Staying ahead of the trend curve is one of the main keys to running a successful clothing store. As a small business owner, you have a responsibility to be able to spot the latest clothing items that your customers will love. This will keep them coming back time and time again to purchase from you. You and your dedicated employees make up the backbone of the business and should not slack when it comes to being fashion forward. Here are some helpful ways to help clothing stores stay current on the latest apparel trends.
Subscribe To The Top Fashion Magazines
Having a subscription to the top fashion magazines will be one of your greatest assets for staying on top of apparel trends. The major fashion designers of the fast fashion world and beyond will put their ads in these coveted magazines. Having a subscription will also allow you to read various fashion interviews and trend reports. Vogue is one of the most iconic fashion magazines and is incredibly valuable for helping spot trends. Other magazines to look into are InStyle and ELLE. Most magazines also send put out newsletters that will send updates in the fashion industry, as well as the most sought after pieces, right to your email inbox. These little gems of information, and possibly exclusive interviews, are only available to subscribers.
Keep An Eye On Your Competitors
Do not sleep on the competition. Of course you will want to get ahead of them, but for the time being, you can always watch from a distance. This is a good tactic to see what the store may have for sale that seems to be flying off the racks. Watch their social media pages and see what pieces are getting the most attention in the forms of likes, hearts, comments, etc. Click through to see how active they are on social media and the kind of customer base they appeal to. This will also allow you and your team to see which platforms are working best for them. Keep a journal, detailing what stores share the same customer base in your area and what products you notice are selling best. This will be beneficial in helping you create an outline of what to research in terms of top apparel trends.
Maximize The Productivity Of Your Team
Having a team that is on board with the overall mission is key, but having a fashion-forward team with all the base qualities met is practically unstoppable. According to what kind of demographic you want to flock to your business, try to have a team of employees that are fashionably sound. Watch what they come to work in and engage with your employees about their ideas for what your customer base is wearing and what they think is trending. Encourage them to research trends, as well as make suggestions when needed. Try hosting a weekly meeting with all your employees to discuss anything interesting that is booming in the fashion world, as well as any feedback they may have. It might be beneficial to download a communicative app, such as Slack, which could be overseen by the owner and would allow you to see everyone’s ideas in one place. This environment is a great foundation for growth.
Be More Social
As a clothing retailer, you need to be active on social media. This not only enhances the presence of your business, but it also refreshes the feeds to give you the latest information and top trending topics. This will help you identify what is the most relevant and allow you to spot top wholesale apparel trends. When you make posts, watch which clothing pieces generate the most engagement. You will also want to look for local events, conferences, or training sessions. No event is too small that you cannot drop in to show the face of your business and say, “hello”. The more events you attend, the more engaged you will become with the community and the easier it will be for you to identify specific trends. You can even dabble with soliciting customer feedback. You could make a post asking customers to “like” their favorite clothing item out of a line-up. You will not only be engaging with the community, but spotting what they like as well.
