omnichannel retailing
OPENING THE
DOOR TO A
CLOSED SESSION
Offering a personalized styling service, Lorna Jane prioritizes health
and safety, providing a consistent shopping experience
A revolution, a way of living, and a culture shift—the descriptions for Lorna
Jane abound online. At its core, the brand is all about evolving a workout style
into a shared mindset and a global movement that centers around the shopper.
Credited with coining the term “activewear,” the founder of the self-named brand
aims to empower women through active living and create further confidence
relating to their health and wellbeing. As a response to its gradual reopening
and leading public health and safety measure, Lorna Jane is offering 1:1
closed door styling sessions. During
reduced trading times, shoppers can
book an appointment (30 minutes to
1 hour) with an active stylist at a local
shop and experience “no-touch” bra
and tight-fitting demonstrations and
contactless payment methods via gift
card, credit card, Afterpay, WeChat
Pay, Apple Pay, and/or Zip Pay.
With COVID-19 emphasizing
health and wellbeing, Lorna Jane is
looking to maintain relevance, provide
connectivity, and increase its offering.
Simply book an appointment online
(with a desired time and location)
and the in-store team will organize
the overall personalized approach to
retailing and, most importantly, call in advance to speak with the customer
and learn more about what it is she wants from the experience and prepare
the store ahead of time.
“The vision of the closed door styling sessions [is] to provide our customers
with a safe environment where they could receive styling advice, technical
product information, and connect with someone outside of their immediate
family who [shares] their love of health and fitness,” company founder and
chief creative offer, Lorna Jane Clarkson explained.
Along with additional cleaning measures and methods in place, Lorna Jane
has expanded its First Wear initiative, which the company has been practicing
in-store for some time. Based on minimizing skin-to-product contact, it allows
shoppers to purchase freshly packaged garments that haven’t been tried on
or touched by anyone outside of the clean space factories. Although she says
the reopening process is a balance of safety for all, government directives, and
consumer needs, the next steps of the company include educating shoppers
on the benefits of First Wear and integrating the personalized approach to
browsing and buying as a permanent part of the in-store Lorna Jane customer
experience. Also, on the go: The introduction of LJShield, the sustainable and
eco-friendly coating, which when applied to the garments protects shoppers
from bacteria, mold, viruses, and
funguses. Originally scheduled
to be released in September, the
company launched LJShield in
...provide our customers with a
safe environment where they could
receive styling advice, technical
product information, and connect
with someone outside of their
immediate family who [shares]
their love of health and fitness.
July given its commitment to
customer safety and COVID-19.
As a result of the public
response to offering the styling
service, Lorna Jane recognized
an existing and continuing
demand within its target market.
Clarkson added that the oneon-one
experience enhanced
the brand’s narrative, making
customers feel more connected
to the messaging and motivated
to make healthy living choices
and changes. Beyond offering that personal experience, the styling session is
about forming a genuine connection and showing customers that the Lorna
Jane team is willing to do more for them when they need it most.
“[COVID-19 has brought the online and in-store experience closer than
ever before. We are finding that, instead of shopping exclusively either online
or in-store, our customers are now more open to shopping between the two.
[They are doing their research online and picking up in-store],” Clarkson noted.
“[We are such a digitally connected society that this was destined to happen,
but I think the pandemic fast-tracked it. Recent times have created more
of a one-customer mindset for our business. We are focused on creating a
consistent experience from online to in-store].”
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