Pursuits
Russia: Where the Deliveryman Gives Fashion Advice
Russia’s Lamoda is building a Web retailer in a land where delivery can’t be taken for granted
This article is for subscribers only.
Galina Melnikova doesn’t have much time for shopping. So the 31-year-old office worker from Moscow has joined the 1.5 million active customers of Lamoda, an Internet fashion retailer with a twist: It sends sales assistants directly to shoppers’ homes. Not only does Lamoda’s uniformed deliveryman bring the clothes that Melnikova orders, but he also waits for her to try them on, offers fashion advice, takes returns, and processes her payment on the spot. “Last time, I bought the clothes but left the belt, as I didn’t like it,” she says.