Seasonal Strategies for Footwear Retailers
Retailers must think seasonally far before that season actually comes on the calendar and software designed for footwear retailers helps you plan ahead. Seasonal assortment management is just one of the tools ChainDrive has developed to fit the needs of retailers who sell this size-sensitive category. Everybody needs shoes, but nobody needs the same type or size of shoe and the needs change with the season.
If you have not been able to utilize a professional software suite like ChainDrive for holiday planning, you enter this season at a disadvantage. A few quick additions to your services will enhance your relationship with your footwear customers.
Give Good Advice
What are the challenges your customers face? You can find out by asking, be prepared to provide some type of solution, and maintaining a way to find information. Your site should have a way to search for answers to common problems:
- How to corral muddy boots by the door
- How to get salt stains off of leather and suede
- How to waterproof shoes
- How to clean boots
- How to care for wet shoes and boots
- How to set up a welcome area where guests can easily change outdoor shoes to slippers
Some customers will want to attend workshops, but others don’t have time for that. They will appreciate handouts that can be offered at the register. Retailers can get the most out of advice they offer by adding to their site regularly with blog posts, articles, links to videos of workshops or live feeds, etc. Each one of these formats is another way to help a customer see your business as a source for expertise and each addition to your site is a boost to your search engine ranking.
Footwear Retailers – Optimize Your Data
Good advice is optimized when you integrate that advice into your website and store for easy access. Footwear retailers have a lot of data that must be integrated and accessible before it is useful, like inventory status, web sales, and customer preferences.
ChainDrive’s Integrated Retail Management Software provides the tools footwear retailers need to plan seasonal strategies as far ahead as they need to project their budget. It also provides the tools to collect customer feedback for immediate response to a need for good advice.