Today’s apparel and retailing market is becoming increasingly competitive, with new big and small brands popping up left, right, and center. Gone are the days of relying solely on getting your audience through the door- you now have to work to keep them inside.
So, to help you improve your in-store experience, we’ve compiled a list of five killer strategies that can get everyone talking about you.
Embrace innovative technology
Let your target customer step into the future of fashion by embracing technology in your list of USPs! Focus beyond being a rack of clothes—make it an experience your audience will never forget. Research how to make your shopping experience technological and futuristic—think of “The Jetsons”—by offering retailing interactive experiences.
There’s nothing more futuristic than augmented reality mirrors. With AR mirrors, you can skip the hassle of fitting room queues, and your customers will be more than happy to ditch changing from one outfit to the next. By offering AR mirrors in your stores, you can provide an interactive element and enhance the in-store experience.
The world has moved on from plastic payments; now is the time for contactless payments. Provide the convenience of Apple or Google Pay to enhance the checkout experience and make it more agile. Magazines and catalogs are outdated; now is the time for digital lookbooks.
Get tablets and digital screens to showcase your digital catalogs to customers if your budget allows. Doing so will help them save time and energy while allowing them to skim through your entire inventory with the swipe of a finger.
Thoughtful visual merchandising
Through thoughtful visual merchandising, allow your customers to fall in love with your collection in one sight. Aim to create a store environment that can get everyone mesmerized and hooked from the moment they step in.
Your vision should be to create a space that looks like a real-life fashion magazine. You’re not just selling fashion items- you’re telling a story through fashion. Create focal points by strategically incorporating visual elements to get people hooked and talking.
Use bold, bright, or different mannequins, accentuate statement fashion items, and use bold and colorful displays. Learn from Zara and always keep your inventory fresh and in rotation. By constantly changing display items, you can keep your audience guessing about what they may find during their next visit—this will also help you boost visibility for each piece on display.
Consider your walls an art gallery, and put up statement posters. Use PosterMyWall’s fashion poster templates to create posters that strike a chord and align with your brand aesthetic to promote new launches, promotions, and upcoming sales.
Improve your checkouts
Don’t make your shopping experience a luxury while your checkout system remains a drag. If your checkout experience is a hassle, all your fabulous outfits may remain stocked in the inventory. A poor checkout process can differentiate between a happy customer and a grumpy one, so keep it swift and fun.
Cut down the waiting and processing time by incorporating mobile, contactless checkouts. Incorporate tablet checkouts into your store process by equipping your team with POS tablets to help customers checkout from anywhere in the store.
Work towards making your experience as swift as possible—offer mobile checkouts, Apple Pay, and anything else that can help speed up the process. If there is a likelihood of a delay in the checkout, train your staff to offer customers complimentary drinks and snacks to compensate for the delay and strike up a conversation. It’s not always about the money.
Community building
As a retailer, your aim shouldn’t be merely minting cash but instead providing a unique experience to your customers. Building rapport and laying the foundation of a strong tribe with your customers can help you attain the most exceptional customer experience imaginable.
Work towards empowering staff and the store to become the store celebrated for its events, loyalty programs, and welcoming vibe. Offer a unique experience to your customers by hosting in-store events. Host small-scale fashion shows and invite local and small-scale designers to showcase their designs, helping your customers tap into a smaller subset of fashion.
You can even execute styling workshops by collaborating with stylists to help your customers elevate their fashion. Don’t skimp on the loyalty programs- reward your customers for their constant purchases with your store and gift those discounts and early intel on upcoming sales and deals.
Craft a distinctive ambiance
Curate an in-store vibe that is inimitable and unforgettable and has customers yearning to visit you once again just to relive the atmosphere. From the lighting to the music to the scent, every detail counts in making your boutique a place where people feel fabulous—and ready to shop
Tease all the senses by using a mix of stimulants. Ensure that all elements in your store align with your brand aesthetic—is your fashion language vibrant and funky? Then, match your lighting to that with bold and bright lights.
Once the lighting is sorted, focus on how you wish for the atmosphere to smell- incorporate scented candles, fresh flowers, and diffusers to create a distinct aroma around the store. Give your décor a personality of its own by adding unique, artistic, statement pieces throughout the premises. You can even add a few art pieces to accentuate the walls.
Implement these strategies to offer your customers a unique shopping experience in your stores. With these distinctive strategies, you’ll give your customers the delightful experience they crave after each visit. Good luck!
