REFORMATION.

WHAT IS THE CONTEXT? Reformation is a really fun company to work for. In a world where so many brands are neglecting in-person retail in favor of e-commerce, how do we drive traffic into the physical location? By crafting a fierce experience, of course!  The shopping experience is designed to be stress-free, minimal, and service-heavy, almost like personal shopping. Its unlike any other retail environment, but people won’t know that if they only shop online.

WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?
Women who care about sustainability, but are tired of brands that only preach sustainability for marketing clout, and don’t actually follow through with their policies or practices.  This market cares about the quality of the clothing and wants to support a brand that does right by their employees and other stakeholders. They’re tired of consuming mindlessly, and want to be intentional with their participation in capitalism.

WHAT IS THE KEY INSIGHT?Fostering a mutual connection with personalized messaging via clienteling portal between customers and store employees is beneficial on several levels: while generating regular revenue for the store, it creates small-business-feel for the clientele while still being able to enjoy the benefits of a multinational brand (like online ordering for convenience and new inventory on a regular basis).

MERCHANDISING STAGEIn order to create an exciting environment for customers to shop in, merchandising is crucial. If our store team has 100 different SKU’s on average, how do we display those in a eye-pleasing, minimalistic way? The answer is in only having one size out on the salesfloor, used as a display. With the assistance of technology, we can scan the barcodes of each display model, select the size the customer would like to try on or buy, and bring it to the floor from our stockroom. So now we need to create the racks. 
 First, I’ll plan out a color story around a specific occasion or intention.

This could look like “Italian Summer Date Night” or “Galentine’s with the Girls”. By choosing a print or focal color, I can create complimentary pieces that not only match the color story, but the overall vibe of that customer. 

A rack is successful when a customer looks at the rack and could visualize wearing every piece with each other. It’s important to not rely too heavily on one item to bring a color story together. If that one item sells out and the entire rack falls apart, it isn’t a succesful rack.

Finally, supplement with evergreen pieces: items that we stock regardless of season like classic jeans or basic tops. 
Next, I’ll build out the the rack as planned. The anchor item typically goes in front of the rack, as it’s the most important piece for the customer to see.

Then, I add in the fashion colors and the prints to create balance between the hues. Color tone and print size are considerations as well, as these details can be the difference in making a color story fly or flop.

Ensuring each piece is outfitted appropriately is the next step: tops beside bottoms, dresses separated from each other, etc. This is tricky, and can sometime mean throwing off the color symmetry. 

Next, the product might have to be shifted again to account for length balance. It’s important to make sure longer items are distributed evenly throughout the rack to account for another element of balance. 

Finally, I’ll ensure that every item is in perfect condition. Linen needs to be wrinkle free (tough task for those that know), denim can’t have fold creases, and zippers need to be zipped, buttons buttoned, clasps clasped. It’s the details that are really critical here: a garment with wrinkles might hang weird, which might be the thing separating a customer’s love vs. indifference. 

CLIENTELING STAGE
After the store looks lovely, we need to let customers know! Every week, I would send out a clienteling newsletter to let our regulars know about new product and promotions. 

This newsletter took a lot of different forms, and is always made in a very short timeframe (30 mins or less). Short turnaround is really important, as designing couldn’t impact my existing responsibilities to the business and staff.

Taking photos of new vintage items, including shots of the newly merchandised racks, or even ways to style certain pieces, are great ways to connect with our regular customers who appreciate hearing from us. Because the company has such simple branding, its important to keep the outreach simple as well. Even though we’re just a single store, we need to remain consistent with the brand identity in what we put out. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised! I know I am seeing some other brands’ marketing campaigns.


WHAT IS THE LESSON LEARNED?This initiative in both merchandising and clienteling attracted the attention of several higher-ups in corporate, and helped me connect with various people in the organization that I would’ve never been able to meet. This taught me to always go above and beyond if I feel inspired to, as it lays the groundwork for future opportunities.