Our What’s In Store series highlights what retailers are planning for the year ahead, and what customers can expect to find across their in-store and digital experiences.
We sat down with Alexandra Valle, Retail Manager, and Natalie Chacin, Digital Marketing Manager at O.N.S Clothing to learn more:
As the country reopens, how are you shifting your in-store strategy?
The need to really focus on being a truly omnichannel brand, meaning identifying our value propositions and leveraging them online and on-site. Of course, each channel offers certain benefits that are particular to each, so our job this past year has been to identify how to utilize them best to connect and provide a unique brand experience. Moreover, we’ve taken some time to recognize our crucial value props that make customers return multiple times in a season and throughout the years, 1) product quality and fit; 2) our personalized approach to customer service for both in-store and online; 3) convenience and flexibility. This is where our interest in partnering with Klarna for the in-store purchase came about; we want to make sure we can replicate flexible payment options, whether buying online or in-store.
How does O.N.S Clothing’s in-store experience differ from online?
Retail therapy has played an essential part in how customers are experiencing our stores. We recently teamed up with a local barber to make our store a one-stop-shop for a New Year refresh. Many have indeed shifted to shop online, but there is still a need to go out. For many, stepping out to discover new things, even if it’s in the neighborhood, is a much-needed way to distract and recharge. We aim to somehow offer that leisure experience through our store ambiance, friendly staff, and product assortment.
How are you managing unused inventory between your physical and digital channels?
One approach we did was to launch our O.N.S Garage. We pride ourselves on being responsible for our products, from designing every stitch to managing inventory. We created the O.N.S Garage to ensure all of our products can be enjoyed and not left in landfills.
Have consumer spending behaviors changed? Which of your products are customers spending most on these days?
The needs have changed because of times. Although our shirts are the brand’s bread and butter, we’ve seen an increased request for loungewear. We’ve always seen a great response from our knitwear, all the way from our best-selling Village Crew Neck Tee to our Deon Sweatshirt and Bklyn Joggers, but the demand has been higher for these pieces now more than ever.
How are you reaching new audiences?
At the moment, we’ve seen opportunities to reach new audiences through partnering with platforms like Klarna and social media; this combination has been the driving force behind our growth. Working with Klarna allowed us to reach indirect audiences such as women, who ended up purchasing for others or even for themselves.
Which technologies are you leveraging to enhance the in-store experience?
Over the past few months, we’ve seen an opportunity to use social media as both a shoppable platform and a way to connect with customers and showcase our unique store design. We want our followers to be able to feel our store experience. We’re also collaborating with our retail team in Hong Kong to share content from both New York and Hong Kong retail staff; it makes brand content relatable and more human.
As far as technology, we’ve seen an increase in demand for modern financial solutions. In the last year since we partnered with Klarna, we’ve had a great response from new customers who find value in this payment option.
Klarna In-store is already boosting sales for brands in more than 60,000 brick-and-mohttps://us.portal.klarna.com/signup/?_gl=1*1676cmf*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2MTA2MzY5NzkuQ2owS0NRaUE5UF9fQlJDMEFSSXNBRVo2aXJoRGRJVDF6QXlMZzVKQWp4WlFTT2VORHVfRElTWHJkMG5YZmlDQUEwVlB0QzRYQ2xaMmdhTrtar stores across the US, and we’d love for yours to be next. If you’re ready to grow your business with happy returning customers and a better shopping experience, get started today.