BURLINGAME, Calif. - November 13, 2000 - In a sign that good companies can
still find growth capital in today's challenging investment environment,
Burlingame-based TheRightSize, Inc., a profit enhancement service for
multi-channel retailers, announced today it has raised $1.4M in second round
funding. The round was led by Paradise Internet Capital, and includes
investors from Retail Options LLP, Kristbjorg Associates, Coast Pacific
Asset Management, and Series A investors.
Richard Hennessy, managing director of Paradise Internet Capital, explained
Paradise's strategy; "we look for companies who deliver measurable value to
large clients in industries where we have strategic relationships.
TheRightSize focuses on increasing the profitability of major brands in the
relatively slow growth apparel industry. Our investment in TheRightSize was
based on the quality of the management team, their proprietary technology,
and on their vision of helping apparel retailers become more profitable
through a universal sizing translator. We intend to help establish
TheRightSize as the global sizing standard."
Returns represent catalog/online apparel retailers' second largest cost. A
recent Ernst & Young report cited "fear of buying the wrong size" as the
single largest inhibitor for online apparel sales. Online/catalog consumers
return one of every six items they purchased because it did not fit. The
growth of direct-to-consumer catalog and online apparel sales is expected to
balloon the cost of fit-related returns from an estimated $12B in 1998 to a
forecasted $17 billion by 2003 in the US alone.
"Our mission is to improve our retail subscriber's bottom line by increasing
customer satisfaction, reducing size-related returns and adding top line
growth," said TheRightSize co-founder & CEO Ernesto Aguirre, who served
previously as president of apparel for high-growth companies Esprit,
JoeBoxer Corp. and Perry Ellis Mens. "We're particularly pleased to welcome
Paradise Internet Capital as an investor. Their commitment affirms our
strategy of building an international business from Day One. We intend to
use this capital to integrate our service with selected US online retailers
in Q4, sign major international clients, and further develop our
relationships with JC Penney, Puma, Ocean Pacific, and others."
About TheRightSize, Inc.:
TheRightSize, Inc. is a leading provider of profit-enhancing software for
multi-channel retailers. The company's patent-pending Rosetta Stone fit
translation technology is an n dimensional database of fit characteristics
for known brands and styles. It uses sophisticated algorithms to identify
new brands and styles that share these characteristics. Developed by PhDs
and graduate students from MIT and Carnegie-Mellon University, the software
is hosted and maintained by TheRightSize and appears on retailers' websites
with its branding, apparel database, promotions, merchandising, look and
feel customized for the retailer. For more information about TRS, please
visit www.therightsize.com or call 650.259.0356.