2014 Trends For The Retail Fashion Industry

With the new year upon us, retail fashion store owners across the country are preparing and strategizing for the 12 months ahead. In the world of retail fashion, trends play a pivotal role in the success of a business. Stores offering 'hot' garments that are popular and in high demand will ultimately trump stores offering dated, low-demand garments. This goes back to the basic economic principles of supply and demand. So, what are some retail fashion trends to look for in 2014?

Niche Stores

If you live in a highly populated city or suburban area, you're probably well aware of the growing number of niche apparel stores opening up. There are still plenty of national chain retailers which offer all types of apparel, but small businesses tend to have greater success when operating niche stores focused around a specific type or category of apparel. 

For instance, female teen clothing stores have become a popular niche, as they target a specific demographic. If a young girl wants to purchase an outfit, which store do you think she would choose: a general apparel store or one that specifically sells female teen apparel?

You read more about how to choose a niche for your retail apparel store in our previous blog post located here.

Go Mobile

If you aren't incorporating mobile into your retail apparel store's overall marketing strategy, you're missing out on a massive amount of untapped potential. According to a recent State of The Internet Webinar, mobile web traffic will trump desktop traffic in 2014. This means store owners with a web presence must cater to the unique needs of smartphone and mobile users; otherwise, all of this traffic will end up going to their competitors.

Even if you don't operate an e-commerce website for your retail apparel store business, you can still utilize mobile into your marketing strategy. Quick read (QR) codes have become a hot trend that's growing in the world of retail. These square-shaped bar codes allow businesses to market their products and services to mobile users. Users scan the QR codes with their smartphone or device to access to a webpage. This webpage may contain promotional codes, discounts, coupons, new products, or practically anything else the store owners chooses to display.

Fashion on a Budget

There's a growing consumer demand for inexpensive fashion garments as opposed to luxury, high-dollar items. Don't get me wrong, consumers are still buying the $1,000+ handbags, but not nearly as much as the lower-dollar items. If you operate a retail fashion store, consider offering more of the budget-friendly garments and accessories to your clients.

How To Perform Inventory Management In a Retail Apparel Store

Inventory management is the process of organizing, counting, and displaying product in a retail store. Far too many store owners either overlook or underestimate this critical step, resulting in a loss of sales and performance. While all retail stores can benefit from routine inventory management, it's especially important for apparel stores. If you're the owner of a retail apparel store, keep reading to learn the step-by-step process to performing inventory management.

Choose The Right Fixtures

The first step in performing inventory management in a retail apparel store is to choose the right fixtures. Using the wrong fixtures will make this process ten times more difficult by creating a mess of cluttered product that only becomes worse throughout the day. So, how do you know which fixtures to use in a retail store? It really depends on the type of apparel sold in your store. General apparel stores that sell full outfits and accessories would likely benefit the most from a collection of mannequins along with some gridwall or slatwall, while a shirt-only retail store may benefit the most from basic gondolas.

Keeping Track of Inventory

Of course, another important step in inventory management for retail apparel stores is keeping track of inventory. Most stores have a computer system in place designed for this purpose, but unfortunately computers won't automatically account for shrink products. This is why retail apparel stores should go back and manually count their product on a regular basis, as this will provide a more accurate reading of their current inventory. And when your store gets low on a particular product, you can go ahead and order more.

Refold Apparel

One tall-tale sign of a successful retail apparel store is unfolded clothing that's strewn all of the place. In a perfect world, shoppers would come in and 'neatly' browse through your store's inventory while leaving it nice and folded. Nine out of ten times, however, shoppers will unfold product, creating a display of cluttered mess. While this is a sign that your store is receiving a sizable amount of shoppers, it can also send the wrong message to your customers.

Part of inventory management in retail apparel stores includes refolding product. Allowing your store's product to remain strewn across the shelves in a cluttered fashion may send some potential customers out the door. If you haven't done so already, train your employees on the proper way to fold each garment in your store. In addition, make sure they perform regular refolding routines to keep your store in top shape.

5 Questions To Ask Before Opening a Retail Apparel Store

Are you a fashion fanatic who loves to meet and interact with new people on a daily basis? If so, then you might want to consider launching your own retail apparel store. Since people are always in need of clothes, this is one industry that's considered "recession-proof." Launching your own retail apparel store will give you the opportunity to earn a living while helping people achieve greater self-confidence through fashion.

Question #1 - Is The Store Location High Traffic?

If there's one thing you shouldn't try to save money on when opening a retail apparel store it's the location. Sure, there's a good chance that you'll save a couple hundred dollars or more by leasing a store in a hidden part of town that no one knows about, but unfortunately this will hurt your customer base. Spend the extra money to lease a store in a high-traffic location next to a major road or highway.

Question #2 - How Am I Going To Find Employees?

Even if you plan on doing most of the work yourself, you'll still need a couple of employees to run a successful retail apparel store. Perhaps you can place a classified ad in the paper stating that you are looking for hard-working employees for a new retail store. Another option is to place a "help wanted" sign in the front of your store. The bottom line is that you need to find hard-working employees which are dedicated to helping your store succeed.

Question #3 - Are Loans Necessary?

The cost of opening a retail apparel store from the ground up can easily place a heavy burden on your finances. Thankfully, banks and lenders have numerous loan options available for hopeful entrepreneurs looking to launch new businesses. If you don't have 100% of the necessary cash on hand, do some research into the different types of business loans.

Question #4 - Do I Have a Reliable Supplier?

Of course, you can't expect to run a successful retail apparel store without a reliable supplier. And by "reliable" I mean someone you can always count on to deliver the product on time. Some store owners spend countless hours networking with factories and dealers overseas. Having a strong relationship with a good supplier is essential to running a successful apparel store.

Question #5 -  What Kind of Fixtures Do I Need?

A fifth question you should ask yourself is what type of fixtures are required for your apparel store. Setting up half a dozen or so mannequins is an excellent way to show customers exactly how a particular garment looks when worn on the human form, but it's not an effective method for storing large quantities of product. Instead, consider using something like gridwall, slatwall, gondolas, or a combination of the three.

Protecting Retail Apparel With Garment Bags

If you own or manage a retail apparel store, you should consider investing in some garment bags. These versatile accessories will offer a valuable layer of protection against dust, dirt and other common forms of damage. Unfortunately, far too many apparel stores overlook the importance of garment bags. This ultimately leads to damaged product and higher shrink, both of which are disastrous for a retail businesses. To learn more about why you invest in garment bags, keep reading.

Protects Garments From Dust

Regardless of how much time you spend cleaning your store, dust will inevitably accumulate in certain areas. This may not seem like an issue, but even small amounts of dust can ruin certain materials. Dust is especially problematic in storage and shipment areas. So, how can you protect your garments, and profits, from the damaging effects of dust. The answer is simple -- store them in a garment bags. Instead of hanging your garments on a rolling rack and leaving them in the back of the store, you can secure them in a protective garment bag. The peace of mind knowing that your store's apparel is safe is well worth the minimal price of garment bags.

Convenient Hanger Area

Most garment bags are constructed with convenient hanger slots on top. After placing the shirt, dress or garment on a hanger, you can then zip the bag up around it. Store owners can then hang the garment bag on rolling racks or similar devices thanks to the convenient hanging area. There's no need to lay the garments down once they are placed inside a bag. Of course, this is just one of the many benefits offered by garment bags.

Prevents Wrinkles

Yet another benefit of garment bags is their ability to prevent wrinkles. Let's face it, customers are naturally less likely to purchase wrinkled garments; therefore, it's in your best interest to store them in a manner that reduces the chances of this from happening. Taking the time to place your garments in a bag will keep the straight and wrinkle-free.

Logo/Card Slot

Depending on the particular model, some garment bags are designed with built-in slots for holding logos or cards. This allows store owners to personalize their garment bags using their own promotional material. You simply slide your card or logo design directly behind the soft plastic cover where it will remain visible for everyone to see.

Using Mannequins To Display Store Apparel

Most retail apparel store owners will agree that mannequins are the single most effective selling tool at their disposal. Sure, you can hang garments on racks all day long, but it doesn't offer the same level of realism as a mannequin does. Customers are able to naturally see how a garment or outfit looks when worn by viewing it dressed on a mannequin. For this reason, it's a recommended accessory that every apparel owner should have. To receive the most benefit from it, however, you'll need to follow some basic tips when setting them up.

Choosing The Right Mannequins

First and foremost, you'll need to decide which types of mannequins will work best in your store. If you've never purchased them before, you might be surprised to see just how many different types there are. Some mannequins are designed with full bodies to model entire outfits, while others are basic torsos without legs or heads. Ask yourself what kind of clothes and garments you intend on displaying and then choose the mannequins that are best suited for the job. Remember, though, summer is right around the corner, so you may want to choose mannequins with the ability to display summer-wear clothing.

Mannequins also come in both male and female styles. If your shop strictly sells either men or women's clothing, you'll want to choose the appropriate gender for your mannequins. Trust me, you don't want to try and dress up your female mannequins in men's clothing or vise versa.

Going With The Season

If you are having trouble trying to come up with new ways to style your store mannequins, think about the current seasons and try to incorporate it into the design. As most people already know, the official 2013 spring season is now upon us, so try to use spring-themed apparel and outfits on your store mannequins. This generally means brighter, bolder colors with short-sleeve shirts and a mix of both pants and shorts. As the summer approaches, you can slowly begin to swap these items out for more "beachy" clothes.

Another little tip that's helpful is to check out what your competitors are doing. You shouldn't steal or copy their exact mannequin designs, but you can draw some inspiration by looking at them. See what colors and elements they are using. Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration to spark a new mannequin idea.

How To Safely Protect Your Store Apparel

If you are in the retail apparel and fashion business, you'll need to use extra caution around your products. Even minor amounts of dust, humidity and dirt in the air can essentially destroy delicate garments, costing you thousands of dollars in "shrink." This can be a depressing sight for anyone, especially if you are working to your get business up and running. So, how are you supposed to keep your inventory protected from such disastrous situations? Keep reading and we'll reveal some simple ways to protect your store clothes and apparel.

Garment Bags

 

One of the most effective methods used to protect store apparel are garment bags. Instead of leaving your inventory on rolling racks in the back of the store, you can safely tuck them away in a garment bag. As long as you choose a durable, well-made bag, it should offer more than enough protection against the damaging effects of dust and humidity. In addition, most garment bags can be used to store multiple articles of clothing. Just a couple bags can easily store a dozen or more outfits, so you don't have to worry about purchasing a bag for each article of clothing in your store.

To get the most use and benefit out of your garment bags, you'll need to know what to look for when shopping for them. First and foremost, consider the material used in its construction. Some low-quality bags are made using cheap materials that may not offer full protection against the outside elements. When in doubt, stick with nylon, vinyl or plastic blends to ensure your garments are safely protected against dust and humidity.

Plastic Garment Bag Rolls

Another option available to keep your store apparel and garments protected is to wrap them up in plastic bag rolls. It's generally a cheaper option than purchasing high-quality garment vinyl or nylon garment bags but they aren't as durable. If you are looking for a quick, easy way to protect your store's apparel and garments, pick up a couple bag rolls to use.

These are just a few of the ways store owners can protect their apparel and garments from damage. Although you can't see, the air around us (and especially in retail stores) is filled with dust and dirt. Even small amounts of dust can wreck havoc on garments made with delicate fabrics. Unless you want to take the risk of ruining your product, it's recommended that you use some of the previously mentioned methods to protect it.