Why We Don’t Offer Online Bra Shopping…Yet

When we asked you all what Broad’s next steps could be, many of you asked for online bra shopping. It’s definitely something we’re working on for the future, but it’s going to take some time. There’s a lot to consider! So here’s why Broad doesn’t have an online store…yet.

We’re a bra fitting boutique.

Our business model is a little more complex than other kinds of fashion retail, in that a large part of what we do requires in-person interaction. Our motto is to offer “as much help as you want”…but for the majority of people who shop with us, their most successful experience includes a bra fitter.

We do our best work in the fitting room with you and the bras, matching bras to your size and shape based on what we see and the physical adjustments we make to each one as you try it on. (Sometimes it looks or feels like a bra doesn’t quite fit, but really all it needs is a strap adjustment, or scoops.) It’s really hard to do this over the internet!

We’re on a budget.

Building an online store is more than adding a new section to our website – it’s an expansion of the business! That means we’ll need to expand our budget to include things like more staff and more working hours.

Sam already works seven days a week, with me assisting on five of them. We have to-do lists and to-think-about lists, and Sam’s even got a worry time capsule. Soon, we’ll need a third team member – and that’s just to cover the basics! The basics are things like bra fittings, keeping the store looking good, managing inventory, researching new products and suppliers, updating Broad’s social media profiles and blog, bookkeeping, following up with suppliers regarding missing or delayed orders, marketing, creating (award-winning!) window displays, planning Broad’s future, and more.

An online store will require one of us to schedule dedicated time each week (or day!) to answer your questions, maintain the website’s listings, manage shipping, and more. More staff + more hours = more costs.

We want to do it right.

Sure, we could speed up this process. But we want online shopping with us to be easy and pleasant, and that means laying a little groundwork first.

Bra shopping without a fitter means you’ll become your own bra fitter. For our online store to run well, we’ll need to offer resources to help you do that. Things like size charts, instructions on measuring yourself and understanding your breast shape, detailed information on how each bra and brand fits, and more. Even if you know your usual size, it may change depending on the bra or brand. Different companies use different sizing systems and bra alphabets, some bras run big or small, etc. We know our stock and so we account for all of this when selecting bras for you during a fitting.

Broad’s almost a year and a half old, and while we’ve grown a lot in that time, we still need to take baby steps to ensure we make it to two years. (And three, and five, and…*gulp* ten!) The top requests from our survey – things like more full-bust friendly clothing, more sleepwear and loungewear – also cost money, and they’re taking precedence right now. We’re going to expand to include online shopping; we just need time. And I promise: it’ll be worth the wait.