Read all about Judith's journey from studying an Investment Banking MSc at Queen Mary to co-founding a successful fashion start-up.
Please briefly introduce yourself and describe your current business...
I'm Judith, co-founder and Head of Marketing at efitter. efitter is a fashion tech start-up personalising the shopping experience for millennial women. We launched our first product in 2021; Sizing Solution, a browser extension which predicts shoppers' sizes based on their past orders from other retailers, providing a seamless and personalised shopping experience. Now, we're excited to take this product to the B2B market, partnering with forward-thinking, sustainably minded womenswear retailers that are looking to reduce the cost of customer returns and fashion waste.
How did you come up with this business idea, and what problem does it address?
The idea for efitter came from mine and my co-founders’ personal experiences shopping online. Women come in all different shapes and sizes, and the standard size guides that differ from brand to brand did nothing to address this. Returned clothes still cost retailers a fortune (£7 billion in the UK alone!) and cost the planet even more, with 2.3 billion kg of returned clothes sent to landfill annually.
We wanted to tackle the problem of impersonal and overwhelming online shopping experiences by offering tailored recommendations, starting with size. Today, we have helped users find their perfect size over 3,000 times at currently 11 of the major U.K. retailers, while building a community of over a thousand conscious shoppers, all organically. efitter aims to not only find users’ perfect fit, but also understand the unique style preferences of each shopper, ensuring they find clothing that truly fits.
What inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship while or after your education at Queen Mary?
During my time pursuing my Investment Banking MSc at Queen Mary, I began exploring the idea of launching the business. I was intrigued by the role of technology in improving our daily lives, a fascination I first encountered on my year abroad in Shanghai, China during my undergraduate studies.
What started as a goal to address a common issue – the struggle to find the right clothing size – soon revealed a more widespread shopping habit: the buy-to-return cycle, which had become a norm in the industry.
As I continued to research, it became apparent that the problem I initially perceived as personal had broader environmental implications. With this realisation, my focus shifted. It was no longer just about becoming an entrepreneur; it was about the importance of making sustainable and environmentally responsible choices as a consumer.
What were your goals at the beginning of your journey and how did they change/evolve throughout time?
Our initial goal was simple: to solve the problem of poor fit. But I soon realised it was more than just that; it meant changing shopping behaviours. Many of our users tended to reach for a measuring tape while scouring size charts, a habit they needed to unlearn once efitter launched.
As we grew, we quickly learnt to view our users as our first product, we referred to them as our ‘minimum viable community’. We listened and made improvements based on their feedback. This allowed us not only to solve the initial problem but also to take it a step further, focusing on a new goal, personalisation.
We shifted from a goal of solving a generic problem to addressing our users' specific challenges when shopping online, in turn, making their experiences more convenient, personalised, and giving their data back to them to better inform future purchases.
How do you deal with fear and doubts during this journey?
Doubt and fear have come up often on this entrepreneurial journey, as is common for most founders; whether it's a lack of confidence in a particular area or a shortage of experience in another. I've learned to use this to my advantage, shaping how I approach my work. Instead of retreating when faced with these emotions, I've adopted a strategy of confronting them head-on.
This involves upskilling in areas where I may lack confidence, seeking guidance, and connecting with fellow entrepreneurs who have been through similar challenges. Through these actions, I've found ways to transform doubt and fear into opportunities for growth and learning. I also make a conscious effort to maintain a clear focus on the big picture and I view this journey as an integral part of the process to achieve it.
How have you used entrepreneurship for positive social change, and what impact have you seen in your community or industry, if any?
Firstly, both Elizabeth (my co-founder) and I are Black women in the fashion tech industry. We’re two of very few in the U.K. building a fashion tech start-up, and this is a testament to our commitment to create a more inclusive and representative landscape. Black women, particularly in fashion tech, have historically been underfunded and underrepresented. We continue to exercise our passion for inclusivity by mentoring undergraduate interns and providing them with their first work experience opportunities. We believe that diverse voices and perspectives are key to ensuring that we remain an innovative business.
By focusing on solving the returns problem in online shopping, we're effectively contributing to a more sustainable industry. Our technology, which accurately predicts customers' sizes, minimises the need for excessive returns, reducing waste and carbon emissions associated with the fashion industry. We've also fostered a community of over 1000 conscious shoppers and our podcast, "The FIT by efitter," ranked in the top 5% globally. These efforts have led to increased awareness and adoption of sustainable and inclusive fashion choices, making a tangible impact in our community and industry.
What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates who are interested in pursuing entrepreneurship?