Introducing ChangeRoom, a sustainable fashion marketplace to unite conscious Canadian brands and customers.
Brands that already sell via Shopify are able to seamlessly sync their existing online inventory with ChangeRoom’s back-end, to sell on two marketplaces at once using one inventory source, thereby increasing their customer base. Moreover, its pricing system is simple and is automatically deducted from a brand’s existing Shopify bill, charging a standard 15% commission rate on every transaction with no extra fees. Brands will also receive a 30 free day trial, after which there is no commitment. Launching March 5th, 2021 on the Shopify and Canadian Apple app stores, the ChangeRoom mobile app sells sustainable Canadian apparel brands under one virtual roof, creating a one-stop-shop for customers to find convenient alternatives to fast fashion. The app installs easily in seconds, and takes mere minutes for brands to integrate, making the choice to adopt the tech obvious.
The app was developed by University of Waterloo students in partnership with Shopify under the belief that the future of fashion is ethical and sustainable. With this in mind, ChangeRoom would like to be part of the mission to lower carbon emissions, textile waste, polluted waters, the number of underpaid workers and child labourers, and more – across the global fashion industry!
For interested brands, the app promises increased sales, higher conversions, easy inventory management, and a simple integration process.
For interested customers, the app offers a ton of useful features, including the ability to filter based on location and therefore specifically support local businesses during this difficult time.
Customers are also able to create online profiles that track both their personal details and interests, and personalize the products in their feed based on data (ie. their favourite styles, brands, and interests) collected.
An especially unique and helpful feature is the app’s multi-profile creation capability. This allows users to set profiles for their friends and family – with their sizing details and style preferences – to make shopping for them easy. The app also has a full in-app checkout, which manages the full checkout process on behalf of brands with payments going directly from users to each respective brand.
In terms of sustainability, the ChangeRoom team vets each brand on the app based on several sustainability metrics to ensure the integrity of the marketplace. A brand must satisfy at least one of the following sustainable and ethical standards.
Once the brands are vetted, they are uploaded to the app’s brand page and are categorized based on how they value and action sustainability – whether that is through their use of eco fabrics, are locally made, are 3rd party certified, or otherwise!
And because there isn’t an industry-wide standard for sustainability, users are able to learn about the values of each of the brands on the marketplace, which allows them to make their own purchasing decisions. This allows ChangeRoom to satisfy its mission to stay transparent with its users.
For brands interested in trying ChangeRoom for free for 30 days, download the app from the Shopify Appstore here! Or for sustainably-minded customers, download ChangeRoom from the Apple Appstore here. And for more information, check out the ChangeRoom website.
