The fashion industry is a competitive one and with the rise of E-commerce, it’s only become more competitive. However, it is possible to be a brand that stands out from the rest in the industry. This can be achieved with a deep understanding of the fashion industry, creativity, deep passion for business and fashion, and careful, calculated moves and strategies.

How then does a fashion store stand out in this highly competitive industry? This guide explains how that can be achieved.

• Know the customers

Every business has its specific target audience and knowing that audience in the fashion industry is the only way to make an impact.

Knowing what the target audience is willing to pay for, what they like and their sense of style will help in understanding and effectively satisfying their needs.

• Be innovative

Knowing the customers and having organic personality traits attributed to a business shouldn’t stop innovation and creativity.

Customer feedback gives relevant information about what customers want, the quality of the products and more. This data can be used to create something special.

In addition, innovation can be applied to other aspects of the business, such as customer engagement, packaging and delivery services, shop insurance, response time, or social media management. Customers will be drawn to a business that offers them something unique and different from what they are used to.

An example of a brand that was successful as a result of being innovative is Strava. This brand took a product that was already trending and made it better.

• Create a personality

There’s a lot of pressure in the fashion industry. Every day, a new online fashion store or high street shop is established. For a fashion business to stand out it needs to be memorable. It must have a characteristic, name or trait that makes it stand out in the minds of customers.

• Embrace the competition

Don’t be like other brands that openly attack their competition. What people don’t realise is that competition is good for business. It keeps the juices flowing and the hands working.

Speaking negatively about competitors don’t make a good impact on consumers. On the contrary, it is seen as a lack of confidence. Every business plan must contain research about the competition in order to come up with ideas to exploit the gaps in the industry.

• Get socially active

In this digital age, it is impossible to stand out without social media marketing. There are over 2.7bn social media users in the world and this number is growing on a daily basis. For a fashion store to stand out, it needs to take advantage of the numerous social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, and get a wider reach from the active 2.7bn users of social media.

Conclusion

Finally, without passion no business can grow. What makes a business special is the deep-rooted commitment and constant effort that is made up of the ups and downs, long hours and sleepless nights.