Can There Be Realistic Fantasy In Apparel Retailing?
The goal of the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2014 show was to trigger the fantasy of the wearer but give her reality as well, according to Raf Simons in a recent interview for WWD. His view is that a designer has a responsibility to do both. Whether you agree that his Spring 2014 Collection hits that target, it is a good goal for the apparel retail industry.
You want that exciting fantasy of the latest trends to bring consumers into your store. But you also want the reality of actual sales and returning customers who liked what they purchased. Most of the market is not going to dress like the models at Christian Dior, but most of your market thinks it would be fun to get something that makes them feel attractive and fashionable.
The only way to accomplish this is combining the fantasy of the designer-driven industry trends with your actual customer preferences. You want to be able to buy, allocate, and replenish your stock effectively so the sparkling appeal of the fantasy results in the solid reality of sales. You want to know at a glance which items are not selling well, be able to group products into a family entity for ease of your process, and integrate all the details from end to end. It’d be nice if it coordinated with the rest of your apparel software systems, too, so that you could move seamlessly from one aspect of the business to another. Sound like a fantasy?
Nope. ChainDrive’s apparel software systems has been developed by professionals with a deep understanding of the realities of apparel retailing. Here’s one realistic fantasy that will help you give your customers the apparel they want to buy and keep them coming back for more.