Battle of the T-Shirts(b)|『网络T恤的后战国时代』

Battle of the T-Shirts

『网络T恤的后战国时代』

　　Ultimately, the biggest contributor to the success of Buy365 has been their unique quick turnaround system, bolstered by the now-or-never feeling created by the on-screen countdown. So what is this quick turnaround system? Other clothing sellers operate on the process of design, produce, stock, and then sell, but Buy365 has turned that on its head. Their process is design, stock, sell, produce. What this means is that when a customer places an order, they will have to wait for 14 days while their order is being made before they can get their hands on it.

　　The key to making customers happy about waiting isn't engaging in price wars like many other online sellers, but rather selling shirts in time-limited runs because the rarity gives the shirts extra value. In their early days, Buy365 sold just one shirt design a day. Today, responding to the clamor from their customers, they run each sale for five days, but Buy365 remains adamant that once a sale is over, that design will never be sold again.

　　The names behind Buy365 are fairly familiar ones because Jerry and Andy Kuo were once Internet golden boys. The brothers were ready for another challenge, so they chose to focus on something everyone buys—T-shirts. The two were aware that while they had the technical know-how, they didn't possess the same level of ability when it came to selecting and designing clothes. As a result, they decided to subvert the standard approach by letting their customers decide how many of each design would be made and in what sizes and then entering production once the orders were in. This way, the Kuos began operating with zero inventory and without the worry of leftover stock that would have to be discounted at the end of each season. It has turned out to be another recipe for success for these two Internet entrepreneurs.

　　最终，败衣网能成功的最大因素是独特的『快速逆转』系统，加上运用计算机荧幕上的倒数计时器来营造『今天不买，明天就没有』的氛围。什么是『快速逆转』系统呢？其他服饰业者都是根据『设计、生产、上架、贩售』的这套系统来运作，但败衣网却完全改变了这样的作法。他们的程序是『设计、上架、贩售、生产』。这意味着消费者下单购买后得等十四天的生产期才能拿到他们所购买的商品。

　　让消费者心甘情愿等待的关键，并非其他网络业者惯用的折扣战，而是销售限时抢购的商品，因为很珍贵，给了这些衣服额外的价值。在败衣网开站初期，每天只销售一款 T 恤。目前为了回应消费者的强烈需求，他们开放每一款 T 恤的销售期为五天，但该网站仍坚守一旦卖完绝不再版的原则。

　　败衣网的经营者颇具名气，他们是前几年曾创办知名社群网站『地图日记』的网络金童郭书齐和郭家齐兄弟。（编按：而『地图日记』后来被酷朋（Groupon）公司所并购。）这对兄弟已准备好迎接另一项挑战，因此他们选择把重心摆在每个人都会买的东西，那就是 T 恤。郭氏兄弟意识到，虽然他们有科技方面的专业能力，但说到挑选与设计服饰，他们并没有同样程度的能力。于是他们决定颠覆标准的作法，让消费者来决定每一款衣服要生产的数量及尺寸，订单下了之后才开始生产。如此一来，郭氏兄弟开始以『零库存』的方式运作，而不用担心在季末时必须要打折来促销存货。结果，这又成了这两位网络企业家的另一项成功之道。