Virtusize – meet the startup reshaping online retailing
As a hub for amazing startups, at the forefront of innovation and technology, here at eOffice we cherish the vast diversity of novel ideas and businesses. We are pleased to be witnessing their growth and at the same time offer entrepreneurs an environment and support to flourish and expand.
Every startup has a unique story, from that moment when the light bulb switches on with an idea, through the sleepless nights of hard work. Overcoming challenges and celebrating every achieved milestone is what makes their stories an inspiration to every young entrepreneur willing to make his idea a reality.
Taking us through their startup journey is Carlotta Frisk – Head of UK for Virtusize. A recent member of eOffice, Virtusize is a young, exciting company from Sweden, already taking the ecommerce world by storm. Here is what Carlotta shared with us.
What is Virtusize?
Virtusize is a tool that helps online retailers to visually illustrate the size and fit of clothing and we guarantee to help shoppers buy clothes with the perfect fit.
How was the idea about Virtusize born?
Virtusize started off with a group of Swedish friends who shared a passion for digital solutions and the world of fashion. When e-commerce took off, they were thrilled to have the world of fashion at their fingertips. All of a sudden they could buy brands from outside of Sweden. However, there was one major problem: they could not buy clothes that fit properly.
It seemed they had to return over half of the items that they bought, as they were either the wrong size or the fit was not in line with their expectations. They figured that they weren’t the only people with the same problem. Meanwhile, they were all frequent shoppers at eBay, where most sellers provided detailed measurements of their clothes. The addition of a garment size’s dimensions enabled them to compare these measurements to a piece of clothing that they already owned. After all, using their own clothes seemed like a logical and natural reference point.
They started to wonder: what if they used the same concept but made it visual by overlaying garment silhouettes on screen? So they started working with some of the fashion world’s best pattern makers and online retail stores on the idea.
In autumn 2011, Virtusize was born and the accuracy of the solution was immediately trusted by online retailers such as ASOS, Acne Studios and Monsoon. Virtusize grew its business rapidly with international offices in Tokyo, New York, and sales offices in Germany and the UK.
How would you describe your team in three words?
Committed, Fun, Passionate
What are the biggest challenges you face as a startup company?
There are many ideas and new technologies coming all the time so a big challenge is to really make sure you are on top of things and run fast. Our vision is to be the world’s leading standard for illustrating fit but we have a challenging audience and we have to make sure we listen to them and create a product they love.
What advise would you give to other startups trying to make it?
Have fun and listen to your users and believe in what you do.
Why did you choose to work from eOffice?
Location and great connections was a key to choose an office. eOffice could offer great central location and a good network for us to get started in the UK.
