Omnichannel purchasing is becoming the new normal across all consumer product categories. This multi-channel way of purchasing behavior is here to stay for the foreseeable future. With consumers able to shop through multiple sales channels — online, physical stores, or third-party marketplaces — the expectation is for a seamless, holistic buying experience. However, these expectations are evolving, and customers increasingly demand consistent information at their fingertips, regardless of the channel they engage with.
Fashion-conscious consumers expect not only seamlessness but also style and convenience when shopping for lingerie. They look for the latest fashion trends, and this discovery experience should be consistent across all channels. Meeting these consumer demands has become central to organisational goals, with technology assisting businesses in adjusting customer engagement models to reflect this changing reality. To survive and thrive in this dynamic environment, retail organisations like ours have embraced the challenge of delivering an exceptional consumer experience across sales channels and adapting customer touchpoints accordingly.
While most companies recognise the shift to omnichannel strategies as a necessary response to modern customer expectations, the reality of delivering an omnichannel strategy at scale is challenging. Not only do we grapple with the technicalities of merging multiple communication platforms, but we also face the need to change organisational culture, align front-end and back-end teams, and adjust internal processes to achieve the omnichannel vision.
Case studies worldwide have shown that companies that successfully adopt a more customer-centric stance and focus on the most critical cross-channel customer journeys can create significant value. The key lies in engaging customers by providing a unified experience. For lingerie shoppers, this unified experience also involves staying connected to the latest fashion trends and having access to style recommendations and seasonal collections, whether they shop online or in-store.
A robust e-commerce and omnichannel strategy, centered around customer needs, plays a vital role in enhancing customer loyalty and retention. According to a survey by Forbes, around 74% of consumers would purchase something solely based on customer experience. This underscores the importance of a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints and channels in cultivating customer loyalty and advocacy. For our brand Enamor, we have seen this in action over the past 12-18 months. Our sales from repeat and loyal customers have risen to about 25%, up from a mere 10% a year ago across our website and exclusive outlets.
Some key learnings we have had regarding enhancing customer centricity include:
- Provide Digital-First Capabilities: Create a truly omnichannel experience by giving in-store customers the same capabilities they have online. For example, they could view product reviews while shopping in-store by scanning a QR code, look at feedback from other customers, and even compare products side-by-side. In the fashion industry, integrating virtual try-ons or fabric feel guides can also enhance the in-store experience, helping customers make more confident fashion choices. Although this may seem far-fetched, in-store robotics and AI-based shopping assistants are expected to enhance the experience significantly in the future.
- Reassess Customer Loyalty Programs: In recent years, customer loyalty programs have become an overutilised tool. Customers expect better-designed programs tailored to their shopping patterns and behaviour, so they feel they have derived value for money. However, loyalty programs are often seen as a way to collect a few points with minimal value or as email-based notifications of new arrivals, which customers find irritating. To overcome these perceptions, retailers now rely on more personalised loyalty offerings, such as exclusive invitations to in-store experiences or online-first launches, to drive continued brand loyalty. For fashion-focused brands, this can include early access to new collections, personalised style consultations, or exclusive invitations to lingerie styling events.
- Empower Stores with Customer Data and Personalisation Tools: Enhance the retail customer experience using tools and software that recommend promotions, discounts, and products based on each customer’s unique data. Personalisation has become a necessity, and a wealth of data from point-of-sale systems, customer digital footprints, and online transactions can be leveraged to create personalised experiences. In the context of lingerie and fashion, personalisation tools can suggest trending colors, fabrics, or lingerie styles tailored to individual customer preferences.
Excelling in omnichannel adoption while providing consumers with a cohesive experience is a long-term and transformative exercise. It requires a customer-centric mindset, empowered marketing and sales functions, and extensive integration across all business functions to align with the organisation’s north star. For fashion brands, including lingerie brands, it also means keeping customers engaged with the latest trends and offering them a personalised and consistent experience across every touchpoint. It is a journey, not a race, requiring effort, time, and, most importantly, alignment with ever-changing consumer behaviour and needs.
