Men’s Wearhouse introduces digital concierge service for grooms

Dive Brief:

Men’s Wearhouse unveiled Wedding Wingman, a digital tool that helps grooms and groomsmen pick their wedding attire, according to a Monday press release. The retailer began introducing it across all of its stores on April 6.
After answering questions, the tool recommends wedding looks based on the results. Options then can be saved to a virtual closet, and shoppers can schedule an in-store appointment to get fitted by a consultant. The tool also allows grooms track whether the groomsmen participating in their wedding party have obtained their outfits and reminds those who haven’t done so.
The retailer piloted the service in September 2022. During the pilot, the company noticed that shoppers saved time choosing an outfit, because they could quickly select styles once they visited the store.

Dive Insight:

Men’s Wearhouse developed Wedding Wingman in response to customer feedback after half of all grooms stated they find the wedding planning process too difficult or time-consuming.

“The launch of Wedding Wingman is part of Men’s Wearhouse’s broader initiative to provide customers with the best possible experience, whether shopping online, in-store, or a combination of the two,” John Tighe, president of Tailored Brands, said in a statement. “Men’s Wearhouse is committed to making shopping for wedding attire as easy and stress-free as possible, and Wedding Wingman is a crucial component of that effort.”

Tailored Brands, which owns Men’s Wearhouse as well as Moores, Jos A. Bank and K&G Fashion Superstore, has been introducing technology in other parts of the shopping experience. In 2021, the conglomerate began expanding AI fitting tech into more than 650 Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank stores, resulting in a reduction in exchange rate for online tuxedo orders at Men’s Wearhouse.

During the height of the pandemic, wedding retailers quickly moved to provide technological solutions to shoppers who were in need of services in a traditionally high-touch industry. In 2020, David’s Bridal introduced a series digital wedding planning tools, including a vision board, an interactive wedding checklist, customizable websites and a concierge chatbot. Those technological advancements have continued until just recently, when David’s Bridal earlier this month debuted Pearl by David’s, a wedding planning hub where couples can connect with wedding vendors.

However, David’s Bridal filed for Chapter 11 again yesterday after emerging from bankruptcy four years ago. Though the company said it plans to operate normally, it is also laying off more than 9,200 workers and evaluating its brick-and-mortar footprint.