y u b l l ’ I k n i h t I l l a r e t f a s i h t
6 ways to increase purchases & loyalty through your fitting room experiences
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INTRO • 4-5 CLEAN UP YOUR ACT • 6-7 YOU’RE CRAMPING MY STYLE • 8-9 SHAKE IT UP • 10-11 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LIGHTING • 12-13 DON’T BE AFRAID OF TECH • 14-15 LET YOUR BRAND SPEAK FOR ITSELF • 16-17 WRAP UP • 18-19
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If you can get a shopper into your fitting room, they are
seven times more likely to make a purchase ••• •••than customers who simply browse the sales floor. 1
Read that again. Now ask yourself – is your fitting room experience as well thought-out as your floor layout or online experience? Trying on items should be the best part of the shopping trip, yet most fitting room experiences aren’t keeping up with shopper expectations or retail operations and trends. Leading fitting room transformations for over 15 years for clients like Nordstrom and Target, Harbor knows how to apply the right balance of beautiful design, sound engineering, integrated technology for the shopper and retailer, and, of course, how to build and install a fitting room experience that boosts retail operations.
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1) Forbes, 2019
Follow these six guidelines to create seamless fitting room experiences for your customers and your store associates.
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CLEAN UP YOUR ACT
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Footnotes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nitinmangtani/2018/04/16/the-tipping-point-of-the-store-that-brands-have-failed-to-optimize/#93db5a01ad24
It shouldn’t have to be said, but someone has to. Keeping fitting rooms clean needs to be a top priority. There is nothing worse than a floor littered with dust bunnies, or a mirror covered in smudges. And don’t even mention every hook being filled with a previous shopper’s discarded items. Now more than ever, keeping common places sanitized is a valid and major concern for shoppers. Taking pride in the tidiness & sanitation of your fitting rooms will increase the time customers spend in your store, keep your merchandise in better shape, and decrease costly return rates. Your customers should feel comfortable in your fitting rooms. Don’t make them tip-toe around that unidentifiable goo in the corner or brush hairballs off of their jeans. Assign a store associate to do a quick periodic pick-up, sweep, wipe, and mop, and your shoppers will notice the difference.
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Are your fitting rooms actually a comfortable size? If your customers can’t try on a shirt without knocking their elbows into the wall, you’ve got a problem. Rather than having several very small fitting rooms, consider just a few larger ones. Your customers will appreciate having plenty of room to lay out potential outfits and try clothing on with ample space, and they will likely spend more time in the fitting room (and spend more money). In fact, shoppers who use fitting rooms purchase two times more than shoppers who do not.2 Making space for a stool or bench is especially helpful for younger shoppers who enter the room with a parent or guardian, or adult shoppers who are better able to dress while seated.
Consider diverse shoppers’ needs while designing these high conversion spaces.
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2) AlertTech, 2016
YO
OU’RE CRAMPING MY STYLE
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SHAKE IT UP
IMAGERY: 3 images of Nordstrom fitting rooms (our pics)
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Many retailers have recently invested in modular, flexible-format dressing rooms that shift to different parts of their stores. Nordstrom’s newest fitting rooms in their New York City women’s flagship store are able to be moved by store associates and re-merchandised as needed. This keeps the store feeling fresh and new every time a customer visits. More importantly it helps retailers reconfigure fitting rooms in high demand areas and test out other shopper paths to purchase to avoid fitting room lines without having to invest in major infrastructure refits.3
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36% of people overestimate their wait times, increasing levels of frustration.4
3) AlertTech, 2016 4) The New York Times, 2012
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60%
of women make purchase decisions in the fitting room. The lighting in your store can make a surprisingly big difference in the way shoppers feel about the way they look in your clothes. 5
Remember that shopping tagalong Buzzfeed posted a few years ago? 6 A writer bounced from store to store, comparing the best (and worst) fitting room lighting. The majority of her discoveries were no surprise: harsh overhead fluorescents, dark and unflattering shadows, and mystical yellow light that turned her orange. The best lighting was found in Nordstrom, H&M, and T.J.Maxx, which all featured two vertical lights alongside or inside of the mirror. Nordstrom now invests in smart mirrors that can be set to different lighting. The shopper can choose between home, work, or nighttime lighting depending on the piece they are trying on and the occasion or time of day they’ll be wearing it.
This simple addition makes shoppers feel more confident and gives an accurate depiction of how they look in your pieces. Do your shoppers a favor, and invest in some quality lighting.
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5) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2020 6) BuzzFeed, 2015
IT’S
S ALL ABOUT THE LIGHTING
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DON’T BE AFRAID OF TECH
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7) AlertTech, 2020
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Integrating technology is one of the easiest ways to make your fitting room experience more convenient and exciting for your customers. Consider utilizing RFID technology on tags in order to track the stock and location of items, AR-enhanced mirrors to try on items in different colors, or in-room tablets that allow (and encourage) shoppers to request more items or assistance from store associates. These additions will improve customer experience, making the try-on process faster, easier, and more enjoyable – plus they all contain backend operations and data options to allow you to continuously optimize the shopper experience.7
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Your brand’s voice should be heard throughout your fitting room experience. If your fitting room looks exactly like your competitor’s, how will you stand out and create positive customer sentiment and loyalty? The fitting room is also a perfect opportunity to display merchandise and add-on items or promote your loyalty program. Altar’d State leverages organic branding inside of their dressing area. Each room is slightly different, so the shopper has a fresh experience every time they visit the store, and they are at the very least seeing new outfit inspiration inside.
LET YOUR JCPenney recently tested re-imagined fitting rooms experiences focused on community space and alternative merchandising, and
instantly saw 30% higher baskets.8
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8) Bloomberg, 2019
BRAND SPEAK FOR ITSELF
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When you envision your perfect retail experience, remember the value your fitting rooms play across the path to purchase. Your customers will appreciate these improvements, and they might even be seven times more likely to return with a friend. Considering which of these actionable trends are right for your brand? Harbor can host a workshop with your team to find the most efficient fitting room strategy for you.
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Joe Schultz Vice President of Sales Joe_Schultz@HarborRetail.com C. 952-905-0499
www.HarborRetail.com