Dressing Rooms to “Selling Rooms”

How to Create a Better Dressing Room Experience in Retail

Don’t get me wrong I love shopping but I tend to get a little anxious when it comes to trying stuff on.  In all honesty I am about to get dressed in a strange setting with sales reps. ever so close by.   And depending on the store, your dressing room experiences can vary drastically. From plush rooms that can easily fit a full size bed to small closets you can nearly exhale in not to mention the flimsy doors that barely do their job. And the worst are those that cautiously assume everyone is in the business of shoplifting. Now I’m thinking, how can stores better this experience?

Dressing rooms are a key selling point for all brick and mortar stores. In fact it’s where 60% of purchasing decisions are made. And even with updated technology and unique virtual dressing rooms nothing will compare to the actual experience of being in a physical space. (good or bad) This blog will be covering ways retailers can capitalize on positive dressing room experiences and increase sales. 

There are Four main components to creating a  positive dressing room experience

Convenience

Comfort

Truthfulness

Sales Help

Convenience

Although it’s not convenient for customers to walk to the back of your store for dressing room access; it ensures customers have had a chance to see all your beautiful merchandise! And to ease that burden your sales associates should be trained to encourage customers to start a dressing room regardless of the quantity of product they are holding.  This streamlines the purchasing process and creates a destination- THE DRESSING ROOM! And all customers who enter the dressing room have now entered the SELLING ROOM!

While designing your dressing room area create an exterior sitting/dressing area for the overflow of traffic and for the friends and family of your customers. This area will most definitely come in handy for those customers who love to get a second, third or even fourth opinion. (You know who I’m talking about!)  This area also helps create that relaxed sociable aspect of shopping that can only help boost sales and the overall feel of your brand. 

What better convenience than time…The dressing room area should be equipped with enough rooms and staff to keep the wait time to a minimum.  Customers have been shown to walk away when the line exceeds 5 people or more. I know I have!

Comfort

Now that your customers have entered the dressing room they are about to do just that! This could be a highly triggering time for customers. Undressing surrounded by mirrors in an unfamiliar environment … could be stressful for anyone. It’s important to keep their privacy in mind by ensuring secure doors or curtains. There is a fine balance between being a helpful sales associate and an intrusive one especially at this time.  In my experience it’s best to train staff to engage with customers by asking for a first name; this will create a seamless transition and resolve any immediate awkwardness. 

The dressing room area should be kept at a cool / comfortable temperature, being that customers can easily overheat while trying on/off clothing in a tight space. This will ensure that they spend an adequate amount of time in the dressing area which in turn will increase revenue for you. Studies show the more time a customer spends in the dressing room the higher your chances at a successful sale.

We all know the space in the dressing room can seem tight at times. Strategically freeing up that space by using a chair or bench. This will help customers by providing a space to store personal items and also serve as a mode for changing.  Creating hooks to help customers organize their likes and dislikes will help free up space and create a clearer mind. 

Although the space is tight there should be enough space in each room to ensure a full body view and and a comfortable range of motion. Placing additional mirrors outside of each room will help encourage customers who want any additional views.  

Truthfulness 

Although it may be tempting to place a “skinny mirror” in the dressing room it will actually cause customers to doubt your brand and perhaps lose them as a customer down the road. The same is true with proper lighting!  Keep the lighting in each dressing room as natural as possible so that the colors remain as truthful as possible.  Avoid Dim lighting because it can accentuate flaws. And we don’t want any of those! The best is to have lighting for each dressing room or better yet a backlit mirror.   

Honesty is also key while training staff, the point is not to make a sale but to make a customer. Don’t be shy to say lines like  “That just doesn’t do you justice… try this” or “That dress is not complimenting your body type.” We can all sense when someone is genuine so simply, keep it real and honest in a polite way.   

Sales Help

Effective sales help is definitely the most adaptable aspect in the dressing room area.  Let’s face it you probably can’t redesign your dressing rooms as fast as you can train staff in some minor sales techniques. As I mentioned before getting customers into the dressing room is step #1 and key in upping your chances of a sale. Staff should be trained in offering to start a dressing room.      

Staff should also be knowledgeable in body types and trending styles. This will help in offering honest advice and even upselling of products. Customers look towards sales staff or stylists for advice on trending looks. 

Train your staff to also focus on those that accompany the customer like friends and family. Chances are if they feel bored they’ll encourage your customer to cut their shopping trip short.  Like those pesky kids who never seem to enjoy sitting in the dressing room.  Adults who accompany your customer may be a future customer as well!

By focusing on these four important aspects of your dressing room experience and applying them to your particular brand, you’ll see success.  Still not sure how you can up your sales staff training in this area  or struggling with different aspects of your brand experience. From the dressing room as discussed here or even the flow of traffic in your space. We’d love to help your brand reach out. We’d love to help.