In our industry, you’ll hear many people say that selling apparel is challenging.
While that may be true, there’s still a world of opportunity for you to grow your clothing brand in 2024 and beyond.
The birth of the mobile phone dialed up a new era in retail. Today, you can connect with your customers anytime, anywhere.
The competition is still fierce, so…
How are you planning to differentiate your brand in this rapidly growing competitive market?
The answer is multichannel retail.
When we say “multichannel,” we mean offering your customers different sales channels to purchase from.
At all times, your customers have a channel within reach that you can leverage. It could be their phone, computer, TV, a pop-up shop in the mall… the list goes on.
Multichannel marketing is expected to grow 22.3% between 2023 and 2030, according to Market Research Future.
However, sticking to the basics is not enough to keep you growing—or even relevant in the near future.
Today, we’re excited to share five strategies that will help your brand sell more garments via multiple channels (not just your top-selling one).
Ready to reach a broader audience, enhance customer experience, minimize costs, and maximize ROI?
Execute a Successful Multichannel Retail Strategy with Scrappy Apparel!
@aftershipasks Do you prefer to shop online or in-store & why? #onlineshopping #shopping #ecommerce #commerce #streetinterviews ♬ original sound – AfterShipAsks
Learn our tips to skyrocket your brand through multichannel retail!
1. Consistently Market to Your Customers Across All Channels
It’s one thing to set up 10 different channels for your customers to buy from, but you won’t maximize your potential revenue if you don’t focus on marketing.
Create a seamless multichannel marketing strategy. This will generate more results than you can imagine.
According to a recent 2023 study from Gitnux, 72% of consumers would rather connect with brands and businesses through multiple channels (Ex. Social media, email, SMS, and in-person shopping experiences).
However, you need to ensure that every channel contributes to a unified brand message. That means you have to use the same key messaging points, brand voice, and overall vibe throughout every communication, including:
- Email campaigns
- Social media posts
- Chatbots
- Live agent chat conversations
…and every other touchpoint you have!
The same Gitnux study shows that consistent messaging with your customers across all channels increases purchase intent by 90%!
Though these tips may seem minor, they make a major difference in how customers perceive your brand.
2. Explore More Channels and Don’t Underestimate Any of Them
Keep this in mind: all of your channels are relevant.
After the first e-commerce boom, people believed that online shopping was the future and brick-and-mortar stores would die out eventually.
Fast forward a few years… and we can see the OG in-store shopping experience is not dead.
Quite the contrary.
As stated by RetailDive, 92% of shoppers said they miss shopping in person at their favorite stores.
So, you know it’s beneficial to implement more sales channels.
But how can you do that successfully without overextending your resources?
The trick here is to understand what customers are expecting from each of your channels. With this, you’ll be able to maximize your sales. For example:
- In-Store Presence: Create a tangible, immersive shopping experience where your customers can look at garments, try them on, feel the fabric, and enjoy your brand in-store.
- Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce: Some people want to browse online from their desktop or mobile device and have the products delivered to their doorstep as quickly as possible—no waiting in line, no “we are closed” signs.
- Social Media Platforms: Your social media followers may want to discover, like, and purchase—all without leaving the social media app.
- Online Marketplaces: Amazon is the prime example of an online marketplace where people are ready to buy. You can command attention by betting on the right trends and developing an SEO strategy within the marketplace itself.
- Mobile Apps: If a customer installs your app, you are one of their favorite stores—but now pocket-sized. You can offer a personalized brand experience to your mobile app users, send push notifications about sales, and more.
- Phone Call: You read it right—some people like to interact via a phone call. While a customer service call might not sound like a sales channel at first, it definitely can be. Your customers might ask about a product detail they saw online, the delivery method, and more. In this case, they want to interact with a friendly voice on your team.
@emiliarosecooke Anything to avoid the changing room ques🤭 #tryingonclothes #clothestryon #shopfloor #shopping #mumsoftiktok #tryingon #newin #tryingoninstore ♬ Confidence (sped up – full song) – Ocean Alley
People will always love trying on clothes, regardless of which channel they purchase from!
3. Implement Omnichannel Retail
As stated in the Multichannel Marketing Market 2024 Report by Market Research Future, retailers are increasingly focusing on providing an omnichannel experience for customers. If you aren’t already looking for ways to implement it, you might fall behind in the market!
Basically, an omnichannel retail strategy is the delivery of a cohesive experience across all channels and customer touchpoints.
That’s extremely important for the growing Gen-Z audience. As stated by McKinsey, they don’t even think in terms of traditional channel boundaries anymore. They are already expecting a seamless experience across all platforms.
That means you should:
- Offer an Integrated Experience: Your customers should move seamlessly between channels. For example, order something online and pick it up in-store.
- Provide Consistent Communication: Keep uniform branding and customer service across all channels.
- Streamline Your Supply Chain: Streamline the supply chain to ensure product availability and timely delivery across channels. This one you can accomplish with a 3PL partner, which we’ll address later in tip #5!
- Use Data Strategically: Use data analytics to understand customer preferences and personalize the shopping experience.
4. Leverage Customer-Facing SKU/Product Code Identifiers
Let’s say a customer likes a product they saw on your social media. They go to check it out on your website, but they actually buy it in person at your store.
Do you ever wonder how people find the same product across different channels?
If you have a lot of garments, it can be hard for your customers to keep track.
You can solve this problem by displaying a customer-facing SKU number, product code, or another unique identifier your customers can use to distinguish products from one another.
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People also use the codes to recommend and share specific clothing pieces on social media!
5. Have an Experienced Third-Party Logistics Partner
Third-party logistics (3PL) providers help apparel brands scale up their operations while maintaining a seamless customer experience along the way.
If you choose the right fulfillment partner, you’ll bring valuable expertise and practical experience to the table. They remain updated with the latest industry trends, technological advancements, and optimal practices, empowering businesses to adopt efficient approaches.
Also, you can leverage their extensive network of warehouses and shipping partners! This translates into streamlined lead times, a critical factor in meeting customer demands promptly.
3PL providers have the necessary infrastructure and capabilities to help you scale to infinity and beyond.
Instead of worrying about warehouse capacity, shipping times, and other crucial aspects of logistics, you can trust your partner to handle it all for you.
If your inventory management, fulfillment, and shipping processes are holding you back, it may be time to bring a 3PL partner on board.
Scrappy Apparel is the #1 Fulfillment Partner for Clothing Brands with Multiple Sales Channels
Our innovative 3PL MGMT program offers a seamless supply chain solution tailored to apparel brands.
Despite being labeled “3PL,” we provide the same level of support found in 4PL and 5PL solutions! When you work with us, you can expect:
- Apparel-First Fulfillment: We understand the unique needs of apparel brands and offer comprehensive fulfillment services, including one-time campaigns, eCommerce, retail, and tour merchandise programs.
- Efficient Supply Chain: We’ll manage your entire supply chain, from material sourcing to order fulfillment, with same-day shipping for orders placed before 12:00 PM (EST).
- Complete Manufacturing: In addition to fulfillment, we offer a full range of apparel manufacturing services, including screen printing, sublimation, custom hats, and more.
- Integrated Program: We provide dedicated warehouse space, manage all products and SKUs, and offer seamless online store integration for a streamlined brand experience.
- Multichannel Specialists: We have experience in helping brands scale all their channels—online, offline, and on-the-go!
Choose Scrappy Apparel as Your Manufacturing, Fulfillment, and E-Commerce Partner
Our experts are ready to help you scale your brand.
