Tips for Shoppers Who Want First Pick of the Season's New Styles (2024)

Tips for Shoppers Who Want First Pick of the Season's New Styles (1)

Back-to-school shopping in July? Tropical resort wear in December? Say it with us: fashion can be confusing. That being said, there's a method to the madness, and while seeing swimsuits in January may seem odd, it's based on a fairly consistent retail calendar. Surprisingly, the retail cycle is pretty predictable, which works in your favor if you're a fashionista (hi, that's us). If you want to bethe first to nab the season's hottest trends, knowing when to expect the clothing season to turn over is key.

Even if you're not shopping for designer duds,the runway showsstill hold some sway overthe overarching clothing retail calendar. Let us explain: The world of high fashion divides the year into two seasons: spring and fall. Although the weather might not reflect this, the industry considers January through June to be spring, and July through December to be fall.And as you might expect, summer gets lumped in with spring, and winter pairs up with fall.

Keep scrolling to learn the best time to shop the season's latest clothing.

Get a Head Start on Fall Clothing in the Summer

Tips for Shoppers Who Want First Pick of the Season's New Styles (2)

Fall styles will start appearing in stores in July, which may seem ridiculously early in climates with long, hot summers. Still, it'sbeneficial to your closet because it provides ample time for back-to-school shopping to take place, as well as awesome sales. For example, if you're a bargain shopper, mid to late July is a great time to buy spring and summer clothing, shoes, and accessories, since they will be marked down to make way for the new fall merchandise.

Buy Spring Clothing in the Winter

Tips for Shoppers Who Want First Pick of the Season's New Styles (3)

You can expect to see spring styles on the racks as early as January. This is helpful to snowbirds (and anyone who'll be vacationing in a tropical climate), but if you can't bear the thought of buying a new swimsuit on New Year's Day, take advantage of the massive markdowns on fall and winter items instead.

Smaller change-overs also happen within these two giant seasons. For example, a huge wave of spring merchandise will become available in January or February, but true summer styles may emerge as late as April. Fall and fall transitional items will hit the racks by July or August, but another group of slightly heavier, wintry pieces will show up in September. Additionally, holiday-themed garments and accessories will be ready for purchase in late October or November, and resort wear can be nabbed in December—just in time for island hopping in your favorite tropical destination.

Since the biggest markdowns take place during and right after those two big change-overs in January and July, you might be tempted to shop the clearance racks and ignore the retail calendar's cycles. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but if you need a new winter coat and wait until they're on sale in January, you may have spent a couple of months in freezing misery and you'll have far fewer choices.

Sure, you may pay higher prices by shopping earlier, but you'll have your pick of all the new styles anda wider selection of sizes. And, you can also expect to see sleeveless dresses and lightweight fabrics on the racks in the dead of winter.

Take Advantage of Seasonless Dressing

Tips for Shoppers Who Want First Pick of the Season's New Styles (4)

Since many shoppers live and work in climate-controlled environments, there has been a move toward seasonless dressing. It's a better investment to purchase pieces that can be worn year-round, and designers are sensitive to that, which means mid-weight fabrics and neutrals are generally available during all four seasons. Great news for anyone who finds themselves in desperate need of black dress pants in the middle of a hot, humid June.

Tips for Shoppers Who Want First Pick of the Season's New Styles (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 types of shoppers? ›

Three types of shoppers
  • Fast: Customers who want to complete the purchase as quickly as possible.
  • Value: Customers who are looking for the best price and try to maximize every dollar spent.
  • Inspiration: Customers who are inspired by the shopping experience and want to discover new products.
Jun 21, 2021

What are the 5 general types of shoppers? ›

According to their needs and behaviors, online shoppers fall into 5 categories: bargain-seekers, wandering customers, impulse buyers, need-based shoppers, and loyal customers. What are the 5 general types of shoppers?

What are the three drivers of shoppers expectations? ›

A driving force in customer satisfaction involves the three C's: customer-journey consistency, emotional consistency, and communication consistency. As you may have guessed, a central tenet in customer satisfaction involves consistency. Customers expect consistency in every interaction they have with your brand.

What are the six strategies to attract customers? ›

The following six strategies will help you attract and keep customers.
  • Offer quality products. Good quality is the most important reason cited by consumers for buying directly from farmers. ...
  • Cultivate good people skills. ...
  • Know your customers. ...
  • Use attractive packaging. ...
  • Let customers try samples. ...
  • Be willing to change.

What are the 5 customer expectations? ›

Top 5 Types of Customer Expectations
  • Explicit expectations. ...
  • Implicit expectations. ...
  • Interpersonal expectations. ...
  • Digital expectations. ...
  • Dynamic performance expectations. ...
  • Fast Customer Service. ...
  • Accurate Data by Self-Service. ...
  • Easy-to-Use Websites and Apps.
Oct 12, 2022

What are secret shoppers looking for? ›

Mystery shoppers, sometimes called secret shoppers, are often employed by a third-party company to visit stores and restaurants, banks and apartment complexes with the specific purpose of assessing customer service. They provide a record of their experience which can be used to improve the business.

What are 4 things that smart shoppers do? ›

Six ways to be a smart shopper
  • Think carefully about the good or service and what you want it to do. ...
  • Compare offers and choose what is right for you. ...
  • Be aware that sometimes businesses make claims that are not true. ...
  • Find out as much as you can about the business selling you something.
Dec 3, 2021

What is the most common trick used to get shoppers spending? ›

Stores send out coupons.

Coupons encourage people to spend more money than they may have planned to initially, because they're under the illusion that they're getting a deal.

What are undercover shoppers called? ›

mystery shopper in Retail

A mystery shopper is someone hired to pose as a customer and report on the quality of service received and how well a store or chain of stores is being run.

What are the 5 P's in retail? ›

The 5 Ps of product, price, promotion, place, and people are the holy grail of business for retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) enterprises. Data scientists are now simplifying and creating the optimal mix of these 5 Ps for enterprises, using the massive amount of data they generate.

What are the 3 things that customers expect? ›

They crave a personalized experience. They want you to solve their problems. They wish you would listen to them. They like you to be proactive.

What are the four main customer expectations? ›

There are four main customer needs that an entrepreneur or small business must consider. These are price, quality, choice and convenience.

What are the three customer expectations? ›

Historically, customers have expected basics like quality service and fair pricing — but modern customers have much higher expectations, such as proactive service, personalized interactions, and connected experiences across digital channels.

What words attract customers? ›

10 Powerfully Persuasive Words Your Customers Want to Hear
  • Free.
  • Exclusive.
  • Easy.
  • Limited.
  • Get.
  • Guaranteed.
  • You.
  • Because.
Aug 2, 2016

What are 4 ways to attract customers? ›

10 Ways to Get New Customers
  • Ask for referrals. ...
  • Network. ...
  • Offer discounts and incentives for new customers only. ...
  • Re-contact old customers. ...
  • Improve your website. ...
  • Partner with complementary businesses. ...
  • Promote your expertise. ...
  • Use online reviews to your advantage.
Apr 6, 2017

How do you get customers to like you? ›

Business Know-How
  1. Listen To Them. When customers give you feedback, listen and respond if necessary. ...
  2. Have Competent Staff. Nothing is worse than interacting with someone who doesn't know how to do their job. ...
  3. Treat Them Like People. ...
  4. Say Thank You. ...
  5. Interact With Them. ...
  6. Be Honest. ...
  7. Give Them Things. ...
  8. Be Overachievers.
Dec 13, 2021

How do I attract customers to my shop? ›

How do you attract customers to your store?
  1. Offer doorbusters for new in-store customers.
  2. Send out promotion codes.
  3. Host events at your store location.
  4. Offer online shopping with in-store pickup.
  5. Create an eye-catching window display.
Aug 3, 2021

How do you handle an angry customer client? ›

How to Deal with Angry Customers
  1. Remain calm.
  2. Practice active listening.
  3. Repeat back what your customers say.
  4. Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention.
  5. Explain the steps you'll take to solve the problem.
  6. Set a time to follow up with them, if needed.
  7. Be sincere.
  8. Highlight the case's priority.
Dec 15, 2021

How do you become a successful secret shopper? ›

Staying organized is the key to creating the best experience for the business and increasing the likelihood that the mystery shopper will be asked back for a future mystery shop. Pay attention to details during the shop, take good mental notes, and provide as much information as possible.

How do you become a mysterious shopper? ›

How Do You Get Started as a Mystery Shopper? You can look up mystery shopping gigs on dedicated company websites (we'll get to that soon) or via a job board, like Indeed.com. After you apply and your application is approved, you simply log in to the company's website and select the jobs you want to do.

Is being a secret shopper easy? ›

It's a time commitment

While being a secret shopper seems like an easy job and a quick way to earn money, it is a time-consuming task. You can spend anywhere from minutes to hours to days to get the full experience you need to report on.

What are 2 tips to being a smarter shopper? ›

5 Tips to Be A Smart Shopper!
  1. CREATE A BUDGET. ...
  2. CREATE A SHOPPING LIST. ...
  3. BE A SALES SAVVY. ...
  4. SIGN UP FOR MEMBERSHIPS. ...
  5. SHOP & PRICE COMPARISONS.
Aug 29, 2020

What are 3 smart shopping tips? ›

Smart shoppers
  • Ask yourself if you need it. This first point is vital. ...
  • Always compare prices. The Internet makes it's easy to compare prices at different outlets. ...
  • Take advantage of points or rewards. Smart shoppers look for the best possible deals, without forgoing quality. ...
  • Look at reviews. ...
  • Make purchases securely.

What are some smart shopping tips? ›

Smart shopping tips
  • Think before you buy. Before you hand over your hard-earned money or a credit card, ask yourself these questions: Do I really need it? ...
  • Make a list and stick to it. ...
  • Don't grocery shop hungry! ...
  • Take advantage of sales and coupons. ...
  • Buy it used, when possible. ...
  • Use technology.

How do you target last minute shoppers? ›

5 Marketing Ideas You Should Be Using to Reach Last Minute Holiday Shoppers
  1. Make the most of your AdWords campaign. ...
  2. Revisit your remarketing lists. ...
  3. Incorporate urgency into your advertising messaging. ...
  4. Sound off on social media. ...
  5. Seek out your social influencers.

How do you get customers to buy more often? ›

5 Fail-Safe Tips To Get Your Customers To Buy More
  1. Make your first contact count. ...
  2. Give your customers your undivided attention. ...
  3. Don't ask customers to buy without seeing the menu. ...
  4. Find out what your customers need, rather than telling them what you want them to buy. ...
  5. Don't ever stop selling.
Jul 30, 2017

What is marketing to shoppers strategy? ›

A shopper marketing strategy revolves around meeting the needs of your customers and going above and beyond to offer them an amazing experience. Once customers enter your store, they don't do it just for the mere reason of gathering products, they do it for the whole shopping experience.

How can I satisfy my shoppers price? ›

Here are a few tips for converting price shoppers into paying customers:
  1. Don't think you can avoid price shoppers. You can't. ...
  2. LISTEN to your customers. ...
  3. Remember—the lowest price doesn't always get the sale! ...
  4. Communicate with a positive voice.
Nov 4, 2015

Can secret shoppers record you? ›

Hidden video mystery shopping and telephone mystery shopping are legal in most U.S. states, thanks to one-party consent laws for video and phone recording. If you're looking for customer experience research in one of the two-party consent states below, you may want to consider other options for strategic results.

What do mystery shoppers get paid? ›

Average Salary for a Mystery Shopper

Mystery Shoppers in America make an average salary of $50,028 per year or $24 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $94,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $26,000 per year.

What is a secret shopper call? ›

December 10, 2017 Last Updated: July 12, 2020. Call centre Mystery Shopping is essentially fake calls made by paid professionals to simulate a customer enquiry for the purpose of assessment.

How much do secret shoppers get paid? ›

As of Jan 19, 2023, the average weekly pay for a Mystery Shopper in the United States is $968 a week. While ZipRecruiter is seeing weekly wages as high as $4,029 and as low as $221, the majority of Mystery Shopper wages currently range between $413 (25th percentile) to $1,000 (75th percentile) across the United States.

What makes good marketing? ›

The most effective marketing strategies are those that are targeted toward a specific audience, focused on key benefits based on the audience's point of view and interests, and delivered at an appropriate time – when the audience is most likely to be attentive to and interested in the message being delivered.

What are the 6 basic steps in retail strategy? ›

Steps of Retail Strategy Planning
  1. Objective Setting.
  2. Situational Analysis.
  3. Customer Analysis.
  4. Tactical Planning.
  5. Implementation and Control.

What are the five P's of successful selling? ›

The 5 areas you need to make decisions about are: PRODUCT, PRICE, PROMOTION, PLACE AND PEOPLE. Although the 5 Ps are somewhat controllable, they are always subject to your internal and external marketing environments. Read on to find out more about each of the Ps.

What are six common customer needs? ›

7 main types of customer needs
  • Friendliness.
  • Empathy.
  • Fairness.
  • Control.
  • Alternatives.
  • Information.
  • Time.
Sep 18, 2020

What are the 6 customer expectations? ›

What exactly are your customer service expectations? Here's what you need to know.
  • Customers want personalized interactions. ...
  • Customers want you to be proactive. ...
  • Customers want help fast. ...
  • Customers want to be heard. ...
  • Customers often want to start the service process online. ...
  • Consumers want multiple options for customer service.
Mar 28, 2017

What is the first thing the customer want? ›

The first thing all your customers want from you is to be heard. Make sure that when you communicate with your customers, you listen intently to what they're saying, whether it's a request, a desire, or even a complaint. The first step to delivering an excellent customer experience is to listen.

What do your key customers value? ›

Benefits and cost are the two key components of customer value. Benefits can include aspects like quality, popularity, accessibility, convenience and longevity. Increasing your benefits without increasing your cost can raise the value of your product or service for your customers.

What are the 5 core principles of a successful customer? ›

What are the 5 core principles of customer service?
  • Speed.
  • Accuracy.
  • Accountability.
  • Quality.
  • Transparency.
May 24, 2021

How do you engage new customers? ›

How to increase customer engagement
  1. Create great customer experiences.
  2. Make your brand relatable and meaningful.
  3. Use push notifications.
  4. Take advantage of conversational marketing.
  5. Focus on retention.
  6. Sharpen your social media marketing.
  7. Capture hearts and minds with video.
May 10, 2021

What makes a happy customer? ›

Happy customers are people who value your brand beyond the initial purchase. They trust that your company is aligned with their needs and is committed to helping them achieve their long-term goals. Any business can make its customers happier.

What are the three pillars of customer engagement? ›

These companies rely on three main strategies to develop and maintain a customer-centric business approach, namely customer development, customer retention, and customer acquisition.

What are the 3 elements of customer value? ›

There are four elements to customer value in logistics, which are: quality, service, cost and time.

What are the 4 main customer needs? ›

But as a general rule, the four crucial things a customer needs are:
  • A fair price.
  • A good service.
  • A good product.
  • To feel valued.
Aug 31, 2020

What are the 3 A's in customer service? ›

The three A's are for when you mess up—and that's why they're so hard for most businesses to swallow, because business people tend to like to avoid the hard part: apologizing. But here's where you get the magic formula, and it goes like this: acknowledge, apologize, act.

What do customers value most? ›

Additionally, customers want quick service and good after-sales service, which often leads them to being loyal customers. They also want products with useful and valuable features. In order to be able solve a problem or make a task easier, customers also want products that are tailored to their unique needs.

What are the four ways to give customer value? ›

Four Ways To Give Your Customers Value
  • Become an authority.
  • Let them feel that you understand them.
  • Listen to their feedback.
  • Surprise them.
Sep 4, 2016

How do you offer value to customers? ›

  1. Building Strong Relationships With Customers. ...
  2. Meet Their Changing Needs. ...
  3. Get Their Feedback. ...
  4. Support Them Through Hardships. ...
  5. Listen To Your Customers And Implement Their Feedback. ...
  6. Pay Attention To Customer Complaints. ...
  7. Get On The Phone With Customers. ...
  8. Integrate Question-Based Customer Service.
Apr 27, 2022

What are the 5 P's of customer service? ›

The 5 areas you need to make decisions about are: PRODUCT, PRICE, PROMOTION, PLACE AND PEOPLE. Although the 5 Ps are somewhat controllable, they are always subject to your internal and external marketing environments. Read on to find out more about each of the Ps.

How can I be a good customer service? ›

Listening, understanding your customer's needs, thanking the customer and promoting a positive, helpful and friendly environment will ensure they leave with a great impression. A happy customer will return often and is likely to spend more. They may also refer other people to your business.

What are key customer values? ›

Customer value is best defined as how much a product or service is worth to a customer. It's a measure of all the costs and benefits associated with a product or service. Examples include price, quality, and what the product or service can do for that particular person.

What is a people first attitude? ›

Maintaining a people-first attitude first means expressing empathy for your customers. Whether they're calm or combative, in many cases, customers aren't just complaining because of a concern for your product or service. Like all of us, they're also juggling personal and professional concerns.

What are the 3 C's of customer magic? ›

The three Cs of customer satisfaction: Consistency, consistency, consistency. It may not seem sexy, but consistency is the secret ingredient to making customers happy. However, it's difficult to get right and requires top-leadership attention.

What are the 3 C's in sales? ›

Author and sales expert Mike Schultz outlines the three levels of selling that differentiate those who make a sale and those who don't. Winners in the sales industry exhibit a set of key behaviors to boost their profits. These three processes are referred to as “connect, convince and collaborate.”

How do you drive new customers? ›

Here are 10 tried-and-true tips to help you attract more customers.
  1. Offer new customers discounts and promotions. ...
  2. Ask for referrals. ...
  3. Recontact old customers. ...
  4. Network. ...
  5. Update your website. ...
  6. Partner with complementary businesses. ...
  7. Promote your expertise. ...
  8. Take advantage of online ratings and review sites.
Feb 28, 2020

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