Are you looking for streetwear or luxury fashion to spice up your wardrobe? SSENSE has you covered. SSENSE’s competitors include Farfetch, Mytheresa, Luisaviaroma, and other online fashion retailers that sell luxury and high-end fashion brands.
Since 2003, SSENSE has been a legit retailer of everything modern and fashionable for casual wear. However, when it acquired and shut down Polyvore in 2018, the company gained few friends.
They were originally founded in Montreal, Canada, but now serve customers from over 114 countries worldwide. The company’s popular e-commerce website is available in English, French, Chinese, and Japanese.
1. SSENSE Shipping Rates and Times
As SSENSE is a Canada-based retailer, sales occur in Canada, not the United States.
This means that you are making an international order and that all relevant fees associated with international orders apply in this case.
SSENSE is a legit e-commerce and brick-and-mortar luxury and streetwear retailer based in Montreal, Canada (Credit: Ssense)
SSENSE streamlines the process of deliveries to the United States by enlisting the aid of customs brokers and carriers to handle your items (something that you have to agree upon when making an order with them).
In cases where orders exceed $2,500, your assigned broker/carrier can file a customs entry on your behalf.
Full-price orders: Free shipping when the subtotal is $100 or more. Shipping is $14 for orders below the threshold.
Other orders: Free shipping when the subtotal is $300 or more. Shipping is $14 for orders below the threshold.
Restricted items: Shipping is $17 regardless of the amount ordered.
You can expect your order to arrive within 2-3 days (not including the order processing time of 2 days).
SSENSE publishes a popular fashion magazine and provides physical copies to select members (Credit: Ssense)
Canada’s shipping policies are a lot simpler. Since it’s a local transaction, only federal and provincial taxes apply, and as long as the order doesn’t traverse borders, no duties are applied.
Depending on where you live, standard and priority delivery fees differ, but items that cost more than $100 have free standard delivery with three days of the expected time. Priority delivery fees are the same regardless of order size and have an expected time of 1 day.
SSENSE covers over 40 countries with international shipping. Fees differ by country due to local laws and regulations and the physical distance between Canada and the destination country.
Countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and Malta have shipping costs of €22, whereas some countries have to pay up to $77.
Japan is the only international country, other than the United States, with conditions for free shipping, with no shipping costs for orders exceeding ¥35000. You can check out their shipping and handling page for more information.
2. SSENSE Return and Exchange Policy
Currently, SSENSE allows returns for items owned less than 30 days after being received. Using an SSENSE account, customers can file for returns, which differ in nature depending on where they live.
SSENSE carries both established brands and emerging designers such as Kiko Kostadinov, Stand Studio, and Ottolinger (Credit: Ssense)
For example, any orders from the U.S., Canada, and Japan have free shipping for returns. On the other hand, customers from other countries must shoulder all associated shipping costs for the return of the item.
To file a return, you must access your SSENSE account, request a return authorization (or RA), and wait for instructions to be sent to your email. The refund of the item, after it’s been returned, can take up to five business days to fully process.
3. Why did SSENSE shut down Polyvore?
Launched in 2007, Polyvore was a community-powered social commerce website with approximately 20 million users. Similar to current websites like Fashmates, Urstyle, TrendMe, ShopLook, Bantoa, and Stylevore, members could create and share shoppable looks.
In April 2018, SSENSE acquired the assets of Polyvore from Yahoo for an undisclosed amount.
The Montreal-based online retailer was only interested in the account info of Polyvore’s user base and quickly closed down the website and app. Users of Polyvore were asked to download their uploaded content by May 15, 2018.
Polyvore was a popular online platform that allowed users to create and share fashion collages, known as “sets,” by combining images of clothing, accessories, and other products from various brands and retailers (Credit: Casimiro PT / Shutterstock)
“We believe that SSENSE is the right community for the Polyvore members, and we’re inspired by their commitment to offering a directional mix of the most coveted labels in the world,” Polyvore said in a statement on April 5, 2008.
A few days later, the company apologized to the Polyvore community on Instagram, saying, “While it was not our decision to shut down Polyvore, we handled things badly.”
4. Does Ssense sell authentic Gucci?
Yes, the company sells real Gucci products.
The retailer is also an authorized retailer of authentic bags, dresses, and shoes from popular designer brands such as Givenchy, Telfar, Chloé, Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and many more.
5. Who is the owner of SSENSE?
The Montreal-based fashion platform is owned by three brothers: Rami, Firas, and Bassel Atallah.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, the e-tailer was on track to hit 1 billion Canadian dollars (about $800 million) in sales in 2020.
In June 2021, the Montreal-based fashion and technology platform SSENSE secured a minority investment from leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. The deal valued SSENSE at over CAD 5 billion (USD 3.9 billion).
Rami Atallah, the company’s chief executive, grew up in Damascus and emigrated to Montreal, Canada, with his family at 15. He created SSENSE as part of his graduate thesis for his computer engineering degree.
The Atallah brothers are a successful and innovative team of entrepreneurs. They have built SSENSE into a leading global fashion platform, and they are committed to continuing to grow and expand the company.
Freshly Curated: The Latest Shoe Arrivals from SSENSE
Here are some of the latest shoes available at the Canadian online luxury fashion store:
1. Rick Owens DRKSHDW Brown Fetish Boots, $1,250 at SSENSE
These knee-high heavyweight polyurethane-coated seaweed fiber canvas boots in brown are a bold and daring addition to any wardrobe
2. Bottega Veneta Quilt Roller Skates, $2,100 at SSENSE
These high-top roller skates from Bottega Veneta exude elegance with their grained leather construction in a chic off-white shade