Based on a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, Lands' End CEO Federica Marchionni is either the living embodiment of Miranda Priestly, the character played by Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada," or a forward-looking executive on a mission to sweep away an anachronistic culture and bring a once-storied brand into the twenty-first century. Wherever the truth may stand, it is clear that Ms. Marchionni has no problem borrowing an idea that works for Amazon.com and putting it to work for her business.
A report by The Washington Post says that the recently re-launched Canvas brand by Lands' End is being offered with a membership option, a la Prime, known as Canvas by Lands' End Circle Membership. For an annual membership fee of $50, members receive free shipping and returns on all products purchased from Lands' End. They also get a 20 percent discount on all regularly priced merchandise as well as an early shot at sales merchandise.
Lands' End believes early access to deals is a key component of the Circle Membership plan. "We wanted to make sure that it was definitely the opportunity that you feel that you get to experience some exclusive offers," Michele Casper, a spokesperson for the company, told the Post.
Canvas, for those not familiar, was a brand intended for younger consumers when it launched in 2009. Management pulled the plug on the brand several years later, but Ms. Marchionni made the decision to revive it.
"When I first started at Lands' End, I was being asked by many people to bring back the Lands' End Canvas collection," Ms. Marchionni said last month. "When we began to design this exciting new collection, the name, Canvas by Lands' End, was a perfect choice. Following the vision, this new collection allows us the opportunity to reach an additional audience, younger and more fashion conscious, with a strong desire to express their personal style. The line, inspired by the freedom of artistic expression, features a white label symbolizing the ability to personally create one's own canvas."
- One year in, CEO Marchionni shakes up tradition-minded Lands' End - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Why a big clothing retailer is trying an Amazon Prime-like subscription - The Washington Post (tiered sub.)
- Canvas by Lands' End Circle Membership - Canvas by Lands' End
- Lands' End Introduces Canvas by Lands' End - Lands' End
- Will the new/old Lands' End catch on with consumers? - RetailWire