We reveal the main secrets and tricks behind promotions in clothing stores

If the phrase: “I’m not going to buy anything, better wait until the promotions are over” seems a little strange to you, then, at least once, you may already have been a victim of the sales marketing strategy of clothing stores. In periods of promotions, we are literally “bombarded” with discounts and tempting offers, and in the search for savings, we end up forgetting the main thing — the central objective of any business is profit. Therefore, no store would sell a product without making a profit in return — in the end, promotions are nothing more than a strategy for profit from commerce.

We, from awesome.club, we decided to shed light on some of the tricks and secrets used by marketers in the fashion world to attract our attention and money. Follow!

The marketer’s main objective is to awaken the impulse of “seeing and wanting” in potential buyers who are passing by the store. And for that, they use the most varied tricks.

Special design. While the windows of fashion brands remain quite discreet during the sales period, those of department stores, on the contrary, are not shy about using the most diverse tricks to attract the consumer’s attention — sometimes even seeming to shout to him: “ Come in, everything is cheap!” Other than that, it is mandatory to have “Promotion” written in the most visible places in the window. Color pattern. More often than not, stores use the most proven effective color combination to attract even the most difficult customer. Have you guessed what it is? Clear, white and red. However, those who want to stand out among competitors take a risk and use less traditional color combinations, such as: orange and violet or blue and yellow. Price. Generally, prices are not displayed in the window, only discounts, so that people do not compare the cost of items with their salary and end up buying. If the discount percentage is too low, marketers prefer to write its value in reais. For example: “discounts of up to 20 reais” or “everything for up to 50 reais”. Carefully assembled appearance. The mannequins are dressed in the mix of clothes and accessories that best represent the diversity of clothing sold in the store. Happy people. The use of images with happy people in shop windows has proven its effectiveness. Their smile attests: “They bought it and were happy, while you remain sad because you still haven’t updated your wardrobe.”

The ideal duration of the promotions period is 45 days. So, don’t fall for the trick and immediately look forward to shopping when you see the discount signs in the windows. There is enough time; better be patient. However, the start period of promotions may vary, depending on how sales were in the previous season. Other than that, the more profitable they are for the business, the longer their duration will be.

The size of the discount always depends on the demand for the product. If it is high, then the chances of the garment going on sale are low. Other than that, the discounts themselves can end up generating a buyer addiction: some people go to stores just to try on clothes and wait for them to go on sale.

25-30% off. This type of discount is offered with the aim of increasing demand for a certain product or in the first stage of the sales period. They are usually attributed to the first pieces of the past collection, and the products are placed inside the store, where they are less visible. From 50% discount. They are characteristic of the second phase of promotions. The cheapest products are placed right at the entrance, so that shoppers can check them out and only then actually enter the store. As the buyer enters, the amount of discount decreases. It is more characteristic for the sale of unique pieces that match other clothes, causing the consumer to end up buying both. Collection clearance with up to 70% discount. It’s nothing more than a clever way to “get rid” of stock left over from the previous collection. Promotional products take up most of the store space and are scattered all over the place. More than 70% discount. They are the last stage of the promotions period and practically mean: “Buy me!”. All new collection items are usually placed at the front of the store, while the promotional items wait inside, making people notice the new arrivals on the way to them. The profit margin for such huge discounts is minimal, this being a desperate attempt to sell as many products as possible and make room for the new collection. “Regressive discounts”. They are a good way to attract consumers to purchases, using the possible fear and discomfort of ending up spending more by waiting than buying at the time. It works as follows: on the first day of promotions, the discounts are usually 30%, but this value decreases consecutively as the days go by. In the early days, sales may even be low, but they increase considerably as discounts are reduced in the eyes of customers. People start to think that if they wait until the end of the promotions, they will end up missing out on the size or color of the desired piece and will end up paying more, so they rush to shop. This type of discount lasts for a maximum of 2 weeks.

Nowadays, the trend is that stores rarely follow the traditional promotional sales system with three stages of increasing discounts, but act according to the current situation of their sales. Therefore, it is common for promotions to start with a 50% discount and end even before reaching the highest percentages. Or even jump from 20% directly to 80% discount, in case the pace of sales is not satisfactory and it is necessary to quickly free up space for a new collection. Monitor prices so you can better understand whether or not deals are worth it. And remember that even with discounts, it’s best to only buy something if you really need it — look at the price tag only after you’ve thought about whether you really need that item of clothing.

Promotions, normally, do not refer to luxury, but are a simple and traditional way of flirting with the consumer. The important thing is not to let yourself go headlong into the enticing sea of ​​yellow and orange labels without thinking rationally—you have to flirt back.

“Beach/summer fashion week”. Promotion for specific clothing categories whose stock hasn’t ended the season and still takes up space on the shelves. They are perfect for those who are not afraid to wear a piece from the past collection. “Promotion Sets”. For example, 5 ties for 79.99 reais. Most of the time, you don’t get to choose the color and print of the pieces in the set — and that’s how stores solve the backlog problem. Marketers cling to our desire for convenience, as we often buy in anticipation of future needs. Loyalty programs and bonuses that convert into gifts. For every 10 purchases, a discount or gift is offered in the form of a product from the store. This encourages the consumer to buy more and more, as he knows that greater discounts or gifts await him in the future. Shop birthday. Most of the time, it happens during periods of low sales, having nothing to do with the official opening date of the business. During this promotion, only older, slow-moving merchandise is sold at truly reduced prices. “Just today”. All types of discounts that have a limited time period encourage instant purchase of the merchandise. In this way, the customer does not have time to think and is led to buy impulsively. Online stores do this by stipulating a limited amount of time to shop, displaying the time remaining until the discount expires, and writing “last” on pieces you’ve looked at recently.

Stores no longer keep leftover stock a secret, and openly sell them through end-of-season sales. Therefore, in order not to run the risk of seeing half the city wearing the same clothes as you, it is better to avoid buying the most attractive and popular pieces from the previous season. For example, the pieces that were displayed in the window, appeared on the store’s Instagram or were part of the brand’s advertising. Prefer more classic clothes, which can be worn for a longer time and are certainly more versatile in combinations, such as basic clothes and with discreet prints.

A portion of the unsold designer pieces is reallocated for sale in outlets, another is given to bloggers to publicize the brand, and another can be sold at a discount to employees. But that’s not all that can happen to unsold clothes from the previous collection.

They return to the store as if they were new. Basic pieces from the previous collection or that adapt to all seasons are “updated”, placed in another part of the store and the magic is done – they become “new” clothes ready to be bought in the new collection.

They are stored for a long time. Have you ever been in a store and seen clothes that were suddenly on sale? Most of the time, the establishment is trying to sell old clothes that have been in the warehouse for quite some time. Most stores keep models from past seasons and put them on sale alongside the current collection.

They are back in fashion. It can happen that a piece, which did not gain popularity in the previous collection, is combined with other clothes and ends up becoming quite popular in the new season.

They are destroyed. The British luxury brand Burberry, for example, burned its pieces from the previous collection, which totaled around 155 million reais (in converted values). The main brands do not donate or reallocate clothes that were not sold to outlets because this directly affects their reputation – after all, they must be associated with luxury.

The main task of marketers is to create in us the feeling of being at an advantage when we buy, and ours — to make purchases always analyzing the best prices. In the end, there are benefits to promotions, but only when you buy what you really need. That way, both you and the store win.

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