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In order for a trunk show to do what it's supposed to do, here are a few suggestions from the experts: |
Trunk shows are most successful when they're held mid-week, either before stock is delievered or as delivery begins. Especially with an upscale clientele, Mondays and Fridays tend to be dead days. While it can stand on its own, you can also treat a trunk show as a special promotion and tie it in with a charity event. Not only will it raise money, but it might also bring in new customers, especially if the event has received editorial exposure in the local media. Of course the charity must be geared to the label's customer. If for example, the line is very trendy and fashion forward and patrons of the charity are conservative, there's not likely to be a match.. nor any sales. To warrant the promotion and expense, show in stores that place broad orders in styles and sizes. When properly done, the show can help sell up to 20 % of the order in advance. At the end of the season, it can insure the sell-thru of the entire collection. When this happens, the store will usually increase their open-to-buy the following season. If you're showing in a store that holds continual trunk shows, try not to be at the end of the cycle. Unless you have a very specific customer who is loyal to your label, you may find the response poor because customers have been called so frequently to attend other shows. Avoid doing a trunk show during sale periods, like the first and second week of January. The store may not be geared for an exclusive event at that time and the mind-set of the customer, even an affluent one, may be to buy off price. Try to avoid working only with sample sizes because they're generally not true to size and the customer can't relate to them or imagine how the style would look in her size. When they work, trunk shows are viable business builders, despite the expense. The trend however is towards stores paying less," says Jean Nuzzi, who feels that business for European designer trunk shows, where customers order from pictures, is shrinking. "I think people want instant gratification,"she says, adding that Ungaro does a fabulous trunk show business because the collection is here. |