Dive Brief:

• As retailers cater to customers online, Saks has teamed up with Wishi, a styling technology company, to create Saks Stylist, a personal stylist service on Saks.com and the retailer's mobile app, the company announced on Thursday.
• After shoppers take a brief quiz, the retailer will match them with a personal stylist and provide them with tailored recommendations within a day. Once they've received their options, customers can share feedback with their stylist, who can then change the selections as needed, the company said.
• The retailer said it won't require a minimum purchase to use a stylist.

Dive Insight:

As retailers compete for online consumers, they're increasingly adding a personal touch to their services. Besides Saks, retailers including Macy's and David's Bridal have introduced personalized styling services for consumers in recent years. Services have been a key part of fellow department store Nordstrom's strategy for years, including its own personal stylist program.

"Personal styling and shopping are a vital part of the Saks Fifth Avenue experience, and now we're excited to introduce Saks Stylist on our platform," Emily Essner, chief marketing officer of Saks, said in a statement. "With this latest innovation, we're transforming these services to be more accessible to our customers. Further, we're providing personalized, curated recommendations from expert stylists to match every customer's style."

Styling has also risen to popularity as a subscription service, but that has come with challenges for many. Nordstrom's Trunk Club subscription service has struggled at various points to find its footing and resale platform ThredUp last year ended its Stitch Fix-like styling box service and replaced that with its digital "Thrift the look" service, which curates outfits based on a customer's favorite looks.

Stitch Fix, one of the main players in the subscription box space, has also been challenged to find enough growth through its model. Recent changes at the company include launching a more traditional e-commerce offering dubbed "Freestyle" and shifting its stylists' operations to better meet client needs. Those updated scheduling requirements, announced in August, were not received well by some stylists, who previously enjoyed having a flexible work schedule.