend products based on popular rankings or top sellers, Ably analyzes individual customer preferences and leverages over 2.5 billion style data points to provide highly personalized product recommendations.
This approach enables customers to easily discover products that better match their personal tastes, improving both repeat visit rates and customer loyalty. Furthermore, by using cross-recommendation systems based on 50 million reviews and 1.2 billion "wishlist" items, Ably maximizes customer satisfaction through recommendations derived from users with similar preferences. This innovative AI recommendation system clearly differentiates Ably from traditional e-commerce platforms that simply list popular products.
2. Category Expansion and Lock-in Strategy
Ably has expanded beyond fashion to include beauty, lifestyle, K-pop, and other categories, successfully preventing customer churn and attracting more users. For example, the beauty category saw a 185% increase in brand partnerships, while K-pop-related products have been added, creating a more comprehensive shopping experience. As a result, customers who begin shopping on Ably are more likely to purchase a variety of products, which increases the time they spend on the platform.
3. Style Portal Strategy
Ably has evolved from merely being a shopping mall to becoming a style portal where customers can express and share their personal styles. To achieve this, Ably offers a variety of content such as styling guides, webtoons, and web novels, encouraging users to not only shop but also engage with content and interact with others. This strategy has resulted in increased time spent on the Ably app and higher customer loyalty.
Ably's Community Strategy: Evolving into a Style Portal
Ably is establishing itself not just as a shopping platform but as a style portal where users can express their unique styles and engage with others. This community-driven strategy plays a critical role in transforming the relationship with customers from simple transactions to ongoing, interactive experiences.
3-1. Content Strategy that Drives Customer Engagement
Ably provides a range of content—styling guides, webtoons, and web novels—that encourages customers to spend more time on the platform and interact with it. For example, by showcasing popular styling combinations or fashion trends, customers are able to find styles that suit them. This content not only provides valuable information but also enhances the overall shopping experience. Additionally, webtoons and web novels, which target younger audiences, deepen the connection with Ably through cultural and entertainment content, not just fashion.
'AI Profile' service: "Try on as a model" |
| (c) ABLY |
3-2. A Platform for Sharing Styles and Connecting with Others
Ably has also enhanced its community features, allowing users to share their personal styles and draw inspiration from others. Customers can post photos of how they style products they’ve purchased and explore the styles of other users. This naturally increases interaction within the platform and helps foster a sense of community. This transforms Ably from a mere shopping experience into a 'social network for styling', where users connect over shared interests in fashion.
3-3. Strategies to Boost Customer Loyalty
This content and communication-based approach has become a key driver for increasing customer participation and loyalty. For instance, Ably offers special rewards to customers who actively engage with styling content or community activities, and personalized feeds allow users to continually enjoy a tailored shopping experience. Through this strategy, Ably builds lasting relationships with customers, enhancing brand loyalty.
3-4. A Differentiated Community Experience
While traditional e-commerce platforms focus solely on selling products, Ably prioritizes deepening the customer experience. By offering a unique blend of style experiences and social interaction, Ably ensures that users stay longer on the platform and return more often. Ably also strengthens its community ties by connecting customers with styling experts or offering quizzes to refine their personal style, thus providing even more personalized product recommendations based on user preferences.
4. Seller-Friendly 'Ably Partners' Program
Ably has made it easier for sellers to join the platform by offering fulfillment services that help streamline the selling process. Sellers can list their products, and Ably handles the rest. To further lower the barrier to entry, Ably introduced a 0% entry fee, which has attracted many solo entrepreneurs. This strategy has provided sellers with attractive conditions, enabling them to secure more products, which, in turn, leads to a wider range of offerings on the platform.
5. Global Market Expansion
Ably has been proactive in expanding its reach overseas, including its successful entry into Japan. Based on its localization success in Japan, Ably is making strides toward becoming a global platform. Ably launched the Japan-exclusive shopping app ‘Amood’, which offers K-fashion and K-culture products in the Japanese market. Ably plans to expand further into Asia and North America, widening its international footprint.
Conclusion
The key factors behind Ably's rapid growth are its use of AI technology, seller-friendly platform, and diversified category offerings. These elements combined have helped Ably maintain its position as the number one women's fashion platform, driving continuous growth. Moving forward, Ably will continue to strengthen its identity as a style portal while expanding into global markets to solidify its dominant position in the e-commerce space.
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