19 Sep 2014
Mr Porter makes wearable tech moves with exclusive Google Glass tie up
BY Chris Dodd
Online fashion retailer Mr Porter has made moves to try and establish dominance in the wearable technology sector, with the website becoming the exclusive third-party retailer of Google Glass.
The website is reportedly looking to take further steps into the market by potentially offering the Apple Watch once it is released, as well as other models from the likes of Samsung and LG.
Mr Porter is currently offering Glass to customers in exclusive packages featuring a selection of three Titanium optical frames.
A package from the Titanium collection includes a Glass, a pair of titanium optical frames and a UV lens clip for £1,120 (US$1,835, €1,425). The Glass from Mr Porter comes in either a thin, bold or split frame.
As it stands, the business already stocks the Fitbit wearable, but is looking to increase its offerings to customers.
“We think Google Glass fits perfectly in our product range alongside the Fitbit wearables but also we’re expanding what we are doing with audio and technology and throughout that range we’re looking for stylish, interesting products,” Ian Tansley, managing director of Mr Porter, told The Drum.
“There’s a huge opportunity to expand into associated areas where there are amazing products… The variety of straps and bracelets that Apple is proposing really makes it [the watch] stylish and fashionable and we’d love to be a part of that alongside all the stuff that Google are doing with their partners.”
Meanwhile, following moves to hasten the marriage of fashion and technology, Mr Porter’s sister site Net-A-Porter will offer Glass with a focus on women’s eyewear. The website is to sell five types of Glass from the Diane Von Furstenberg Made for Glass collection, which retail at £1,250 (US$2,048, €1,591).
Following the unveiling of the Apple Watch last Monday, recent research figures exploring adoption levels have been released by Mintel, with the findings showing that UK consumers are growingly increasingly interested in smartwatches, despite currently lukewarm take-up levels.
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