Personal shopping offers are a valuable addition to the services of brick-and-mortar retailers in terms of establishing a trusting relationship with customers and transforming enthusiastic shoppers into loyal, regular customers. Through the skilful staging of a personal shopping experience, you can impress your customers with your expertise, understanding and stylistic confidence, while also appealing to them with all of the senses.
I invite you to step into your customers’ shoes for a moment:
The bell rings. You are collected for your pre-arranged personal shopping appointment in your favourite boutique. When you arrive, you are greeted by the sales assistant who will offer you individual advice and who hands you a glass of champagne with the words: “I have already selected a few things for you.” You follow your exclusive purchasing advisor through the sales room into a separate changing room. In the tastefully furnished and well-lit room, there are already various items of clothing ready for you to try on…
From person to person – attentive, creative and approachable
After all, before the visit to your shop, an extensive consultation has already taken place in which the customer discussed their expectations and wishes relating to the exclusive shopping service with the sales expert:
- Is there a specific event, such as a family celebration, business meeting or opera visit, for which a special outfit is required?
- Does their existing wardrobe need a fashion update through the addition of new basic items?
- What style does the customer like best?
- What size is required? What should be taken into account with respect to their figure?
- What budget is available?
In previous blog posts I have already spoken about connected shopping, the combination of online and offline. A clever combination of digital elements and the shopping experience in a brick-and-mortar store enables you to enter into customer needs specifically. For instance, the prior consultation can take place as a video call. People with a tight schedule in particular will be grateful to you if, for instance, they can select online appointments in the evening or at the weekend for the initial advisory session. At the same time, the personal consultation offers you the chance to present yourself to customers as a stylistically confident, competent and approachable sales assistant, to convey the philosophy of your store and to develop a sense of each personal shopping client’s requirements. It’s important to make sure you listen attentively.
There are countless options for how you can stage the personal shopping offer in detail. Give free rein to your creativity! For instance, you can offer to go through and sort out your customer’s wardrobe with them online or offline in advance and to consider which basics go together well. A style consultation to determine the customer’s personal colour spectrum and figure type recommendations may also be included as a service. In addition, pay attention to accompanying persons or family circumstances. Offers could extend from an espresso bar and in-store play area to an exclusive wine tasting held in parallel, a guided city tour or professional childcare.
Focus on your special strength: interpersonal communication. Celebrate exclusive advice by entering into the customer’s mindset, establishing a relationship with them and offering stylistically confident and agreeable support for several hours. Create moments of illumination by suggesting new colours or styles that the customer has not yet considered – according to type, naturally. Experiences like these generate surprise and enthusiasm and make your customers trust in your fashion advice. Take advantage of the opportunity and ask your customers to provide an online evaluation and to report on their experiences afterwards. Nothing is more convincing than a personal recommendation. If customers so wish, the personal support can be continued in the future. For instance, with personal recommendations from newly arrived collections by video call or in a personal e-mail.
For many people, convenience, advice and an experience are important when shopping. If you conduct an exclusive shopping consultation with a great deal of attention, care and an eye for detail, you are certain to do justice to these wishes. With exclusive offers and services, brick-and-mortar retail can maintain and consolidate its valuable relationship with its customers. All measures, whether online or offline, should result in customers being offered the perfect shopping experience.