All I Want for Christmas is Shoes: How Are Apparel Retailers Succeeding Ahead of Super Saturday?

Christmas is here! Mariah Carey and Michael Buble are once again conquering the December radio airtime, the out-of-office autoresponders are on and, for many, the final touches of their Christmas shopping can finally be complete.

Research finds that Americans plan on spending an average of $975 on Christmas this year, with ‘Super Saturday’ – December 23rd – expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year. No doubt, a significant portion of those purchases will be in the form of gifts, and there is one retail segment that excels in this department: apparel.

From hats all the way down to shoes, and everything in-between – including the yearly ugly festive sweater that everyone pretends to love – apparel retailers play a huge role in Christmas gift giving. With Super Saturday around the corner, some will fare better than others, and those that succeed will be able to master the ability to deliver incredible customer experiences that leave in-store shoppers feeling valued. In our latest blog, we unwrap (pun intended) how apparel retailers will be achieving this…

Inventory is Critical

Typically, a busy stores results in a large number of purchases. Of course, this is exactly what retailers are hoping for, but with Super Saturday in mind, an increase in sales can quickly lead to empty shelves. If an apparel retailer runs out of stock too early in the day, they are met with a significant opportunity cost in lost sales.

Replenishment is key, and with the right technology deployed, retailers can accurately forecast demand, predict what items will sell best, and optimize their stock. With this insight, retailers won’t run out of stock. However, and just as importantly, they won’t over-order stock either, which leads to bloat, and ultimately wasted resources.

Effective inventory management is integral to being able to achieve this. With real-time visibility of stock throughout the supply chain, apparel retailers can maintain inventory levels across all locations, using accurate data to make better decisions, faster.

In-store, this visibility not only helps keep shelves stocked, meeting customer expectations during a busy period, but it allows in-store associates to know exactly where items are located, minimizing the amount of time customers spend waiting on the shop floor.

Efficient Transactions Across all Channels

As Super Saturday approaches, speed is everything. Retailers have no context for their customers’ circumstances. They might be finalizing their gift-buying, they might only just be starting. All a retailer can do is provide an efficient experience, delivering streamlined transactions that, again, minimize the amount of time customers spend waiting around.

The biggest fear for any customer when they step in-store is often the dreaded queue time. This year, apparel retailers can significantly reduce that concern with Teamwork Commerce’s Mobile Point of Sale (POS) solution. Capable of completing transactions, quickly, anywhere in-store, shop floor associates can easily deliver the efficient in-store experiences that customers crave.

With effective inventory management enabling associates to find the exact item, in the correct colour and correct size, quickly, Mobile POS rounds off the experience by completing transactions in same spot. Customers don’t have to go and join a queue, they can step in-store, tell an associate what they are looking for, have their desired items brought to them, and finalize their purchase there and then. A potentially stressful situation is made seamless, and is complete in minutes, allowing customers to move onto their next task feeling valued and satisfied.

Click here to find out how Teamwork Commerce transformed Prada Shoes’ POS capabilities, significantly improving the brand’s ability to deliver unparalleled customer experiences.

Promotions and Offers

While consumers might be expecting to spend close to $1,000 on average this year, it is no secret that the economic climate is causing a number of challenges for customers around the country. With that in mind, perhaps the ultimate value that retailers can provide shoppers this year is in a more cost-effective purchase.

Retailers who can provide their customers with unique offers and discounts can not only meet customer desires for lowered costs, but they can do it for products that are relevant to their needs. With Teamwork Commerce’s Secure CRM solution deployed, retailers can deliver personalized experiences to customers that improve their overall experience. This includes bespoke promotions and loyalty rewards based on previous interactions with the brand and purchase history.

Super Saturday Ain’t Ready

December 23 is nearly here, but with the right technology in place, apparel retailers can not only benefit from the expected hype of Super Saturday, but by delivering unique, seamless and reliable customer experiences during this period, they can develop long-term relationships with customers that reach far beyond the festive period.