Stitch Fix collects data on customers’ preferences by asking them to fill out a questionnaire before signing up for the service, and by keeping track of which items they end up returning from their boxes “fixes.” In 2018, Stitch Fix also introduced a game Style Shuffle, where customers can give a thumbs up or thumbs down to a piece of clothing or an accessory.īut ultimately, it is still Stitch Fix’s stylists who pull specific items for customers. Stitch Fix’s vp of data science Brad Klingenberg previously likened the company’s goal to Modern Retail as “knowing what is going to want better than they themselves know.” Stitch Fix has long championed the idea that by collecting more data on the types of items its customers like, they can build a superior one-on-one relationship with each customer. “The way they treated us, they clearly think of us as very disposable, so I’m not uprooting my life for them,”said one of the stylists. The email stated “many thanks to each of you to who has donated to this effort, and thanks in advance for considering a donation if you haven’t already,” and the stylist wondered why Stitch Fix sent that email to stylists if layoffs were on the horizon. Other employees from across the business were also told they could donate as well.
Lake is forgoing her salary for the rest of the year, and redirecting that money to the fund.
One of the stylists shared with Modern Retail an email she had had received last month, encouraging stylists to donate to an employee relief fund that was set up, initially to support employees facing difficulty because of the coronavirus. Two of the impacted stylists Modern Retail spoke with said that they felt blindsided by the announcement. In response to a request for comment, the company pointed Modern Retail to the statement previously offered by CEO Katrina Lake on Tuesday, in which she stated that, “We have taken the very difficult decision to reduce the number of Stylists in our styling team in California, as we invest in our other styling hubs across the US, and the innovations that will help evolve our experience in the future,” and that “Stitch Fix was built one relationship at a time, and our Stylist community is an increasingly vital part of the Stitch Fix experience.”Īlthough Stitch Fix is giving California stylists the option to relocate elsewhere, it’s unclear how many of them will take the company up on the offer. The layoffs are indicative of the tension that exists between Stitch Fix’s desire to become a more efficient, data-driven service, while at the same time also relying on its stylists to build emotional connection with customers.
Although the company touted in its announcement on Tuesday that Stitch Fix would be extending health care coverage for impacted employees, part-time employees do not get access to health care coverage. Additionally, unlike corporate employees, the vast majority of Stitch Fix stylists are part-time, and the new styling jobs in other cities will be as well according to job postings.Īccording to a spokeswoman, part-time Stitch Fix employees get access to sick leave, 30 hours of unpaid time off, and 40% off products. Stitch Fix’s headquarters will remain in San Francisco. Hiring more stylists in less expensive cities will help Stitch Fix save money - but the move will also further isolate Stitch Fix stylists from the rest of the company. Before the layoffs, 5,100 of Stitch Fix’s 8,000 staff consisted of stylists, according to a company filing. Stylists are the personal styling service’s biggest expense.
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