Company: Lands' End
Company Division/Group: Lands' End Custom
Company Description: Lands' End, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck and Co., is a direct merchant of classically inspired clothing and home products offered through specialty catalogs, the Internet and in selected Sears stores. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2003, Lands' End is world renowned for its customer service and "Guaranteed. Period." approach to customer service.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best New Product or Service

Nomination Title: Lands' End Custom Dress Shirts

Describe the nominated product or service: its functions, features, and benefits, and how it differs from competitive offerings. Include the date in 2002-03 on which the product or service was introduced to the marketplace (up to 500 words):

Lands’ End is the first company to offer true mass customization – the Holy Grail
of the apparel industry – at affordable prices. This online innovation is so unique
that the New York Times named Lands’ End Custom one of its “Top 100 Ideas of
2002.”

On November 5, 2002, Lands’ End added men’s Custom dress shirts to its line of
custom clothing it began introducing in 2001. Three months after their debut,
Custom dress shirts became the most popular Lands’ End Custom product and
one of the most popular men’s products sold on landsend.com. The introduction of
Custom dress shirts is aiding in customer acquisition for the direct business,
since 19 percent of Custom shoppers are new to Lands’ End. In addition, Lands’
End Custom sales increased 60 percent after the launch of Custom dress shirts.

Feedback from customers has revealed that Lands’ End Custom has attracted a
larger customer base by leveling the custom playing field. Shoppers who felt
custom clothing was out of their price range have discovered that Lands’ End
Custom dress shirts, priced from $49-$79, are comparable in price to many off-the-
rack shirts. Shoppers with higher incomes have found that Custom dress shirts
are comparable to custom clothing shops – at a fraction of the price.

Before launching Custom dress shirts, Lands’ End Custom focused primarily on
the fit of Custom products. When customers began to request Custom dress
shirts, Lands’ End broadened this focus to include both fit and options on the
clothing. For the first time in custom history, Lands’ End made it possible for
shoppers to go online, fill out an online sizing profile and then “build” their own
dress shirt by choosing the material, collar type, cuffs and whether or not the shirt
has back pleats and a pocket. So, in addition to a custom fit, shoppers
purchasing Custom dress shirts also got to design several elements of their shirt.
 
Lands’ End’s unique approach to mass customization has differentiated it within
the industry and enabled the company to sell customized dress shirts for much
less than custom clothing shops. By combining technology from Archetype with
the accessibility of the Lands’ End Web site, shoppers can get clothing designed
to fit their body by completing a 5-10 minute questionnaire that asks for
information such as shoe size, height and weight –information most shoppers
already know. Plus, reordering is easy because after a customer orders a Custom
dress shirt, the measurements are stored. If a shopper is not satisfied with a
Custom order, Lands’ End’s “Guaranteed. Period.” policy allows customers to
return their Custom dress shirts at any time and for any reason – a policy nearly
unheard of in the custom industry.
 
Lands’ End has always been a pioneer in offering personalized online services
such as Lands’ End Live and My Virtual Model, so personalized products were the
next logical progression. The favorable customer feedback and positive sales
results for Custom dress shirts have set new standards for Lands’ End and the
online custom industry.

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. You may also include links to product photos, logos, etc. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/prod/0,,1_2_1931_44157_73459_51906_5:view=-1,00.html?sid=0658005996422193090
http://lenet.leinternal.com/news/ct_online/1002_1015/10_02/le_custom.html
http://moglen.law.columbia.edu/CPC/archive/e-economy/30ECOM.html

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography of the leader(s) of the team that developed this nominated product or service:

Bert Kolz is the Manager of International eCommerce for Lands' End. He manages
the six Lands' End international Web sites and is responsible for Lands' End's
custom clothing program and their business-to-business Web sites.

Bert has been with Lands' End since 1994. Prior to accepting his current position
with the company's Internet business in 1998, he held the position of International
Business Development Manager.

He holds a B.B.A. degree in Management Information Systems and Accounting
from the University of Wisconsin and is a certified public accountant.