Fads, societal trends, and Wow Factors N Think about it. Can the above be viewed as short term gimmicks, or longterm genius marketing strategies? Helena Cotter has a view
ight time online purchases have gone through the roof as people buy more when they are relaxing at home and have had a drink or two. As a result, many bricks and mortar designer clothes shops and boutiques (non-bridal) now offer luxury shopping experiences by serving alcohol, cakes, nibbles and treats while their customers browse and possibly buy something. Today, due partly to the demand for online shopping, our bridal retailers are also under tremendous pressure to constantly think of novel and unique ways using wow factors to attract and delight potential customers and their guests. Retail customers are even more keen to be part of this culture in all aspects of luxury shopping – and that includes bridal. Wanting to be (or continue to be) the number one hot spot; the must-
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visit boutique is more important than ever. There’s always going to be competition and now more than ever there are many, many bridal retailers all wanting a slice of business, so anything you can do to further stand out from the crowd can only be a good thing. With this in mind, I thought it might be a perfect opportunity to talk about the pros and cons of offering more of a relaxed, fun, party like atmosphere in what is firstly a retail business environment. I always say to my customers, my job is not to tell anyone how to run their business; all I aim to do here is look at these innovative phenomena as an outsider. Moving with the times Only you will know how far you wish to go in terms of what you choose to offer your potential customers. It is important, too, to recognise when
