J Crew and Bonobos are two of the most popular attire shopping locales you’ll likely come across when shopping for clothing online. These two web-based stores provide a wide range of clothing for both men and women, which range from suits to chinos.
That said, most people often find it hard to choose between the two sellers. On that note, we have developed a detailed comparison review, stressing on benefits and drawbacks of these two stores.
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Bonobos Vs J Crew Overview
Bonobos: Overview
Bonobos was founded by two Stanford Business Students in 2007; Andy Dun and Brian Splay. These two masterminds reshaped the way people bought clothes online when they first started Bonobos.
Carving their brand around pants and waistbands Bonobos made got the men’s fashion industry by storm. That said, almost a decade later, a ton has changed over at Bonobos.
First, the brand doesn’t just deal with top-rated chinos (of course chinos are great as some of us still have several pairs) but the brand has since expanded into other product categories such as swimwear, formal wear, men’s wear, activewear, underwear, golf wear, etc.
While product selection is an important piece of the brand, another, and quite possibly the most crucial factor is leadership. Nowadays, most people with fashion sense don’t head to the clothing section at Walmart to try and find hidden gems.
Well, maybe unless you’re interested in a tropical shirt for Hawaiian day at the office, which you’ll most possibly donate immediately afterward. In other words, Walmart isn’t really the first place that comes to mind when shopping for the absolute best. Note, we have nothing against Walmart.
So, Why Are We Saying This
Well, Walmart actually bought Bonobos outright in 2017. That means Bonobos is owned by Walmart. Walmart has been quiet on the acquisition run over the past few years and has taken over several trendy online retailers as apparent in the footer of Walmart.com.
Initially, Bonobos operated an exclusive online store in the US, but later in 2008, the company started attracting the attention of investors from Otter Rock Capital, who invested $ 7 million.
This enabled Bonobos to broaden its product range to include shorts, suits, sweaters, and many other types of clothes. Currently, the brand’s operation constitutes physical guide shops that allow customers to access personalized assistance when shopping.
Bonobos Pros
Bonobos operate a self-service channel via its website and mobile application. These channels are meant to enable online shoppers to browse the online products, place orders, and arrange deliveries without much help from the company personnel. Buyers can also make returns at no extra cost.
The brand also offers personalized services to customers using its guide shops. In the guide shops, buyers will find specialist guides ready to advise on the provided clothing styles, range, cuts, and fit. The specialist guides will also respond to customer queries regarding the provided services.
Bonobos usually have a 2-day delivery period, within which the online retailer should fulfill your expectations. Moreover, for those living in the United States, the shipping and returns are free.
Bonobos Cons
Some customers reported that the site offers a long waiting period before shipping products. Also, the brick-and-mortar guide shop is only meant for trying out clothes and not actually shopping. Now let’s turn the focus to J Crew.
J Crew
Since its first outset in 1983, J Crew has remained a catalog for shoppers in the clothing industry and has thrived as one of the widely known clothing retailers in the United States. Currently, the company is marketing many lines for men’s and women’s attire through its catalog, website, and retail stores.
J Crew products range from casual wear, chinos, underwear, tees, and dresses. Every year, this brand releases 24 editions of its catalog, with each version offering about 80 million copies.
The company operates 127 retail units in the US, comprising 45 factory outlets. They also have 76 outlets in Japan, which are run under the ITOCHU Corporation license.
It’s good to state that the Texas Pacific Group Inc, acquired a significant stake in this company from the Cinader family in 1997. By the year 2000, the managers held around 10% of the shares.
J-Crew Pros
Based on customer reviews, the brand knows how to make the right clothes for both men and women. Their products are stylistically designed to match the customer needs from all parts of the world.
You can find more of this info by checking on their website logbooks and catalogs. J Crew websites also offer various online support resources including shopping guides and return information. Perhaps this is the reason why most people will hardly miss their fashion week presentation.
J Crew customers can contact the company personnel through the online contact form or telephone. You can also interact with them through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Another thing worth mentioning is that J Crew offers shipping and reward points for their first-time shoppers. Access to these offers is granted to customers throughout the day.
J Crew Cons
J Crew just deals with particular aesthetics. The brand focuses on providing preppy clothes that are quite more fun, but not of decent quality. Their customers have been raising issues regarding the quality this company offers.
Most of the complaints are based on customer services, shipping, and the company’s return policy. Some of the customers reported that their items were lost during shipment. Others complained that the return rules are unfair and could be better.
The Bottom Line
People who prefer online clothes shopping to the local departmental stores are always looking for the best online retailers. Aside from assuaging expenses, online shopping allows buyers to spend more time with their loved ones. After comparing Bonobos vs J Crew, Bonobos takes the crown for better customer support, shipping, and returns policy. Although Bonobos’ return policy is short, it is better and effective in comparison to that of J Crew. Not to mention that some customers claim that J Crew offers products of inadequate quality.