Moving to an omnichannel strategy could very well be the ideal next step for your fashion or lifestyle brand. It can help reach new audiences and create more meaningful connections with your customers. In this blog, I give my insider perspective on the pitfalls that fashion and lifestyle brands need to avoid when aiming to achieve omnichannel success. Top of the list? Stay true to your audience.
These days, a bricks-and-mortar store is much more than a place where you sell your products. It’s a brand experience touchpoint that allows you to build much stronger relationships with your customers in comparison to online touchpoints. More and more fashion and lifestyle brands, previously direct-to-consumer only, are discovering the benefits of an omnichannel sales strategy by opening also physical locations.
However, brands should consider one very important point before rushing to open physical stores: How to best add the bricks-and-mortar to the Sales Mix without the possibility of losing the digital-native advantages. Digital-native unicorns such as Allbirds, Glossier and Casper have managed to cultivate a much more direct relationship with consumers by building strong online communities. These communities allow for consumer preferences and other input to be relayed directly to product development, marketing and for example the sales teams . This in its turn allows for a more direct relationship between brand and customers. But how can a physical store stay true to this “online” ethos?
Tip #1: Never take your audience for granted
The good news is that opening a physical store doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on customer intimacy. The key is to think of the store as an additional communication touchpoint and an integrated part of your marketing strategy. This means that each store should reflect your brand’s ‘world’ just as much as your online advertising does. When done well, a physical store combines the benefits of a marketing channel and a shopping destination. However, translating your brand personality into a physical space is far more complex than conveying it in an online video.
It’s therefore of vital importance that your store gives consumers a compelling reason to visit. Do not take their attention for granted! Examples of value-added features include a ‘personal shopper’ service or an in-store café. But whatever you do, make sure it’s tailored to your audience.
A good example is Ikea’s Play Café concept.1 Because their customers couldn’t get enough of the delicious food available in its out-of-town stores, the brand set up IKEA-branded eateries in residential and town-centre areas. This allowed IKEA fans to indulge in their love of the Swedish cuisine, while being inspired for their next home makeover.
So, what unique real-world benefit will you be able to offer your customers which they can’t get online and what will improve their brand exposure and intimacy?
Tip #2: Think customer-centric, not channel-centric
Your omnichannel strategy should be designed in such a way that it allows you to adapt to the ever changing customer needs and expectations.
When we analyse which of our clients have been most successful with their move to an Omnichannel Sales Strategy, we can conclude that the brands, that work in a customer centric manner, come out on top.
Take Gymshark as an example. It has only a few brick-and-mortar stores with its unique flagship store on London’s Regent’s Street. Most of its customers are happy to buy their clothes online with the stores being a valuable extension of their brand experience. This very successful channel strategy ensures maximum return on investment based on the fact that it reflects the way that Gymshark customers shop online. All in all it all comes down to making data-driven and well-founded decisions.
Additionally, when your data shows that you have a dense cluster of customers in a particular area, you may be missing out on valuable footfall revenue by staying online only. This is particularly true if your brand naturally involves some form of customer interaction. This is for example the case for upmarket US eyewear brand Warby Parker. Started as a D2C brand, soon expanding into the physical retail space. These already iconic stores, allow customers to benefit from face-to-face advice and eye exams from trained professionals, creating emotional added value that can’t be replicated online. Physical stores are ideal for adding this type of personal touch.
How an omnichannel strategy can be the key to your success
The best way to make sure your move to omnichannel will be a success is to ensure that your strategy is driven by your customers. Every decision and every change made should be focussed on bringing your brand closer to your customers. This is definitely the case for digital native D2C brands.
Don’t forget, the brand intimacy which digital offers is what customers appreciate most and often mis at the more traditional retailers. Therefore, the worst thing that can happen when a digital brands transforms into an Omnichannel strategy is that it undervalues or even sacrifices that intimate connection with its existing customer base.
Maintaining excellent customer intimacy in a bricks-and-mortar environment can be challenging. But the brans that get it right are seeing exponential growth in dividends.
Curious about the potential of omnichannel for your fashion or lifestyle business? Contact us today for a free one-to-one consultation with a Bleckmann expert.
