Dallas entrepreneur Matt Alexander wants to make it easier for men to shop better.
So, he’s launched the e-retailer Need, which he says cuts through Web’s retail clutter and offers a “curated” selection of men’s clothing and accessories to appeal to a discerning customer.
“There are hundreds of millions of dollars in the men’s wear industry but they don’t enjoy shopping,” Alexander says. “We’re exploring new ways to get men to be active in the retail world.”
Need will feature a new collection each month, based upon a theme. For November, that theme is “Open Season,” with clothes and accessories—rugged boots, a backpack—that Alexander feels illustrates the onset of fall.
In addition to fewer items being sold, the main distinction between Need and other fashion e-commerce sites is that all of its products are offered at the full retail price. Need takes a cut of each sale.
“We don’t deal with flash sales,” Alexander says. “There’s a stigma around e-commerce in the fashion world. Flash sales are perceived as a race to the bottom in terms of pricing and value.”
Fashion e-retail and online styling is somewhat of a crowded, but diverse market. While some sites like Gilt and JackThreads offer couture names at reduced prices, other sites such as Keaton Row, which raised $1.6 million in venture capital in September, serve as portals for women to become or use personal stylists.
In some ways, Need also acts like a personal stylist, one with a slightly sarcastic, slightly British persona. In advertising a Filson’s “Weekender” jacket for $320, Need proclaims: “Not to harp on about this, but tatty fleeces
