TOTE introduces platform for omnichannel fitting room try-ons and preps seed fundraising for September

TOTE, a retail technology company that aims to bridge the gap between online shopping and in-store experiences, has announced its official launch.

Since rolling out its product last year. the company has partnered with 80+ stores across 50+ brands, ranging from independent boutiques to large retailers with 10+ store locations, including Bandier, Still Here, Ramy Brook, and Susan Alexandra.

TOTE allows customers to select items on a brand's website and have them waiting in a fitting room to try on in-store. Online only retailers can also leverage the platform to book virtual styling sessions, or to send shoppers to their stockists’ locations.

“We’ve tapped into how shoppers not only want to interact with brands, but how they expect to interact with brands,” says Daniel Nickel, Founder and CEO at TOTE.

“For every shopper that wants a high touch, 30-minute session with a stylist, we see another who just wants to know the item is available so they can try it on and get in-and-out.”

“So, we’re allowing brands to meet each shopper where they’re at, and that type of personalisation is why we’ve seen over 3,600 fitting rooms booked this year already”. 

With onboarding that takes less than 24 hours, TOTE integrates with brands’ e-commerce front end and their store inventory on the backend. Retailers have access to a dashboard where they can manage fitting room bookings and see purchasing and revenue data.

On top of its core offering, TOTE built its own artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithm to power recommendations based on the colour, patterns, and general aesthetic of what a shopper already wants to try on.

The product also offers a store flow management solution to track how shoppers move through stores and fitting rooms as well as individual employee profiles for clienteling. 

“We saw immediate traction when we launched our partnership with TOTE,” says Maurice Mosseri, Co-Founder of Still Here, a cult denim brand with stores in NYC. “It seamlessly drives shoppers in-store and almost always results in larger ticket purchases." 

TOTE is working on expanding its offerings, with plans to introduce new features such as a marketing solution to re-target shoppers with products they tried on but didn’t buy, and a standalone TOTE platform where shoppers can discover stores and book fitting rooms across multiple brands.

“Ultimately, our goal is to bring joy back to shopping,” says Nickel.

“Fashion should be defined by individuality and personality, but too often negative experiences outweigh the positive ones. If we’re helping shoppers get what they want, that leads to stronger relationships and more loyalty for brands, and everyone wins.”

TOTE is launching a seed fundraising this month with the goal of expanding to 1,000 brands by the end of next year. 

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Omnichannel retail is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Retail Technology Show 2025, and Business France, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.