Buy The Runway - Rent the Runway’s Last Stand?

eCommerce
Written By Rick Watson

Rent the Runway (RTR) has been on the ropes the past year. Now they are attempting to reboot the entire concept and add a new line to the business - buy the runway?

I've lost track over how many resale marketplaces are out there internationally now, either launched directly from the brand or independently.

I think this is the last stand a little bit here. If they can get traction, an acquisition from TheRealReal could be in the offing. If they can't, well.... you may not get another chance.

One benefit that Rent The Runway has relative to some other sites - a lot of consumer data that it has built up over the years!

One big question for me - where will the inventory come from? Looks like not directly from consumers. This could solve an authenticity problem.

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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