Part 2: Creating Bonds with Customers

Set up your boutique in a way that fosters relationship development. It's all about building confidence. As customers look around, they make assumptions about your store. The atmosphere is all about helping the customer realize your vision. If they like what they see, then they are likely to want to take it to the next level.

Taking it to the next level means starting to trust what they see. Just like meeting someone new. Becoming close to someone often makes people a little nervous. They feel the need to protect their feelings. Shopping is essentially the same thing. If someone is going to become a loyal customer, they have to feel like your boutique is worthy of their trust and loyalty.

Your store set up is basically you making a lot of promises to your target market. You are promising that you offer the latest fashions. You're promising that your store is worth the prices that you're charging. You're promising that you will have things that are unique and make your customers feel good, every time they come in. If your boutique has everything they're looking for, they are going to start trusting that your store is one that they like.

If the quality is also what they expect, then they will trust that the prices you are charging are fair. Little things can betray the trust that you're building. A dirty floor, a scarcely stocked rack, a price that is too low or too high, just about anything can turn a person from a loyal buyer into someone that leaves and forgets about you. You have to be sure that your displays are straight and stocked, your store is clean, and your merchandise is fitting for the theme of your boutique.

You should also consider how your salespeople will fit in with the design. Using slatwall and slatwall panels can help you to keep the sales floor a little open, making room for your sales team and shoppers to talk to each other from a comfortable distance. You don't want them crammed together between the racks. It can make many people uncomfortable when a sales associate is in their personal space.

Additionally, a slatwall display gives people the impression that you are showing them all that is there. Nothing is hidden from them, which makes them comfortable about trusting their impressions. You can use slatwall accessories, like hanging mannequin forms to display clothing and accessories that go together. This will help to bring everything together. It physically shows them that if they like what they see in this part of the store, that it is safe to assume that they like the whole store. This is because mannequin displays showcasing many items at once shows them that it's okay to generalize, which we seek to do when we are making friends. When your store's appearance, your merchandise, your pricing, your layout, and your sales team are all in alignment, you have created a place that helps people to become lifelong customers.