Dive Brief:
- Williams-Sonoma brand West Elm has debuted a iOS mobile app, the home decor retailer announced Thursday.
- The app allows users to filter by need and provides a tailored shopping experience. It is currently available for free in Apple’s iOS store. The company did not immediately respond to questions regarding a potential Android release.
- Using the app, customers can connect with the retailer’s design associates online or in person, create and share wish lists, pay using Apple Pay and create registries, according to the press release.
Dive Insight:
With the launch of its mobile app, West Elm is following in the footsteps of its sister brand, Pottery Barn. Last November, Pottery Barn introduced its own mobile iOS app, where shoppers can create digital registries, shop from curated rooms and get help from the retailer’s store employees.
“Delivering a fun and frictionless shopping experience is always our top priority,” Day Kornbluth, president of West Elm, said in a statement regarding West Elm’s app launch. “We are proud to introduce a mobile-first, customizable platform that creates an opportunity for users to experience all that West Elm has to offer through an elevated mobile experience.”
West Elm’s digital push comes as the Williams-Sonoma subsidiary faces declining revenue. In Q4 2023, the company reported $453 million in net revenue, down 15.2% from $534 million year over year. For the fiscal year, West elm reported net revenue of $1.9 billion, down 18.6% from $2.3 billion compared to the previous year. On a March earnings call with analysts, Williams-Sonoma President and CEO Laura Alber said that the the brand had been the most impacted by a consumer pullback in furniture.
West Elm recently brought in a new executive to take its helm. In January 2023, the company appointed Kornbluth, former global brand president of Ralph Lauren Home, to lead the home decor brand. In the announcement of her hiring, Alber noted that Kornbluth had a “proven track-record and previous success growing home furnishing brands.”
