How fashion retailers can benefit from the growing popularity of appointment scheduling to increase footfall and boost sales.
The world of fashion is used to changing trends, but even fashion retail has to adapt to the pandemic. With the huge rise in e-commerce, customer preferences have shifted towards shopping quickly, simply and safely. As physical stores reopen, fashion retailers can benefit from these new shopping habits by implementing appointment scheduling solutions. Here’s why:
Fashion Retailers: Appointment scheduling is in vogue
Qudini’s May 2021 consumer survey found that appointment scheduling with fashion retailers is very much on-trend. 74% of customers wanted to book at least one type of appointment. Most fashion customers wished to reserve a slot for in-store services (34%). The ability to schedule store visits (33%) and book virtual services by phone or video (21%) were also popular.
The Covid catwalk for fashion retailers
From scheduling store visits at off-peak times to reserving curbside pick-ups, the pandemic has shined a spotlight on appointment scheduling. As a result of COVID-19, 43% of customers said they would be more likely to schedule an appointment compared to before the pandemic.
Given almost a third (32%) of shoppers want to book appointments due to safety concerns, it’s no surprise the pandemic has sharpened the focus on in-store retail choreography. However, consumers are almost equally as interested in saving time (29%) and organising their day better (24%). This suggests the appeal of appointments will likely continue into the future. Fashion houses and fashion retailers who implement appointment scheduling software now will likely have an advantage over their competitors.
Designer impact
A massive 93% of shoppers that have used an appointment service in the last 12 months said it had at least one positive impact on them. For example, they were more likely to engage with the retailer (33%) and it encouraged them to choose the brand over a competitor (25%).
Say no to fast fashion, say yes to fast deployment
While high-quality materials and impeccable craftsmanship are synonymous with haute-couture, rapid and scalable deployment underpins appointment scheduling. Fashion brands only need to equip their stores with the right software, facilitate appointment scheduling from their website and train in-store staff in order to boost appointment traffic. For more advice, check out our best practice guide. It shows how brands can create a dedicated appointment booking landing page on their website to drive more appointments.
To increase appointment traffic to your stores and enhance customer sales, experience, loyalty and advocacy, book an appointment with Qudini to find out more. You can also check out our case studies on leading fashion retailers like Dr Martens and designer outlet retailer McArthur Glenn.
Download the full whitepaper report on appointment demand within the fashion industry
