You’re a trend retailer.You assist your clients specific their distinctive personalities with an ever-evolving stock. Whether or not you concentrate on native designers or huge names; on a regular basis outfits or formal put on; footwear, equipment or the entire package deal, you’re devoted to your model and the individuals who join with it.
Whereas the business is rising—and projected to go from $1.75 trillion in 2024 to over $2.3 trillion by 2032—many retailers are feeling the stress to maintain up with altering developments and shopper expectations. Elements resembling elevated competitors, rising operational prices and shifting shopper behaviors are making it extra essential than ever for trend retailers to remain agile to draw clients and drive gross sales.
Past that, you want a high-performing and dependable retail answer that may allow you to take management of your stock, present actionable insights and allow you to create pleasant buyer experiences.
On this information:
Elevate your attire retailer
Handle your stock, clients, gross sales channels and extra with Lightspeed’s attire stock administration software program and all-in-one level of sale.
Begin with the best information
Success in trend retail isn’t nearly impeccable fashion—it’s about good decision-making. Understanding what drives your gross sales and buyer engagement may also help you maximize income, optimize staffing and fine-tune your product assortment.
Information-backed insights mean you can make knowledgeable selections slightly than counting on guesswork. Which merchandise are bringing in your high spenders? When do you have to put your finest salespeople on the ground? Do you have to modify your pricing technique or put an merchandise on sale?
The solutions to those questions will inform selections like staffing schedules, markdown timing, and merchandising methods, which finally drive extra gross sales.
To that finish, we advocate taking note of the next studies:
Product efficiency – Determine your best-selling gadgets and gradual movers to make smarter buying and markdown selections.Class efficiency – Perceive which product classes drive essentially the most income so you may inventory and promote accordingly.Gross sales by the day and hour – Pinpoint peak procuring instances to optimize staffing and promotional efforts.High salespeople – Acknowledge your highest performers and schedule them strategically to maximise buyer engagement and conversions.Common gross sales worth – Monitor how a lot clients sometimes spend per transaction and establish alternatives to upsell or bundle merchandise.Common gadgets per sale – Measure what number of merchandise clients purchase per transaction to refine cross-selling methods and improve basket measurement.
Professional tip: The Lightspeed Retail dashboard provides you an at-a-glance view of those metrics, serving to you assess gross sales developments, employees efficiency and stock well being in actual time.
View report
Click on View report below any information widget to view the related gross sales report. Any filters you’ve added within the Retail Dashboard (Date, Retailers, Extra filters) will likely be mechanically utilized.
And if you’re able to drill down on a selected KPI or information level, you may generate customizable studies that present deeper insights into particular gross sales patterns.
You too can take issues a step additional and forecast demand, making certain you’ve got the best stock on the proper time. Lightspeed’s retail analytics platform offers in-depth stock monitoring and data-driven order suggestions.
Merely create a report that forecasts demand—i.e., the measure of how a lot inventory you would want for a given time interval. Let’s say you wish to decide what number of fundamental T-shirts you would possibly want for the subsequent six weeks. You possibly can point out this when constructing your report, and Lightspeed will show how a lot stock you would want for that point interval.
Degree up your shows and merchandising
Have already got the best information? Put it to good use by optimizing your retailer format and visible merchandising. When you understand which merchandise are high sellers, which classes carry out finest and when foot site visitors peaks, you may design shows that seize consideration and encourage purchases.
For instance, in case your gross sales information reveals {that a} specific line of purses is trending, you may transfer them to a first-rate show location close to the doorway or checkout to maximise visibility. Equally, in case your studies point out that cross-selling sure equipment with attire results in increased common transaction values, you may create curated outfit shows to encourage customers to bundle their purchases.
In fact, visible merchandising methods will range from one retailer to a different. In some instances, the identical retailer can have vastly totally different merchandising approaches throughout totally different places.
That being mentioned, listed here are normal finest practices to think about.
Use design concept to construct your shows
Your shows are a crucial a part of your total design and may simply make or break the circulation of your retailer. Understanding key design concept will allow you to construct shows which are eye-catching and circulation properly along with your in-store design.
Typically, much less is extra. Whenever you’re residing in a gross sales per sq. foot sort of world, this would possibly sound counterintuitive. In any case, your retail gross sales per sq. footage impacts your retailer’s income. However the actuality is that in case your retailer design is messy or crowded, you’ll possible drive clients away.
When constructing your shows, maintain these 4 design theories in thoughts:
Stability
Reaching steadiness inside your in-store shows is important in guiding your clients round and offering a cohesive procuring expertise. Stability in your retailer may be both symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Symmetrical steadiness makes use of design parts which have the identical weight, whereas asymmetrical makes use of gadgets of various weights. Whereas symmetrical shows can add consistency and order to your retailer, generally utilizing asymmetrical designs may also help add an fascinating contact, creating extra of a focus to sure parts in your design.
Distinction
Offering distinction will convey emphasis to gadgets or shows in your retailer. In the end you don’t need your clients to get misplaced in a sea of merchandise. Having a focus inside your shows will assist information your clients’ eyes to sure merchandise or sections.
Selecting sure colour schemes can present distinction to your shows. Utilizing black and white, monochromatic colours or different contrasting colours can even add a pop to your shows.
White house
Not each nook or house in your retailer must be crammed with shows or merchandise. White house, aka unfavorable house, is a crucial part of your retailer design.
White house may also help spotlight sure shows or merchandise, including a focus inside your show and decreasing muddle. When used appropriately, white house may give your merchandise room to breathe.
Apply this design precept to your retailer’s window shows, at your level of sale and all through your retail location.
Unity
The overarching ingredient you want in any retailer is cohesion. Creating unity in all of your in-store shows, decorations and designs will make your retailer come collectively visually, and allow you to keep on model.
Make certain all of the design parts you’re utilizing when placing collectively your retailer make sense along with your total model. You would possibly discover attention-grabbing props or equipment, however a very powerful factor to bear in mind is whether or not or not they match with the story you wish to inform.
Streamline your buying and stock workflows
With trend developments altering season after season (and generally much more typically than that), it’s crucial for attire retailers to remain on high of POs and stock administration. You’ll want to maintain cabinets stocked with merchandise that promote.
Right here’s how.
Join your wholesale and POS workflows
Managing wholesale orders alongside your in-store stock can get messy quick. Manually getting into product particulars, updating inventory ranges and making certain consistency throughout platforms takes time—time higher spent on rising what you are promoting.
The precise instruments may also help you bridge the hole between wholesale buying and retail operations, so your workflow stays seamless.
Lightspeed lets you just do that with NuORDER PO Sync, a function that eliminates tedious handbook information entry by mechanically syncing product imagery, MSRPs, sizing, colour schemes and extra straight into your POS.
With NuORDER PO Sync, you’ll not solely pace up your buy orders and receiving course of, however you’ll even have peace of thoughts understanding that product particulars—descriptions, pricing, and stock ranges—are correct and constant in all places.
Lisa Bobb, proprietor of Squash Blossom Boutique makes use of NuORDER PO Sync to streamline her buy order workflows. Doing so permits her to create POs 80% quicker.
“It used to take me about 25 minutes to do my PO information entry,” she says. “With Lightspeed and NuORDER, I can get it accomplished inside about 5 minutes.”
Set the best reorder factors and restock ranges
Late reorders throw every little thing off and may result in empty cabinets and annoyed clients. Counting on handbook monitoring typically means missed alternatives to order the best merchandise.
The answer? Use a retail administration platform that allows you to set security inventory ranges and reorder factors so merchandise may be replenished earlier than they run out.
Lightspeed Retail has built-in reorder factors and restock ranges that mechanically populate orders when inventory is low, saving you time and making certain you by no means run out of bestsellers. By setting reorder factors for every product and outlet, you may proactively restock and maintain gross sales flowing easily.
Leverage information in your your buying selections
We’ve alluded to this earlier, nevertheless it’s value repeating—on the subject of stock administration, information is your superpower.
Should you’re utilizing Lightspeed, maintain a detailed eye in your Stock Efficiency report so you may examine merchandise, classes, manufacturers, suppliers and SKUs. Whenever you control these metrics, you may higher perceive what’s promoting properly and what’s not transferring, to assist inform your buying technique.
You should use this report back to:
Take into account modifications to your product vary. Analyze which merchandise and types usher in clients so you may inventory what sells and put much less concentrate on gadgets that usher in decrease earnings.Put together for a bulk or seasonal buy of merchandise. Analyze the previous efficiency of comparable merchandise to optimize your future orders.Plan your promotions. See the place you’re overstocked to determine which merchandise would possibly want a serving to hand to maneuver them on.
What can the Product Efficiency report let you know?
This report combines your stock ranges, gross sales info and a few KPIs that can assist you uncover what inventory is flying off the cabinets and what wants consideration.
MetricDescriptionClosing stockYour stock on the finish of your chosen date vary. If that’s right this moment, then it equals your present inventory on-hand.Gross revenueThe entire revenue you made (Income – Value of products bought = Gross revenue). Sorted by most to least to see what’s producing essentially the most revenue. Gross revenue depends on recording product prices in Retail POS; in any other case, it’s going to equal your income.Objects boughtThe entire gadgets you bought inside your chosen date vary.Objects bought per dayThe common variety of gadgets bought every day in your chosen date vary. (Objects bought / No. of days within the interval). Helpful for analyzing gross sales spikes or seasonal efficiency.Promote-through feeMeasures how rapidly stock is promoting. A excessive fee signifies fast-selling gadgets which will want replenishing, whereas a low fee signifies gadgets sitting too lengthy, tying up money.Days cowlSignifies what number of days it’s going to take to promote out primarily based on present gross sales charges. Helps establish overstocked or understocked gadgets.Stock priceThe amount of money tied up in your stock. (Common price x Closing stock = Stock price). Helpful for understanding the monetary dedication to your inventory.Retail worthThe potential income your stock might make. (Full retail value of merchandise x Closing stock = Retail worth). Helps plan promotions, insurance coverage claims, and merchandising methods.
One of the best half? Lightspeed doesn’t simply floor the best info, it makes it extremely simple to take motion in your information.
Whenever you’re viewing your stock studies, merely navigate to the Replenishment tab. From there, you may create a purchase order order just by choosing the merchandise you’d like so as to add to your PO. Select your provider, add an order quantity and also you’re good to go.
Show your native stock on-line
Reality: the procuring journeys of right this moment’s customers aren’t linear, nor do they happen in a single channel. It’s not unusual for somebody to search for merchandise on their cell gadget or do a bit extra analysis on their laptop computer earlier than ending up within the retailer.
That’s why it’s a good suggestion for attire retailers to make in-store stock simply discoverable on-line. Doing so lets you meet clients the place they’re and encourage in-store visits.
That is the place Google Native Stock is available in. With Google Native Stock, in-store merchandise are mechanically proven on Native Listings, together with Google Maps, Google Buying, Google Assistant, See what’s in retailer (SWIS) on Enterprise Profiles and in native seek for free. Relying on the kind of search, your merchandise can seem in other places within the outcomes when clients seek for merchandise close to them.
Lightspeed Retail retailers are enrolled in Native Stock. Right here’s the way it works:
A Service provider Heart account will likely be mechanically created for you and linked to your Google Enterprise Profile.Merchandise and retailer places from Retail POS will sync along with your Service provider Account and Enterprise Profile.Native Stock will likely be enabled and Google will begin exhibiting your merchandise throughout Native Listings.
So as to add merchandise, simply scan or enter them into your Retail POS product catalog as per ordinary. Your stock will likely be mechanically synced along with your Enterprise Profile and up to date in Native Listings the place relevant.
Conduct gross sales coaching usually
You’ve acquired the best merchandise in-store, and your shows are on level. The following step is to ensure your gross sales associates have the information and confidence to show lookers into patrons.
Listed here are some finest practices to bear in mind when coaching your retail gross sales group:
Guarantee they know your catalog inside and outside. Practice them on product particulars, supplies and sizing to allow them to confidently help clients.Implement role-playing. Observe real-life gross sales situations to assist associates refine their buyer interactions and upselling methods.Take into account hiring a third-party knowledgeable. A retail gross sales coach can present recent insights and confirmed methods to spice up your group’s effectiveness.Tailor gross sales coaching primarily based in your group’s studying kinds and preferences. Use a mixture of hands-on coaching, movies and quizzes to maintain engagement excessive.Reward and incentivize your group. Encourage workers with bonuses, recognition applications or pleasant gross sales competitions.
How have you learnt in case your coaching initiatives are working? Use the gross sales report in Lightspeed to view metrics like merchandise bought and income for every group member. This lets you monitor particular person efficiency for fee or bonus functions, in addition to establish teaching alternatives.
Implement promotions (however don’t overdo it)
Promotions and reductions can drive gross sales and appeal to new clients, however in the event you depend on them too typically, you threat shrinking your margins. To not point out that providing deep reductions regularly might practice customers to attend for offers as a substitute of shopping for at full value.
Right here’s be extra strategic with promotions.
Run the numbers to find out the best reductions to supply
Earlier than slashing costs, calculate how a lot of a reduction what you are promoting can afford whereas nonetheless sustaining wholesome margins. Take into account providing smaller reductions on bestsellers and deeper reductions on slow-moving stock.
Set spending thresholds
As an alternative of blanket reductions, encourage extra spending by providing offers like “Spend $100, get 10% off” or “Purchase 3, get 1 free.” This will increase the common transaction worth whereas nonetheless making clients really feel like they’re getting a deal.
Personalize your gives
Use buyer information to ship focused promotions primarily based on previous purchases, searching conduct or loyalty standing. Unique offers for VIP clients or birthday reductions could make gives really feel particular slightly than anticipated.
Take into account value-add promos as a substitute of markdowns
As an alternative of discounting costs, attempt providing free items, bonus loyalty factors or complimentary providers like alterations. These add perceived worth with out chopping into earnings as closely as straight reductions.
No matter what kind of promo you’re working, Lightspeed makes it simple to implement and handle promotions with built-in instruments that streamline the method:
Provide customizable reductions – Set share or dollar-off reductions for particular merchandise or storewide promotions, whether or not on-line or in-store.Run one-time or recurring promotions – Schedule gross sales for particular dates or arrange recurring promotions, like weekly comfortable hours or weekend specials.Goal the best clients – Provide unique promotions to VIPs, loyalty members or particular buyer teams utilizing promo codes or restricted reductions.Sync throughout all gross sales channels – Lightspeed ensures your promotions replace in actual time, retaining pricing constant throughout your POS and eCom retailer.
With Lightspeed, establishing, monitoring, and adjusting promotions is straightforward, so you may drive gross sales with out the effort.
Provide simple procuring experiences—each in retailer and on-line
Promoting on-line isn’t only a nice-to-have anymore; it’s a should for reaching extra clients and staying aggressive. Having a web based presence opens up alternatives to get in entrance of your target market, increase gross sales and develop your model.
But it surely’s not sufficient to only promote on-line—it’s essential to go omnichannel. Right this moment’s customers transfer fluidly between on-line and offline experiences, whether or not they’re researching on-line and shopping for in-store or choosing up orders at your bodily location. Seamlessly integrating your on-line and brick-and-mortar operations ensures constant buyer experiences, irrespective of how they select to buy.
That’s the place Lightspeed eCom is available in. It helps retailers promote in all places from one centralized platform, connecting on-line and in-store operations effortlessly.
Leverage Instantaneous Web site – Construct an expert on-line retailer in minutes with customizable templates and content material blocks. Showcase your model with a web site that seamlessly integrates with social media and on-line marketplaces.
Add to your present web site – Join Lightspeed eCom to your present website (like WordPress or Wix) to immediately remodel it right into a full-fledged on-line retailer with out rebuilding from scratch.
Promote on social media platforms – Combine your retailer with Fb, Instagram and TikTok to achieve clients straight on their favourite platforms and allow seamless in-app procuring experiences.
Take into account Google Buying – Robotically sync your product catalog with Google Buying to spice up visibility and appeal to native clients actively trying to find your merchandise.
Promote on on-line marketplaces – Broaden your attain by itemizing merchandise on Amazon, eBay and Walmart, then handle stock seamlessly from one platform.
Flip your retailer right into a downloadable cell app – Use ShopApp to create a branded cell app that retains your retailer at your clients’ fingertips, enhancing loyalty and boosting repeat purchases.
Make loyalty a key a part of your retail gross sales technique
In relation to growing retail gross sales, it takes much less work to persuade loyal clients to spend extra.
As such, nurturing present relationships and incentivizing repeat enterprise ought to be a high precedence in your gross sales technique. Constructing a powerful loyalty program not solely boosts income but in addition fosters lasting connections along with your clients.
Right here’s how one can make loyalty be just right for you:
First: reward your present clients. If they’ll earn extra factors or {dollars} off their subsequent buy by shopping for extra now, they’ll be tempted to spend extra. Should you don’t have already got a loyalty program in place, implement one now and ensure your gross sales associates are signing clients up at checkout.
Second: entice first-time clients to return with the promise of rewards. Your present clients already know why they love you, and so they’ll admire the additional incentive to buy. Your new clients would possibly want that further push to maintain you top-of-mind and are available again. Strive providing a sign-up bonus that may entice clients again to the shop to purchase extra.
Third: make use of your loyalty program’s advertising and marketing instruments. loyalty program could have instruments you should utilize to ship clients communications about promotions and personalised buy incentives. Birthday rewards offer you an annual push to convey clients again to the shop, for instance. And you’ll catch dormant clients with a promotion designed to get them again in retailer, providing you with an opportunity for gross sales that you’d have in any other case misplaced.
Should you’re utilizing Lightspeed Superior Advertising and marketing, the three steps above aren’t simply doable—they’re remarkably simple to implement.
Lightspeed Superior Advertising and marketing provides you all of the instruments it’s essential to construct lasting buyer relationships and increase gross sales.
Reward loyal clients – Leverage Lightspeed’s built-in loyalty program, which permits your clients to build up and redeem factors for each greenback they spend.Automate buyer outreach – Create automated e-mail sequences—resembling a collection of “Welcome” emails to make an incredible first impression and construct lasting connections.Sensible buyer segmentation – Robotically section your clients primarily based on buy historical past and model interactions, making it easy to reward loyal customers and entice first-timers to come back again.Customized e-mail campaigns – Arrange automated emails for birthdays, sign-up bonuses and win-back campaigns with pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop builder.Omnichannel communication – Use SMS and e-mail to maintain clients engaged throughout all channels.
Bringing all of it collectively
Working a profitable attire retail enterprise takes extra than simply nice merchandise—it requires strategic decision-making, environment friendly workflows and a concentrate on buyer loyalty. By leveraging data-driven insights, creating seamless omnichannel procuring experiences and constructing robust buyer relationships by loyalty applications you may set what you are promoting up for long-term success.
Lightspeed’s complete platform makes it simpler to attain your objectives, providing you with the instruments it’s essential to develop your model and maintain clients coming again for extra.
Watch a demo and uncover how Lightspeed may also help your trend enterprise thrive.