Excel in omni-channel Fashion marketing with PIM

How to convert fashion browsers to buyers with PIM technology

During the Covid-19 crisis, the world saw renowned fashion stores and brands – pure offline players - file for bankruptcy. As fashion consumers are shifting from in-store to online shopping, it has become clear for fashion companies that omni-channel retail is no longer just a trend but a necessity. Omni-channel retail is a way to mitigate risk, engage with consumers on a deeper level, expand the average basket size, and convert consumers into loyal customers in the long run.

To help their companies adopt omni-channel retail, marketing teams must adjust their strategies with the help of PIM technology. For this, product information management (PIM) technology is a quick, reliable and efficient solution. This all-in-one solution helps users gather, store, enrich and format product data coming from stakeholders involved in the product development and go-to-market process.  Core product information just has to be entered once into the system, and companies can format and publish this data online automatically according to the specific requirements and regulations of different sales and social media channels.

Read our e-guide on perfecting your omni-channel marketing strategy with PIM technology:

The future of omni-channel fashion retail in a world of uncertainty

During the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, prominent American department stores J.Crew, Neiman Marcus and Stage Stores filed for bankruptcy[1]. While this seemed like a surprise to the world, fashion insiders already knew that these companies were facing problems well before the outbreak that merely served as a catalyst. The problems all stemmed from this one issue – they were all almost-pure offline players, and relied mainly on just one channel- their brick-and-mortar stores- for most of their revenue. 

PIM technology and the challenges of omni-channel retail

For fashion companies that are trying to either overcome these rite-of-passage hurdles or improve their current omni-channel strategy, product information management (PIM) technology is a quick, reliable and efficient solution. This one-stop-shop software allows users to gather, store, and format product data coming from all teams involved in the product development and go-to-market process. Companies can use PIM to publish this data in the form of product catalogs automatically through different sales and social media channels while complying with specific requirements and regulations. Although PIM technology already exists on the market, fashion companies tend to overlook its value and regard it as a mere product content aggregator, which is a pity. Because when chosen specifically for the fashion market and used properly,  it can serve as a powerful tool for companies to broaden their online presence, curate the product experience for each channel, communicate with their target consumer groups effectively, and finally, convert ‘likes’ and interest to real purchase decisions.

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/27/retail-bankrupcy-chapter11/