Maternity clothes rental

[Jennyasher]

Hello,
I was hoping for a bit of feedback on a new business that I'm starting. Having been pregnant twice, I remember just how frustrating it was to spend lots of money on clothes that would hardly get used, so I'm working on a maternity wear rental company. So far, it's going to be focused on evening wear, but i wonder if other styles would be a good avenue to go down as well.
Is this something that any of you pregnant ladies would consider using?
I appreciate any feedback :)

I thought about this idea as well, but the feedback I had from quite a few people was that they could buy second hand dresses from ebay for cheaper, or borrow something from a friend so they probably wouldn't use the service.

Good luck though, I think it's a good idea myself!

If you have asked me pre-pregnancy, I suspect I’d have said I would have been really keen to rent maternity wear.

I’m half way through now and have packed up almost all of my ‘normal’ clothes and existing almost entirely on maternity gear. I’ve bought almost an entire wardrobe of maternity clothes second hand for almost nothing (compared to my usual monthly shopping bill anyway...) and so just wouldn’t have a need to rent. That said, I think I’m a proficient eBay shopper and got some incredible bargains because I knew exactly what sort of thing I wanted from each particular brand. If I didn’t have that comfort then renting would have been a good option for me.

I’m not sure how much that answers your questions, sorry.

My reservations would be, first time mums
(At least in my experience of friends etc) want things new and like to go to the shops to choose and the on etc, they would then have the clothes to wear again with any subsequent pregnancies so maybe wouldn’t need to rent.
I needed a ball gown when I was pregnant and looked into renting one and it was only fractionally cheaper than buying so I think there would have to be a cost saving to consider it

I would stick to occasion wear, having had a wedding to attend and a ball I now have 2 dresses in my wardrobe which have been worn once and probably won't wear again.

All my other clothes were from New Look or second hand so wasn't really breaking a budget. I wouldn't personally look at renting everyday wear.

I think more information on pricing would be needed. And what sort of evening wear - glamorous occasion wear or a casual summer dress?

I remember just how frustrating it was to spend lots of money on clothes that would hardly get used

By saying this, I’m assuming you’re targeting people on a budget? This same demographic might not want to “rent” an item if they could spend that same money on owing a (cheaper) item. And unfortunately they might not want to risk fees eg a restocking fee if they accidentally damage an item, so might stay far away if your T&Cs seem like a faff.

Another thing is that they might need to order multiple sizes to get the right fit during pregnancy. Would you charge 2 rental fees for 2 dresses (Same dress different sizes) if only one was worn? Again this would put people on a budget off

Thank you for all the feedback, it's been interesting to get some perspective on this.

Mnthrowaway20202 I'm still working out the details, but i would be inclined to ship two dresses and only charge for one. I had started it with the view in mind to have it as mainly a home studio and the women would come to try things on, at least until i became more established. I think with the way of the world now, it's going to have to be much more online affair.

i set up an Instagram, its My Maternity Runway. That's the kind of dresses that I'm going for. I think they retail for about £150 - £200 for the Isabella Oliver. I would rent for £40 - £60. Does this seem reasonable?

Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.

A few thoughts:

• I love your brand’s name!

• I recommend buying a ring light for dress photos if you want to grow your insta & increase engagement. Some of your photos are a bit dark in lighting so not as visually pleasing as they could

• even without covid, I think an online shop would allow you to cater for more women & grow your clientele. But yes, you’re right, post-covid life could make a home boutique very difficult.

• I think that’s a reasonable price, especially for the more formal/occasion dresses. Hopefully others can give you some feedback too.

• definitely look around at other clothing rental retailers and see what their T&Cs generally are as you don’t want to be stung. Eg how long do customers have to return items. Also perhaps look into getting a logo created or in the future, a website

This is great, thank you for the feedback.

I was so aware that my pictures were too dark, I just wasn't sure quite how to fix that. I've ordered the light ring already.

I fully take on board your comments about online being a bigger clientele, and I'm working on a proper website as we speak. It's a big job!

If nothing else, its a good project during lock down. I really hope it works though :)

I bought an Isabella Oliver for a wedding while pg and it sat in my wardrobe for years as I couldn't bear to just give away something so expensive! So I think there's definitely something in there for occasion wear.

I think I'd be looking for things that are fashion-led - lots of more expensive maternity clothing tends to be 'classic', I guess to appeal to a broad range of people or so that women will think 'I'll keep that for my next pg'. I prefer slightly more edgy clothes than the normal wedding ranges so I'd pay to see that reflected in pg clothes.

One of the things that would put me off buying second hand occasion wear would be cleanliness - if something appears with a stain, am I going to be able to launder it if it's a dry-clean only material, for example? So I think messages about the cleanliness of your stock would be helpful - in other words, I want a hassle-free service, that's simpler than browsing endless sellers on eBay, a guaranteed perfect product, that suits my personal style.

HTH - I think its a great idea.