Rent the Runway lands inside Nordstrom

Rent the Runway, the apparel rental subscription service, has installed four drop boxes at Nordstrom locations in Los Angeles. More are planned.

Three are inside the smaller-format Nordstrom Local stores. The fourth is in Nordstrom’s full-size location at The Grove.

The boxes provide subscribers with a convenient way to drop off rented clothes, although pick-ups will be added in coming months.

Physical drop-offs speed the exchange process for Rent the Runway versus the typical return method via mail. Since adding drop-off boxes inside WeWork locations last October, Rent the Runway has seen over a 180 percent increase in returns directly from customers, according to a statement.

Rent the Runway customers pay $159 to rent an unlimited number of outfits per month and can keep any four styles out at any one time. A subscription for four pieces a month costs $89. Items can be acquired outright at a discount.

Los Angeles is Rent the Runway’s fourth largest market, “with a rapidly growing subscriber base across the region, and a particularly high density of subscribers living or working close to the Nordstrom Local locations,” the statement said.

Inside Nordstrom, Rent the Runway members also gain access to conveniences, including try-on, tailoring, styling, gift-wrapping and “a variety of beauty services.” Trained stylists promise to work with members “to build out their ideal closet with a mix of rented and owned items from RTR & Nordstrom.”

Much like Kohl’s move to install return stations for Amazon purchases, Nordstrom is expected to benefit from traffic. The department store is already piloting the Narvar Concierge network that enables consumers making purchases from digital retailers to pick up and return their purchases at physical stores.

“We believe that Rent the Runway and Nordstrom customers share a lot of the same qualities,” said Shea Jensen, SVP of customer experience at Nordstrom. “Customers have told us that convenience matters to them.”

In April, Neiman Marcus took a minority stake in online luxury reseller Fashionphile. 

• Rent the Runway, Nordstrom team up to boost convenience, attract customers – Reuters
• Rent The Runway Taps Nordstrom Stores As Drop-Off Locations – CNBC
• Nordstrom And Rent The Runway Are Joining Forces – Fashionista
• Rent the Runway and Nordstrom team up – Retail Dive
• Rent The Runway Taps Nordstrom Stores As Drop-Off Locations – Retail Touchpoints