Article provided by Privee Designs
Retail conceptions of what a dressing room is and does in the retail setting are in a period of change. With the appearance of recent studies that have shown the importance of having a welcoming dressing room to shoppers, retailers everywhere have begun to rethink what their dressing rooms should do for the shopper and how best to improve the shopping experience, so as to stand out in the crowded retail market. Understanding these changes in thinking and what sorts of dressing rooms you should provide in your own store could give you a definite edge in the retail market and help build customer loyalty and sales.
So what has changed? Well, previously, dressing rooms were considered to be just utilities. They were there in case your shoppers wanted to try on the product. For that reason they were minimal. Usually just ply-board stalls squeezed in a back corner of the store with a mirror and minimal lighting.
As new studies came out emphasizing the importance of having quality dressing rooms which can drastically increase the customer conversion rate, retailers began to think differently about their dressing rooms and what they could be. Retailers began to research their shoppers' browsing habits and preferences and soon the focus was on improving dressing rooms to reflect those findings.
Retailers found that shoppers, especially girls and women, love to shop and try on clothes with their friends. So dressing rooms got bigger to accommodate multiple people judging each other's outfits inside. More research was eventually done in terms of lighting and ambience and customer psychology when it came to purchasing clothes. It was found that the more flattering a customer's image could be, the more likely they were to buy whatever clothes they tried on; so multi-sided mirrors and front-lighting made their appearance for maximum flattery. Some retailers are even considering service buttons and interactive dressing room programs to put in their dressing rooms to even further improve the shopping experience for their shoppers.
These are all things to consider when implementing dressing rooms in your own store. What sorts of dressing room features do your shoppers want? What sort of dressing environment do you want to create? Definitely consider upgrading your lighting and room sizes. But there are more subtle considerations to think about, such as the theme of your store and what you want your brand and the shopping experience to say to your shoppers. Thinking about all these things will help you craft the perfect dressing room facilities and win over more shoppers.
