Today’s consumers have more options than ever before for finding the exact type of clothing/apparel they want and at their preferred price point. They can choose between shopping in-store, online, or curbside pickup. There are thousands of brick-and-mortars and e-tailers for them to peruse. As a retailer, you face a great deal of competition which means you have to manage your operations intelligently and create a shopping experience your clientele will appreciate. Our team at Retail Control Systems has worked with a variety of clothing and apparel retailers; these are the must-haves we recommend to help your business grow and thrive in this hyper-competitive market.
Integrated POS for retail
Choosing the right POS is crucial for your business’s success. We recommend NCR Counterpoint for clothing and apparel sellers because its best-in-class technology equips you with the necessary tools to run your business securely and efficiently. You and your staff will have up-to-date product pricing, supply costs, profit margins, promotions, and inventory levels available right at your fingertips. With today’s supply chain issues, it’s vital that you’re always aware of the state of your inventory so you can place orders at optimal times. As inflation drives up the costs of goods and services, it’s equally essential to have information on your supplier costs and profits readily available. Additionally, you can use the system’s data to help with your pricing strategy so you can increase your profit margins.
Meaningful loyalty program
One of the best ways to keep people coming back to your store is to thank them for their business. A meaningful loyalty program makes shoppers feel appreciated and can encourage them to shop more frequently to rack up more rewards. Whether your program includes exclusive sales, early access to new inventory, special shopping events, gifts with purchase, or points that can be redeemed for coupons is up to you. Think about your customer base and what they would want. If you don’t have a program in place yet, you can crowdsource on social media asking your shoppers what they would like to see, conduct email or in-store surveys, or reach out to people directly.
An effective loyalty program requires organization and customization, which is another reason why NCR Counterpoint is the ideal POS for clothing and apparel stores. Loyalty programs are easy to set up in the system and can be managed by any of your team members. Bottom line – a program that’s fast and easy to enroll in and that adds value to a shopper’s experience is the winning combination for driving repeat business. NCR Counterpoint will help you achieve that.
Consistency on social media
There are certain products or businesses that don’t perform very well on social media. Fortunately for you, apparel and clothing don’t fall into that category. Photos and videos of your merchandise can make for high-quality, engaging social media content. Think of social media as your tool for showcasing your inventory, creating brand awareness, and reminding your shoppers that you exist. Building a community on social media that will translate into purchasing customers requires you to be consistent. You can’t post a few times a month or per year and expect to see results. Commit to posting a few times a week and hold yourself accountable to this schedule.
The options for the content you create are endless. Show off new arrivals, promote sales or special shopping events, spotlight your loyalty program, post product reviews or photos of your customers wearing your products, and highlight last-chance items – these are just a few ideas you can try. Be creative and look to your audience to see what content they like and want to see.
Online retail options
If you’re a brick-and-mortar store, we strongly suggest integrating some e-commerce options. We know it can be hard to convert a store into an online shop so we’re certainly not telling you that you need to be 100% online. The truth is that many people prefer online shopping and you could be losing customers by keeping your business offline. Consider selling some of your products on your store’s website. If you don’t have the capacity for shipping out orders, you can offer curbside or in-store pickup instead. You can also sell gift cards online. They’re easy and inexpensive to package and ship
The beauty of using NCR Counterpoint is that its technology can help you unify your inventory management information across both channels. It helps make the transition online go smoother so that both the e-commerce and brick-and-mortar sides of your business can thrive.
Using the right POS lays the groundwork for running your store successfully. We’ve seen how NCR Counterpoint has helped countless clients scale their clothing and apparel businesses smoothly and sustainably. If you’re interested in learning more about NCR or seeing a demo, feel free to reach out.
