Retail Marketing Redefined: The Dressing Room
Behind that door, it’s just a shopper and a mirror. Facing off, staring down, sizing up.
It is there, in the dressing room, that the shopper will decide not only how she looks in the new DKNY, but also how she feels about the store that created this truth booth to begin with.
The dressing room is a critical spot in any retail environment. What happens in that small (but hopefully not too small) space has big impact on store reputation and the bottom line. Allen & Gerritsen research found that in 2014, customers were 71 percent more likely to buy after they’d tried something on.
A great dressing room has the potential to be the centerpiece of a satisfying, meaningful overall shopper experience. So like the rest of the store, the changing room is changing.
Retailers are starting to pack them with digital wonders. Call buttons, occupancy sensors, magic mirrors and real-time data collection widgets are elevating and redefining the fitting room experience. At Macy’s, they’re testing rooms with smartphones and tablets to select try-on items. Nordstrom has installed interactive mirrors to let customers browse product reviews or summon help. Zara provides iPads for real-time requests of different sizes and styles.
But do shoppers really want all these gadgets and digital tools? Not specifically; not by name. What the shopper wants – what she demands – is a satisfying, positive dressing room experience. She doesn’t really care if it’s facilitated by a digital device or the perfect sales associate. Technology doesn’t drive her engagement; the thoughtful application of technology does.
Retail marketing success lies in understanding and reacting to the needs and hopes and concerns of the shopper. So the question becomes “How does she ‘see’ the dressing room and what is she thinking while she’s in there?” The answers may be here, in this list of 37 other things a dressing room can be:
- Style Lab
- Shelter
- Coronation
- Oasis
- Hiding Place
- Launch Pad
- Moment of Truth
- Boudoir
- Revival Tent
- Voting Booth
- Funhouse
- Therapist’s Office
- Jury Room
- Rabbit Hole
- Playground
- Reality Check
- Chapel
- Control Panel
- Platform
- Screen Test
- Photo Set
- Social Media Hub
- Meeting Room
- Club House
- Time Machine
- Catwalk
- Sanctuary
- Communications Center
- Decompression Chamber
- Escape
- Retreat
- Time Machine
- Pulpit
- Stage
- Confessional
- Soapbox
- Community Center