George Zimmer was fired by the board of the company he started, Men's Wearhouse, in 2013, after founding the company over 40 years ago.
That doesn't mean, however, that he's been lounging around since then, and now, looking to marry tuxes with tech, he founded a startup called Generation Tux, an online tux rental firm. Not only is Zimmer back in business, but he's also in competition with his old company.
"People want to know if there's any revenge. Not really," said Zimmer in an interview at the annual DreamForce conference. "We're too busy trying to create what we have to worry about them."
Zimmer's experience in the field is likely to help him grow his new company. Men's Wearhouse rents out more tuxes than any other U.S. company and generates over $400 million per year.
Of course, Generation Tux isn't the only new company set to pose a threat to Men's Wearhouse. A slew of new companies have sprouted up, including Menguin, SimpleTux and the Black Tux. Generation Tux, however, seems to be growing rather quickly and now has a warehouse in Louisville, Ky. that is filled with over 30,000 suits and tuxedos, along with accessories like shoes, shirts and ties. Zimmer has done away with each suit needing a barcode and has embedded each with an RFID tag, enabling employees to scan for tuxes in boxes without even having to open the box.
Despite Zimmer claiming that he's a "tech luddite," e-commerce doesn't seem to be too difficult for him.
"It's been about hiring the right people and combining high-tech and high-touch," continued Zimmer. "We're able to make everything more efficient by matching supply and demand with technology."
Via: Cnet
