look what i received in my email a couple of days ago!

one of my favourite online hunting site sent an awesome graphic promoting their collection of over 500 styles of shoes! every girl is secretly (some obviously) a shoe monster, so i actually did a count and there are 21 rows with 20 shoes each = a total of 420 shoes there.

anyway, this is just one of the many new updates i get by being on their mailing list

Based in the United States, Urban Outfitters carries a wide variety of clothing from vintage to bohemian to retro, some even ironically humorous and kitschy. It is THE place to search if you're looking for uniquely and sometimes oddly designed apparels and furnitures!


1. Accessibility/Ease of Navigation

The website is accessible to anyone everywhere and by typing urbanoutfitters.com will bring you to the homepage where you'll be informed of the latest update/promotion of the store.



this helps customers who received the mailer (like me) to locate the promotion or latest arrivals easily without having to search through the website.

To continue shopping, choose the category you're interested in from the top horizontal bar





Fan of certain designers/brands could browse the Collection category while other categories are neatly classified into Apparel, Shoes and Accessories. each category is further divided into sub-category, which makes navigating from one to another a brisk.

the list will always be displayed, so you could change your mind to shop for shoes while looking at dresses without having to click through or go back to the main homepage again.





when entered into a category, it allows shoppers to browse up to 60 items per page, which i find very useful as it cuts down the page clicking.

you can also choose to refine your browsing by selecting the colours! perfect for searching for a green dress to match the silver shoes you just bought, without having to sieve through all the other dresses.

for those on a budget, you could also start by arranging the items according to its price, from low to high. this helps shoppers who wants to make a more informed choice by viewing the cheaper items first, and to prevent impulsive buys from a higher price line.

As UO carries many brands ranging from low-end to high-end ones like Diesel, True Religion, Lacoste, classifying them into brands would make it easier for the brand concious to browse the items.

and if all fail...

there is always the sitemap and search function!






all the above features makes navigating around practically effortless!

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2. Variety of Items Sold

now before we get into the huge variety at UO, let's take a look at some of my top picks for this season!

Prints are definitely in.

as mentioned, UO carries a large variety of items ranging from...

to

for guys, don't fret! there's always something for everyone

there are even fun lifestyle items for sale under "entertainment" as well as funky furnitures to spice up your house!

there is also a special line called "Urban Renewal"




this line of clothing comprises of true vintage items that are worn, but in however good condition. i particularly like this line by UO as it gives old clothes a lease of new life and most items are 1 off!


a wide range of stylish and hip items to choose from, caters to everyone's needs

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3. Clothes Information

Description and Sizing

every piece of clothing comes with information that consist of a small description of the item as well as its length, fit and material.

the size chart can be found by clicking on the link below "select size"

a more detailed size chart as well as measuring techniques and conversions could be found under the "help" tab, for shoppers who need extra information and confirmation.

Availability and Different Views



different angles of the clothing can be seen via different pictures provided, which would give shoppers a better idea of how the item looks like, as well as the details and material.

a click on the availability tab informs shoppers of the available stock for each colour and size, so that they can make their decision quick to prevent out of stock situation! how thoughtful :)

Reveiw by other customers



a feature recently added to the website that allows shoppers to post and read reviews of each item. this allow shoppers who are interested in the item to have a better idea of the actual item and its fit and sizing. as pictures might be deceiving, shoppers can rely on reviews to make their decision.

Suggestion of other items



under each item is a series of other items and accessories proposed by UO that shoppers might be interested in buying to match with the above chosen item. this would be good for shoppers who like a particular item but find it hard to mix and match for an outfit.


should have included care instructions

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4. Ordering & Payment

Once you've decided on the items to buy, click "Add to Cart" and you can view the items currently in your cart by clicking "View Cart" at the top right hand corner


changes can still be made to the items in your cart but if the order is submitted, shoppers would be brought to the payment page where the credit card information is entered




the range of credit card though small, should not pose a payment problem for shoppers as these are cards commonly owned by adults who are old enough for one. information entered are completely confidential and will not be revealed under UO's privacy policy


payment is fuss free and quick, however methods of payment is limited

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5. Shipping



a more detailed shipping information can be found under the help section

UO currently only ships within the United States and territories, APO/FPO addresses, Canada and the UK. it does not ship internationally, hence Singaporeans who wish to order from this website has to make use of a service, provided by singpost, called Vpost.

Shoppers are able to track their order status via the "order status/history" tab on their account




does not ship internationally to other countries

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6. Returns and Exchanges

"We want you to love what you ordered. If something is not right, let us know. "

UrbanOutfitters uses SmartLabel to simplify the return process. each packing slip would come with a pre-paid, pre-addressed return label and the cost of returning the package would be deducted from the refund, hence no postage is required.

However, SmartLabel® for Urban Outfitters are not applicable to packages shipped to AK, HI, US territories, Canada, or the UK. These packages have to be mailed to the Return Center, and the address is provided on the website

Our return address is:

UrbanOutfitters.com
30 Industrial Park Blvd.
Trenton, SC 29847
Attn: Returns Department

This would make returning an item from Singapore tedious and expensive.


Returns are made easy for US citizens but not international customers

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7. Personal user Account

to enhance the shopping experience, shoppers are encouraged to sign up for an account when they make their first purchase. subsequent purchases would then be made easy as the required information are already stored in the account




There is also a wishlist feature for every account, where items could be added to and viewed by your friends and other users. This feature is very useful when it comes to shopping for gifts!



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8. Other cool features

UO TXT

shoppers can now receive updates via their mobile phone! this is one feature not commonly provided by shopping websites, in fact it is the first that i've heard that provides this service.


Catalog

UO also provide shoppers with an online catalog that can be located from the homepage...



this helps shoppers identify and locate the items they spotted on the catalog sent to their home.

Blog

http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/

UO also has its own blog, where shoppers can find out what's new, read interviews and articles, partake in contests, listen to their playlist and watch videos.

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9. Personal Feedback

i have personally ordered from UO before when i was in the states, and i would say that it was a very fuss-free and simple process. A tracking code were given and i could track my package from its departure from the warehouse to the transiting, and it arrived right on the scheduled date of delivery.

The items i ordered were also very true to the website's representation.

My only concern would be that it does not ship internationally and ordering from Singapore have to be made through sprees, in order to cut down on the shipping fee.

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