Project: Plus Size Assortment | Role: Product Manager
The Opportunity.
Sometimes, a t-shirt is just a t-shirt; and sometimes a t-shirt has the power to change the world. It has always been a personal mission of mine to find ways to empower women of all shapes and sizes, especially those often left out of the societal “norms”. All women, and certainly all humans, deserve to feel special and part of a community who accepts them for who they are.
Luckily for me, Anthropologie agrees. They understand that fashion can play a huge role in making someone feel confident and comfortable in their skin. Although the average woman is a size 14 or above, plus sizes are usually an afterthought; or worse, completely non-existent, for most major retailers. So when Anthropologie decided that they wanted to expand their product assortment to include plus sizes, I leapt for joy at the chance to join a project that, in my opinion, wasn’t just about selling clothes. Together, we knew we had the power to change lives.
The goal of this project was to have a complete and cohesive launch spanning the entire Anthropologie brand, from website to app to brick & mortar store experiences. I led the product team for the web implementation on Anthropologie.com.
The Challenge.
Although well established as a top destination for standard-sized women’s fashion, Anthropologie was about to expand into a completely new market: plus sizes. We didn’t know what our plus sized customers wanted to see from us. To be perfectly honest, we didn’t know if we had any plus sized customers at all.
So where did we start?
Research. Lots and lots of research.
The Process.
01
Discovery.
We started with an extensive discovery phase to learn everything we could about what plus size customers expect to see, and need, out of their online shopping experiences. Through research and a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape, the product team was able to make clear recommendations for what our plus size experience should be.
Research.
I partnered with the research team to conduct moderated interviews with plus size look-a-like and actual customers of our brand. Through this research, we were able to create three distinct personas that helped us better understand the needs of all of our customers. We knew from the start that we wanted to find ways to support the shopping needs of each unique persona.
Competitive Landscape.
I completed an extensive competitive analysis of ~40 competitors, both plus size exclusive brands and sites that offered a mix of straight and plus sizes. Understanding the landscape our customers were used to seeing helped us start to wrap our heads around what kinds of features we might need to offer.
02
Requirements.
Thanks to our key learnings from research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder brainstorms, we were able to outline a list of key features for this project that would allow us to compete in the plus size space. Using the MoSCoW method, we aligned on MVP priorities across brand stakeholders, engineering, product, and UX. We prioritized features based on a combination of the following:
level of effort
technical limitations
time to deliver
customer needs
stakeholder appetite
competitive edge
03
Delivery.
In addition to leading my team through the exploration and requirements phases of this project, I took ownership of seeing it through to completion through delivery planning and development.
Delivery Planning.
Since this feature was tied to a firm omni-channel launch date, I knew there would be little room to miss on our commitments. By collaborating across teams early and often, I was able to effectively clear dependencies so that my front end development team was not blocked on any of the user stories we picked up.
Scope Management.
As can happen with even the best laid plans, new requirements and/or bugs were discovered throughout development on this feature. I worked with stakeholders to prioritize and minimize changes by utilizing the data we had collected prior to starting development to make swift decisions in the moment.
04
Release.
Through the tireless efforts of my whole team, we released this feature on time, and without having to compromise on any of the requirements we identified for MVP. Was it ever worth it! In the first few weeks that the plus size assortment was live, we crushed every single financial goal we had set for ourselves. We also enjoyed tons of positive reviews, both from the press and customers alike.
Reflections.
Looking back at my experiences on this project, I feel so lucky to have been a part of something so meaningful. Although I approach every project I work on with care and enthusiasm, this project was special. I had an amazing opportunity to partner with people across the entire company; and every step of the way, the passion, care, and dedication that everyone had to getting this feature “right” was evident.
Although it feels corny to say it, I really feel like I was able to make a difference in people’s lives with this project. As we heard time and time again in customer interviews, so many plus sized women feel like they just don’t belong and that retailers have forgotten about them (or worse, intentionally exclude them). I will never forget one interviewee who had the entire room in tears as she told us how it feels to never see herself represented in media and fashion. I did this for her, and for every single woman who has ever felt excluded, beaten down, and denigrated because of her size. I am so proud to have been a part of this project. Every time a woman finds a piece at Anthropologie that makes her feel confident and beautiful, all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this project were worth it.