CHINA FASHION BUSINESS

🔽The following discussion from Coldyun Fashion Circle focuses on industry issues and their summary. These insights represent collective wisdom (not the personal opinions of Coldyun). The goal is to benefit more industry professionals through this sharing.

Shopping Experience in Physical Clothing Stores

1. Impressions and Experiences of Physical Stores

The retail industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation, with shopping scenarios expanding from bustling commercial streets to mobile platforms. In fashion retail, physical stores maintain unique advantages: customers can directly touch fabrics, try on clothing, and accurately assess their suitability. However, the generally higher prices in shopping malls deter many customers, particularly when compared to online channels.

Promotional areas on the first floors of malls may offer more affordable options, but the quality of these products often cannot be guaranteed. Consumers exhibit hesitation toward purchasing these lower-priced items, sometimes ignoring them altogether. At the same time, homogenization among brands within malls is increasingly evident, with many stores offering similar styles. Despite this, brands like ZARA and COS, which focus on basic designs, remain popular because their items allow for personalized styling even if others wear the same outfit.

In community clothing stores, purchasing behaviors exhibit unique traits. Interestingly, residents of the same neighborhood often consult each other to avoid buying identical outfits. This is particularly prominent among consumers aged 30–60, especially in stores featuring minimalist or modern Chinese styles, where the average spend per transaction exceeds 300 RMB.

The quality of service provided by sales assistants significantly influences the shopping experience. Overly enthusiastic service often pressures customers into feeling obligated to buy after trying on items. Worse, some sales assistants lack the expertise to understand customer preferences and blindly recommend products, which frequently leads to customers leaving the store. Many customers prefer to browse independently rather than being directed by sales assistants.

2. Comparisons Between Warehouse and Boutique Stores

The rise of self-service warehouse-style clothing stores has introduced a new retail concept. This model provides a pressure-free shopping environment but faces challenges such as long queues during peak hours. Additionally, the absence of professional assistance leaves some customers feeling lost when making purchasing decisions.

Store layout and ambiance directly impact sales performance. For example, prominent women’s clothing stores in Hangzhou, such as Liangmu Li and Chafu Xiang, have successfully enhanced product value through professional display and styling techniques. These cases highlight the importance of a quality shopping environment in supporting higher price points and achieving better business outcomes.

In terms of innovative marketing models, physical stores are expanding into online channels. Some stores are creating individual or store IPs and utilizing local traffic channels to increase their reach. Liangmu Li is a notable example, combining physical store operations with styling displays to achieve significant results in the Binjiang area. This model of integrating offline stores with private domain operations shows promising potential.

Shopping mall clothing stores are undergoing a profound transformation. In addition to traditional offline operations, an increasing number of stores are exploring new retail models that merge online and offline channels. Stores must focus not only on the physical display space but also on expanding brand influence through social media platforms.

3. Thoughts and Suggestions for the Development of Physical Stores

In today’s retail environment, consumers exhibit diverse channel preferences. Physical store shopping often arises from specific situational needs, such as needing suitable clothing for an important event the next day, which online shopping cannot meet due to delivery delays. Some consumers reject online shopping entirely, insisting on in-store trials to ensure fit and quality.

Experiences in Traditional E-commerce and Social Media E-commerce

1. Impressions and Experiences of Traditional E-commerce Stores

The professionalism of sales assistants significantly impacts the shopping experience. When they can offer unique and creative styling suggestions, customers are more inclined to try and purchase products. The advantages of physical stores include immediacy, on-site experience, and professional presentation of products. Each item is carefully ironed and displayed before being put on the shelves, creating a high-quality appearance. This is especially beneficial for delicate fabrics like silk and linen, which tend to wrinkle during shipping in online shopping. Sales assistants also play a role in quality control, ensuring that defective items are not displayed.

Practicality and occasion-appropriateness are key considerations in purchasing decisions. Even visually attractive clothing may be avoided if it lacks everyday wearability. Location within a shopping district is also crucial. For instance, in areas concentrated with dining establishments, customers are more likely to make impulse purchases post-meal and less inclined to compare prices online.

2. Impressions and Experiences of Social Media E-commerce

Suggestions for the development of physical stores focus on building differentiated competitiveness. Beyond offering professional styling services, stores should convey fashion trends, industry insights, fabric knowledge, and clothing care information as added value. Establishing emotional connections with customers is particularly vital in mid-to-high-end retail. Traditional e-commerce often lacks this, as interactions feel mechanical, like talking to a code string. Physical stores, on the other hand, can build deeper connections through genuine interpersonal interaction.

Innovative service models are essential for transforming physical stores. Some stores now host aesthetic salons, offering services like skin tone analysis, style diagnostics, and styling guidance. In today’s high-pressure society, emotional value is increasingly important, explaining the recent popularity of small accessories and plush toys. Shopping is no longer merely about obtaining products but also about emotional fulfillment.

3. Thoughts and Suggestions for Clothing E-commerce

In a market with serious homogenization, physical stores must think about how to highlight their uniqueness. When prices and styles are similar, why should customers choose a particular store? Differentiation in service experience is key. Some stores are experimenting with integrating aesthetic education, offering salon activities for professional styling guidance. While these attempts are often limited by resources, they represent a critical direction for differentiated development.

Professionalism in product display and shopping environments also significantly influences customer purchase decisions. Quality assurance and comprehensive after-sales service are foundational for building customer trust. Particularly for items like clothing that require physical trials, physical stores hold distinct advantages. Some consumers report that shopping in physical stores often leads to impulse buying, as they recognize the value of rent costs and services. This perspective reflects consumers’ recognition of the value provided by physical retail.

Shopping Experience in Private Domains

1. Experience of Private Domain Shopping

As an emerging sales model, private domain marketing offers consumers diverse entry points. Many customers are drawn to merchants through high-quality content on platforms like Xiaohongshu or Douyin, where they add merchants’ WeChat accounts. Another common entry point is word-of-mouth recommendations, especially in the cosmetics resale market, where reputation often secures a stable customer base. Additionally, some consumers enter a merchant’s private domain after shopping in a physical store, recognizing the quality of the products.

Compared to early micro-businesses, private domain marketing—while still leveraging social platforms—has significantly evolved in its operational philosophy and approach. The term “micro-business” has become stigmatized in recent years, often associated with unverified products. Modern private domain marketing emphasizes professional service, avoiding tactics like excessive posting or developing multi-level sales structures. This shift reflects the growing consumer demand for improved shopping experiences.

2. Thoughts and Suggestions for Clothing Private Domains

The most notable characteristic of private domain transactions is convenience. For time-strapped consumers, placing orders via social media is often faster and easier than using any other platform. However, the first transaction is typically hindered by trust issues. Private domain transactions usually rely on direct payment methods, lacking the safeguards of platform-based transactions. As a result, new customers may worry about product quality and after-sales service. Once trust is established, however, subsequent transactions proceed smoothly and naturally.

Private domain merchants adopt varying approaches to return and exchange policies. Some merchants believe that not all clothing can be accurately judged solely through images and are willing to offer a 7-day unconditional return or exchange service. This flexibility often builds customer trust and enhances repurchase rates. Interestingly, return rates in private domains are generally low, potentially because transactions involve real social connections rather than anonymous virtual interactions.

The strategy for managing social media content directly impacts private domain sales. Consumers generally dislike overly commercialized content, such as incessant product showcases and promotional images. Instead, they are more interested in accounts offering visually appealing and educational content. “Human warmth” has become a key aspect of quality content, reflected in genuine life experiences and professional industry insights.

For clothing-focused private domain operators, understanding the dressing needs of the target audience is crucial. Some consumers, due to work requirements, pay special attention to fashion trends and expect merchants to provide timely updates on the latest styles. Grasping “why customers choose to buy” is at the core of private domain operations. Merchants need to accurately understand customer preferences and offer tailored products and services.

Balancing visual presentation and textual expression is also essential. High-quality images can capture consumer attention, while well-crafted textual content can drive purchasing decisions. Some consumers describe themselves as “visual creatures,” meaning that attractive visuals paired with meaningful text significantly enhance their interest in making a purchase. Simply enticing customers to linger on a post is already a step toward conversion.

The current retail landscape reflects an integration of omni-channel strategies. Leading physical stores often establish three professional teams when opening new locations: one for offline store operations and sales, another for online e-commerce and public domain marketing, and a third for private domain operations and sales. This refined approach demonstrates the retail industry’s shift toward more specialized practices.

Successful private domain operations require merchants to excel in both professional service and emotional connection. Acting as a customer’s trusted advisor and confidant involves showcasing expertise while fostering genuine social relationships.