EXCLUSIVEPrettyLittleThing boss Umar Kamani says quality of brand's clothing 'isn't good enough' and vows to improve fashion giant in face of shopper criticism
- PLT founder, 36, said he won't 'shy away' from addressing customer feedback
- Read more: Umar Kamani makes dramatic return to fashion brand a year after stepping down as CEO as he apologies to customers for 'negative experiences'
The billionaire founder of UK online fashion house PrettyLittleThing has vowed to change the way the company works, after customers complained about 'poor sizing and poor quality'.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Manchester entrepreneur Umar Kamani, 36, said he was personally working to improve customer experience after a post he'd made this week on the brand's Instagram account had prompted a raft of negative comments.
Kamani, who earlier this month made a dramatic return to the company more than a year after stepping down as CEO, had published on Monday an explanation as to why some some shoppers' accounts had been blocked, saying the company was losing money because a small proportion of customers were requesting refunds '100% of the time, or most of the time'.
The post sparked both supportive and negative comments, with some praising the brand for taking action, while others suggested there were other reasons behind the high return rate, such as inconsistent sizing and low quality garments.
The businessman said he had taken on board the negative feedback, saying: 'I'm not trying to shy away from anything.
'The size and the quality, if you're taking the approach of listening to the customer, which we are, isn't good enough and you can clearly see the frustrations in the posts. We have work to do as a business that cares about our customers.'
'It's personal' PrettyLittleThing boss Umar Kamani, who only recently returned to the online fashion empire he founded, told MailOnline he would work directly with customers to address negative comments about the sizing and quality of PLT's products
Speaking about his own ambitions, he said his return to the brand has nothing to do with money, saying: 'I'm not back here for money or anything else, this is personal, it's my baby, I built it from the start and I'm not happy to see the way the customer thinks about the brand, it's all personal for me.'
The entrepreneur, who married model wife Nada Adelle earlier this year in a multimillion-pound wedding which Mariah Carey performed at, said there had been errors made in the running of the company in recent years and his intention now is to 'bring the beautiful brand back to where it belongs.'
He said: 'A lot of decisions that have been made and a lot of problems that have occurred have been because of a lack of communication from the business.
'My intention is to come back and obviously we can't keep doing the same things that we've been doing. We want to interact with the customer and let the customer shape the future of PLT and I'll just steer it alongside the customer.'
The Manchester fashion entrepreneur said wrong decisions had been made in his nearly two-year absence from PrettyLittleThing and he vowed to 'bring the beautiful brand back to where it belongs'
Responses: The Manchester-born entrepreneur posted this week about how accounts had been blocked for some customers to stop people wearing once and then returning items - but the post also sparked some negative responses from customers
Interaction: After the company was hit with negative comments about the brand's products on social media, Kamani has invited shoppers to visit PLT's HQ to offer feedback on shopper experience
Last night, Kamani reached out to shoppers on Instagram, inviting them to visit the company's HQ and share more in-depth feedback. And in a post on Monday, the PLT boss addressed the controversial decision to block some customer accounts of fashion fans who appeared to frequently buy, wear once and then return items.
In June, PLT introduced a £1.99 return fee for all customers, including 'Royalty' members who pay a £9.99 annual subscription for unlimited deliveries but backtracked in September, and said returns would now be free for Royalty members.
Addressing why the decision was made, Kamani wrote: 'It was identified that a number of customers have been consistently returning all of their orders 100% of the time, or most of the time, which suggested these customers were buying, wearing and returning once worn.'
The 36-year-old added that the fashion goliath didn't want to 'punish the many for the actions of the few' and said the company would now be reviewing each account from now on an individual basis.
The post that sparked some negativity from shoppers - which explained why customers with a 100% return rate on items had seen their accounts blocked in recent months
Speaking to MailOnline, he vowed to address blocked customer accounts one by one, saying the retailer and customer needed to reach a 'more sensible place'.
He said: 'In shopping behaviour that's happening in today's world, it's our responsibility as a business to handle that without it affecting the customer experience.
'It wasn't handled well enough - in the aggressive manner that was taken. My position is to go through them line by line. There's a huge number of blocked accounts and I want to determine and communicate with each of them [the customers who hold them].
The billionaire reached out to shoppers on the brand's Instagram account on Tuesday, inviting customers to visit PLT's HQ to help the company take positive action on customer complaints
However, some fans of the brand agreed with the hard-line tactics on wear once and return shoppers.
One customer wrote: 'It’s the influencer culture and it’s ridiculous. Doing try on hauls and then send a £700 order back repeatedly I’m sorry but you were right to block them! The cheek.'
Another added: 'If people are wearing clothes for the day or a night out and then returning them. Please keep them blocked.'
CEO Kamani's post also shone the spotlight back on the brand though, with many responding to claim poor sizing and quality were the reasons behind so many returns.
One person wrote: 'The reason why most things get sent back is because there’s no continuity in the sizing of the clothes.'
Last month, the PrettyLittleThing founder made a dramatic return to the fashion brand – a year after stepping down as CEO (pictured with Naomi Campbell in September 2023)
The businessman returned to the brand he founded this month, saying the online giant has 'lost touch with what made is so special', their loyal customer base (pictured with Molly-Mae Hague in April 2023)
Another revealed: 'I am one of these customers who is very upset that I have been blocked.
'I purchase from PLT often and sometimes have to order in multiple sizes as the sizes are different in every item! To be banned for returning orders when you spend a lot of money with a brand and order often is diabolical!'
Another added: 'If quality was better and sizes more precise people wouldn't need to return as much.'
Manchester-born Kamani is a member of the founding family of the Boohoo group, which now owns a portfolio of brands including Nasty Gal, Coast, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins, and Debenhams.
In 2020, Umar sold his 34 per cent remaining stake in PrettyLittleThing for £330million as part of a lucrative deal that earned him £161million in cash and shares of 2.6 per cent in Boohoo.
Umar apologised for any 'negative experiences' during his absence, promising to prioritise customers going forward
He stepped down from running PrettyLittleThing in April 2023 following a decade as CEO after selling his remaining 34 per cent stake to Boohoo, which is run by his father.
He said last year: 'I'm at the stage in my life where I need to set myself new challenges and goals and build new brands that hopefully you all love and support as much as you did with this one.'
Now though, businessman Kamani is firmly in charge once more, and determined to re-engage with the loyal customer base that helped build his family's fortune.
In early September, announcing his return, the fashion tycoon, who has signed the likes of Naomi Campbell, Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Molly-Mae Hague as ambassadors over the years, vowed to make PrettyLittleThing 'stronger than ever'.
Umar married model wife Nada in a star studded ceremony earlier this year, with guests including Naomi Campbell and a live performance from Mariah Carey
Umar wrote: 'I'm writing to you today with both excitement and heartfelt determination as I announce my return to PrettyLittleThing.
'Over the past few years, I've watched from the sidelines as the brand we built together has, at times, lost touch with what made it so special — you, our loyal customers.
'This has driven me to step back in and take on the responsibility of steering PrettyLittleThing forward, putting your needs and desires at the forefront of every decision we make.
'For the past twelve years, you've shown incredible loyalty and love for PrettyLittleThing, and for that, I hold you and the brand close to my heart.'
Kamani's father Mahmud Kamani co-founded Boohoo in 2006 alongside Carol Kane and the website quickly became a success because unlike its competitor ASOS, the brand only sells its own clothing, increasing profit margins.
Mahmud's three sons Umar, Adam, and Samir naturally became involved in his fashion empire, which dates back to their grandfather, whose wholesale textile business that sourced garments from India became a major supplying for high street stores such as New Look and Primark.
