Your accessory designer is a critical element in boosting your bridal shop’s sales. Competition for bride dollars has increased in recent years. To get to YES, your team must be able to curate a unique look during each appointment that perfectly captures that bride’s vision and can’t be easily recreated at another shop or – eek! – online.
To do this, your Stylists need to be able to quickly and confidently use your accessory assortment to transform an “I need to think about it” gown into THE gown.
Let’s dive into how your accessory designer can help make this happen, and boost your bridal shop’s sales in the process.
A true accessory partner helps you sell more by having less
Picture your veil racks. Are they filled with more styles than you can count? If so, even your most expert Stylist will only be able to remember some of them. And if your team can’t remember what styles they have, they can’t pull them strategically to close gown sales.
If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone. Having too many accessories, especially veils, is very common. All too often, annual buy requirements and commissioned salespeople are the culprits.
You can avoid this problem by collaborating with an accessory designer who will help you create a strategic assortment. Partnership means that both sides benefit when your assortment is perfectly sized and curated for your boutique. It also. means you are never pushed (or required!) to buy unneeded new floor samples.
We suggest a core collection of ten veils that showcase essential styles. These 10 styles enable your Stylists to mix and match trims, fabrics, lengths, and embellishments. After the core set, you can add a variety of additional veils and other accessories that support the persona of your target bride. The total number of pieces will depend on your boutique size and number of dressing rooms.
Having the perfect number of accessories for your boutique – not too many, and not too few – assists your Stylists in strategically picking accessories to turn the dress under consideration into The Dress.
An ideal accessory partner lets you customize everything
Think about the last time you heard a bride say, “I like this veil, but I wish it had____.” You can fill that blank with a million requests, like wanting a scatter of pearls or a blusher. But, you only have space for a limited number of styles on your sales floor.
The right accessory partner will teach your Stylists how to create almost any look by combining elements from the pieces you have on your floor. Helping your brides create the look they want will lead to many more yes moments, which in turn will boost your bridal shop’s sales.
The best accessory partners give support + prices during appointments
Have you ever lost a gown sale because you needed information from your veil or accessory designer? With a promise to reach out soon with the required info, your bride left your shop…and then said yes to a dress at her next appointment.
This is an all-too-common story that you can change by selecting the right accessory designer. The best partners immediately answer Stylist’s questions like, “Can we get this on time?” or “How much does that cost?” during appointments.
Access to instant customization suggestions and price quotes during appointments is a game-changer that will boost your bridal shop’s sales. The best partners have chat available to your Stylists six days a week to provide the info needed for brides to make a decision before they leave your shop.
Real partners make last minute decisions easy
These days, trends in bridal fashion move at warp speed, making brides pump the brakes on committing to their style. They don’t want to risk missing a trend by deciding on the details of their look too early.
Instead of resisting your bride’s desire to delay, bridal shops that work with a strong accessory partner can lean into this hesitation. You can be the only shop in town that is able to say YES to these last-minute decisions.
A strong accessory partner will support you with affordable, lightning-fast, 5-day rush delivery. This means you can help your brides find their look, even those who have waited until the last moment. Postponed decisions are here to stay, and working with the right designer can help you boost your sales!
Your turn
Now that you know what it means to have a strong accessory partner and how vital of a decision it is to boost your bridal shop sales, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What is working with your current accessory partner(s) and what do you wish you could change? I look forward to reading your thoughts below!
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