How a mobile app rebuilt Place des Tendances’ aspirational vision

Brand Loses Its Edge

At its core, Place des Tendances was built to inspire. But over time, the brand drifted into discount territory—where conversion ruled, but loyalty and aspiration dwindled. Despite 500,000 monthly visitors, it was attracting deal-seekers, not fashion lovers.

The real wake-up call? Customers said it themselves:

“I only open the site when I get a promo alert.”

As the new Senior Product Manager, I realized we didn’t just need an app.

We needed a digital renaissance—a place where style, inspiration, and premium experience converged. Here’s how we did it—and how you can do the same.

1. Start with Purpose, Not Features

Our mobile app was not a tech add-on—it was our brand’s second chance to make a first impression. So we began not with wireframes, but with customer reality.

What we learned :

Our highest-value customers weren’t deal-chasers. They wanted curation, inspiration, and effortless style.
65% of our traffic came from mobile, but conversions lagged behind desktop—by 50%.
Top-performing competitors were winning by blending content, community, and commerce.

Quick Takeway : Don’t build another app. Build a reason to open it every day.

The strategic pillars that shaped our new purpose and lead the transformation.

2. Design Experiences That Feel Premium—From First Tap

We rebuilt the mobile journey around emotion, not just utility.

Key features we launched :

Editorial-style browsing : Inspiration-first layouts with daily-curated looks.
Visual search : Upload a photo, find the piece—magic.
3D sizing : Reduced return rates, boosted buyer confidence.
Smart recommendations : Based on browsing behavior, not just past purchases.

Result ? App usage became habitual, not transactional.

Try this : : Ask yourself—what’s the dopamine hit your app offers in 30 seconds?

From transactional to inspirational : how the new app interface delivers editorial-style browsing, visual search, and seamless sizing

3. Rethink Acquisition as a Brand Moment

We knew onboarding would set the tone. So we focused on first-day delight:

Seamless login for web customers
Exclusive welcome offers without cheapening the brand
Interactive tutorials that felt like mini-lookbooks
In-app influencer collections or hot in social media brand to create “FOMO” from day one

Quick Takeway : Acquisition isn’t performance marketing—it’s a brand story in motion.

4. Build Loyalty Through Hyper-Personalization

Our retention strategy became a blueprint for long-term engagement:

Behavior-driven notifications outperformed emails by 20%
Custom journeys based on style interactions
In-app exclusives: early access, behind-the-scenes content, virtual styling events
Constant feature drops to keep the experience fresh

Tip : The best personalization doesn’t feel like data. It feels like intuition.

The biggest lesson ? This wasn’t about UX or features. It was about restoring soul to a brand—through mobile. Our app reignited loyalty, interest and engagment.

More than numbers : what users say about our app confirms the shift from discount-led to experience-led retail

What You Should Learn from Our Playbook

Here’s what this journey taught us—and what any brand can apply:

✅ Your app is your brand. Every screen should deliver on your positioning.

✅ Inspiration beats promotion. People don’t just want products—they want stories.

✅ Community builds defensibility. In-app collaboration and social features made us sticky.

✅ True rebranding happens through experience, not messaging

Date:

30 May 2025

Category:

Place Des Tendances