How to Attract Customers to Your Clothing Store

As a new clothing store owner, your next challenge is to attract customers to your shop. Discover how to attract customers with these retail tips and tricks!

In the recent past, the apparel industry has been experiencing dwindling returns hence the question on how to attract customers. Stiff Competition from online marketplaces has forced many retailers to close shop. In 2018 Mckinsey and Company produced a report dubbed the "The State of Fashion in 2018."

The report projects that the apparel market in the developed world will continue to grow at a rate of 2-3%. The report further projects that growth in the emerging markets will be around 5-6%.

It is not all doom and gloom for clothing retailers. You can reinvent your business to thrive despite the existing economic conditions. This article reviews some essential tips for attracting customers to your clothing store.

Creating a Niche Market

The apparel industry is one of the most diversified and expansive retail fields. Taste in clothes is dependent on one's body size and their cultural environment. For a long time, the western culture as long emphasized on the super-thin body as the model for beauty.

This bias has left out a significant gap in the market for plus size women. Most women in the plus-size category have always felt neglected in the fashion world. Dedicating special interest to this niche group can help spike interest in fashion. A dedicated plus-size store will help in attracting more customers to your store.

How to Attract Customers Using Signage and Display

Most businesses have signs that are mundane and tedious at best. Developing compelling and memorable signs increases customer visits. Bold and creative signage will also enhance your business visibility. Elegant displays that tell a great story will also help bolster your business. Well designed displays and signs generate customer interest and encourage impulse buys.

You can enhance your display by rolling out a welcome carpet for visitors. The carpet is the first item that visitors are likely to notice about your store. You can also start by displaying your best products first.

It is also advisable to leave products of inferior quality in the background. You can also use parking signage and flags to create awareness on your store. You can also use wall decorations to bolsters your store's signage and display.

Customer Amenities

Most clothing shops have basic amenities such as washrooms and changing rooms. Extra facilities for customers helps in communicating that you care about their welfare. Additional amenities also provide customers with incentives to visit your store.

The retailer can provide lounges, hydration, and refreshment spaces for tired customers. You can also set up special zones for children to play. Animal zones can also be set up for customers visiting with heir pets. You can also set up USB charging stations and Wi-Fi hotspots for smartphone and laptop users. Extra amenities help in meeting immediate customer needs. The customers can then stay for longer periods at the store

In-store Events and Clubs

Events such as fashion shows and wellness clubs help in increasing customer traffic. You can organize fashion shows where customers take part as models for your products. Customers clubs can also help in increasing customer visits to your store.

As customers participate in club activities, they are more likely to visit the store. Others who are not part of the clubs may end up joining the club and thus visit the store. The use of live music bands can also attract more people to visit your store. Some customers will also stay longer in your store if you play the music they enjoy.

Loyalty Programs, Discounts, Deals, and Offers

Loyalty programs encourage and motivate customers to continue shopping. Rewarding customers with gift cards on special days will promote bonds with customers. To encourage first-time visitors, you can also use coupons and promo codes.

Deal hunters will generally use these opportunities to save some cash. Today, shoppers have a wide variety of stores to choose from. When faced with products of similar qualities, they will visit the stores with lower prices.

Celebrity and Influencers

Celebrities and influencers can also help in attracting customers to your clothing store. A retailer dealing in plus-size apparel can enlist celebrities to create body-image awareness. Celebrities can also help in promoting the store's image and brand. Improved brand a reputation results in increased customer visit.

Social Media Marketing

A lot of people use social networking sites to view current trends in the fashion industry. Some of the most popular social networks are Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Capitalizing on these platforms increases customer visit to your clothing store.

Social media marketing is done in two ways. First is by traditional marketing by creating awareness through advertisements. The second is by creating social media content for your target customers. The content should encourage customers to engage with your products and services.

Search Optimization

Optimizing business for search searches can also help in attracting customers. Search optimization uses tools like directory listings, website links, and keywords.

Addresses and links on directory listings will help to promote your business visibility. Search engine optimization tools will also help increase website traffic. Sample optimization tools include the use of hyperlinks and keywords

Buy Online, Pick-up in store

Under this policy, users buy items online and then pick the item at the store. When visiting the store, customers can sample some of the other products in the store. Visiting the physical location will also increase interaction between the staff and customer. This will result in increased bond and visits to the store.

Allow physical returns and exchanges for online sale. To increase loyalty and trust, retailers should allow the return of items bought online. The retailer can specify conditions for returning the items.

This policy will encourage customers to buy more item online. This policy eradicates the fear of making the wrong purchases. When returning items customers encounter and buy other items on the physical store. 

Increasing customer visit to a clothing store is a daunting challenge for many retailers. The challenge, however, poses many opportunities for growth and innovation.

Bottom Line

The tips above are useful in answering the question "how to attract customers" to your clothing. A retailer must understand their customers' needs to install the appropriate for their business.

Failure to identify the appropriate strategies could lead to loses.  Please check out our website for ideas, trends, and clothes for your stores and online boutiques.