An Analysis Of The Rental Fashion Industry

In looking at the world of fashion, it is hard to miss the many rental platforms that have become staples in the industry. While the business model makes sense for many consumers, it also feeds on many consumer trends and developing ideals. The driving purpose of this thesis is to better understand the success of rental platforms, to see what components of the industry are most important to the success of a rental company, and ultimately determine if rental will have a future in the next generation of fashion. The following research explores the fashion industry, rental’s place in that industry, and whether this new business model is here for the long haul. This research will prove vital in understanding the success of this new industry and the most important components that make up a successful rental business. Through this research it was found that the pillars of marketing, especially a deep understanding of consumers, and supply chain, have proven to be the most interesting aspects of the rental industry’s success. Specifically, the components of inventory management, transparency, consumer research, and pricing were found to be the most vital to any rental platform’s success.