You know a well-run clothing store as soon as you walk through the door. But just what intangible factors go into creating this special space? And, more importantly, how can you implement them in your own shop so that your customers respond positively?
1. Use technology to optimize inventory management
Technology is your best friend when it comes to keeping track of your products at every step of their journey from your warehouse into the hands of a customer. A high-quality retail POS system can effortlessly monitor inventory levels every time a sale or return occurs. It can also provide sales data in real time and can even send an alert to you when a product is running low.
Barcode scanning and RFID tagging are also inventory tech must-haves. With a barcode scanner, you can easily enter new inventory into your system, stock shelves, and track products during checkout.
RFID tags can be attached to high-value items, making it easier to track more expensive products in real time and reducing the chances of loss. These innovations cut back on the time you will need to spend on manual inventory counts and keep product over- or under-purchasing to a minimum.
2. Automate loyalty programs and customer communication techniques
You understand how vital personalizing each customer’s experience is, but how can you create that tailored shopping journey for everyone? The answer lies, at least in part, in automation.
Start by investing in an email marketing platform that you use to send targeted messages to each person. These can be used to welcome a new shopper, spread the word about a promotion, or re-engage someone who has not visited your shop or website for a while.
For those more urgent marketing needs, an SMS tool is the answer. Use it to send out details about flash sales or promotions and to provide order updates. Since people tend to carry their mobile devices with them everywhere, this is a particularly helpful method for real-time communications.
Furthermore, you should harness the abilities of the point of sale system provided by your merchant account for apparel businesses by integrating it with your loyalty program. Each time a customer makes a purchase, their points can be automatically added. This builds stronger customer relationships with little or no extra effort from you.
3. Solicit customer feedback
Your clients are the best judges of what you are doing right as well as areas for improvement. Don’t be afraid to ask for their opinions. Even the negative ones provide rich learning opportunities.
You can collect opinions and impressions in numerous ways. They can range from a survey or suggestion box at the register to incentives for online reviews that you post on your social media pages. You can even send a thank-you email containing a request for a review along with a discount coupon as an extra lure.
Once you have gathered the feedback, it is just as important to read through it with an open mind to determine what parts of your apparel business are working and where improvements should be made.
Finally, combine what customers have said with the sales metrics that you get from your POS system. Knowing both what people buy and what they return can inform future inventory and layout decisions and can provide further insights into local and global sales trends.
Success in the competitive apparel industry requires a combination of efficiency and customer focus. Harness the power of technology for your inventory management and customer loyalty initiatives, and act on the feedback you receive. When you do, buyers will know that your store possesses all of the elements that combine to make it one of the best.
North is a leading financial technology company that builds innovative, frictionless end-to-end payment solutions designed to simplify and grow businesses of all sizes. From the front door, to the back office, the developer world, and partnerships that expand the payments landscape, North offers proactive, comprehensive merchant services, in-house processing, and more.
