There are hundreds of online fashion retailers popping up every year. They all promise to have the latest fashions and affordable prices. However, most of them fizzle out in a couple years due to major flaws in their business plan. This is not the case with LuLu’s. For nineteen years, they have been providing unique clothing, shoes, and accessories. Read on to learn what sets them apart.
About LuLus.com
Along with offering exceptional quality, value, and superb customer support, LuLu’s began with the vision of providing the latest for the fashionably hip. LuLu’s has grown to be one of the Internet’s most outstanding shopping experiences from its humble beginnings as a mother-daughter dream. They offer a select array of shoes, accessories, and clothing.
The brands on LuLu’s consist of emerging new designers. In order for you to find a style that is all your own, their buyers travel the planet for unique offerings. Since many of their items come fresh from the designers’ studios, they only purchase limited quantities.
LuLu’s began as a small shop in 1996 in Downtown Chico, California by founders and owners Colleen Winter and her mother Debra Cannon. It has since expanded into a highly visited online site and eliminated its physical store locations. Their goal is to offer top quality and fashionably hip clothing at a low cost.
Based on a rating scale that looks at sixteen different factors, the Better Business Bureau has awarded LuLu’s an A+ rating. Plus, LuLu’s has been featured in a wide variety of reputable publications, including Glamour, Seventeen, O Magazine, RedBook, and more.
Top Features of LuLu’s
LuLu’s primarily focuses on providing accessories, shoes, and clothing. New collections are updated often, and products are typically straight from the designer. There is a broad range of fashionable items for women and young girls. Dresses are LuLu’s specialty. You can choose to browse, shop by color, or sort by dress type, including one shoulder, little black dresses, party, strapless, maxi, and casual varieties.
Shoes are also a specialty of LuLu’s. This includes sandals, wedges, flats, vegan, boots, lace up, heels, and more. You are sure to find something to match the dress you have in your cart. There are also Tops and Bottoms departments featuring jumpers, shorts, skirts, tees, outerwear, sweaters, rompers, leggings, pants, blouses, tank tops, camis, etc.
The Accessory department has a broad selection of sunglasses, scarves, purses, totes, hats, and belts. Necklaces, rings, watches, earrings, and bracelets can be found in the extensive Jewelry section of the user-friendly website. Items from all of the above departments can be found in the Sale section of the site.
When you click on an appealing piece of clothing or accessory, you are whisked away to a product page. Here, you can view the item from five or six different angles as it looks on the model. There is an in-depth description of the sizing and fit information for the clothing, including the measurements of the model and the size she is wearing as well as the undergarments that go well with it.
Even if the clothes you order do not fit, LuLu’s has you covered. They have a free return policy. For a refund to the original form of payment, you can exchange or return merchandise by mail within a month of the order’s shipment date. And, on orders postmarked within ten days of the arrival date, you get free return shipping.
If you decide the item is not exactly what you want, there are a variety of suggested products listed at the bottom of each product page. The suggestions appear to be based on your search history and are generally spot on.
Shipping prices are incredibly reasonable. If you spend over $50, you get free Ground Shipping anywhere in the Contiguous United States. This offer is extended to international orders of more than $150. If you spend less than $50, Ground Shipping is a flat rate of $5. They also offer expedited shipping for $9 for Third Day, $18 for Second Day Air, and $25 for Overnight Shipping.
LuLus.com Prices
LuLu’s products vary widely in their prices. You can expect higher prices for the recently added items. However, you can also save substantial sums of money by checking out the sale selection. This is where I do most of my shopping. For instance, you will find many different shoe types available for less than $40.
Since LuLu’s offers many items that cannot be found elsewhere, it is hard to compare prices to other sites. To get a good idea of how they compare to other top online retailers, though, I compared the prices for items of similar quality. Each time, I found that LuLu’s beat the competition. Sometimes, it was just by a few dollars. Other times, the difference was much greater. Best of all, you are getting a one of a kind look.
Criticism of LuLus.com
For the most part, I loved using LuLus.com. I was a little disappointed by the reviews of the items they had for sale. Or, more accurately, I was disappointed that there were no reviews. They have the option to review the products, but I did not see any reviews on the items I looked at. This could be due to the fact that they get goods in small quantities. Still, it seems as if they could do a better job of encouraging customers to write reviews of their purchases.
As a full figure woman, I was also disappointed in the lack of selection for women of my size. Most of the products came in simple Small, Medium, and Large sizes. Must of the time, the various Larges sounded like they would be too small for me. I was able to find some beautiful items that fit me perfectly, but I would have loved more options.
Customer Support
LuLu’s offers an array of methods to get in touch with their customer support representatives. They are available every day of the week. You can email them around the clock or use their live chat or toll-free phone number between the hours of 5 am and 9 pm Pacific time. Plus, they have extensive FAQ sections.
In addition to the more traditional methods of contact, LuLu’s is also quite busy on social media. They run a blog and have accounts on all of the major social media platforms. You can message them or post to their wall on Facebook, and they will respond quickly. In addition, they offer coupon codes on their Facebook page.
I was a little bit skeptical about them really being available over the phone during those hours every day of the week, so I called LuLu’s up at 8:45 on a Saturday night to ask about a product. After just a couple rings, I was greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable rep who seemed genuinely concerned about helping me out. And, she would not let me off the phone until she was sure I had no more questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will it take for my order to arrive?
A: Orders are usually shipped within five business days, and standard Ground Shipping orders arrive in seven to ten business days. Once your order has been shipped, they email you a tracking number. This allows you to obtain a scheduled delivery date and to track the progress of your package. You should allow 8 to 21 days for orders shipped outside of the United States.
Q: What forms of payment do they accept?
A: They accept LuLu’s Gift Cards, Diners Club International, Discover, Visa, LuLu’s Online Credit, PayPal, JCB, American Express, and MasterCard. Before placing an order, you are required to register a billing address with the credit card company if you are using a prepaid gift card. They do not accept money orders or cashier’s checks.
Q: How do you get a coupon code?
A: Coupon codes are rare with LuLu’s. However, there are some ways to get them. On their Twitter and Facebook pages, you can occasionally find a promotional code. Also, when customers sign up for their newsletter, they are given a ten percent off coupon code.
Q: Is it safe to order items on the LuLus.com website?
A: In short, yes it is. When you place an order on LuLu’s website, it is encrypted with SSL technology. Yet, you should never supply them with your credit card information over email since their emails are not encrypted. Fortunately, they will never ask for this sensitive information over email. The payment page has been McAfee and Norton Secured.
Final Thoughts
It is clear to see why LuLu’s has succeeded in the cut-throat fashion industry for almost two decades now. They are committed to quality and making sure their customers are taken care of. They also keep their selection of products new and fresh. Best of all, when you shop at LuLu’s, you never have to fear showing up to an engagement and finding someone else wearing the same thing as you. This is the main benefit to only buying items in small quantities directly from the designer.
For these reasons and the many other positives outlined above, we strongly recommend LuLu’s the next time you want affordable and attractive clothing, shoes, or accessories.
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