Retailers that rely on personalized in-store shopping experiences find it difficult to transition that experience to the digital space. Offering products from a menu lacks a customized approach and feels like every customer is the same. There are some companies that have mastered the personal digital shopping experience, and all retailers should pay attention.

Stitch Fix

Shopping for clothes can be time consuming, discouraging, and frustrating. Stitch Fix connects shoppers with a personal stylist that gets to know their tastes and then assembles a box of suggested items. The stylist ships items directly to the client, which the client can then choose to keep or send back after trying them on.

Apply it: Personalize from a distance

This model is heavily personalized but also very scalable. Stylists can fulfill wardrobe suggestions for many more clients per day than if they were meeting in person. Clients can also be anywhere in the country instead of in proximity to a brick-and-mortar location. While employees might push back a little bit over serving clientele through a website or app instead of in person, once some are on board, adopting a model like this can grow your business far faster than opening additional retail locations.

True & Co.

This lingerie brand exists almost exclusively online. Bras are also generally difficult to fit perfectly, which goes to show how masterfully True & Co. has transitioned shopping to the internet. Women take a simple but thorough quiz about what they currently wear, their complaints, and their likes. The results are calculated into recommendations, including which products will fit them best – including the exact size of that product they should order. It’s as easy as asking the fitting room attendant to grab items to try.

Apply it: Recommend based on taste

Chances are, most clients that purchase a particular item have some major characteristics in common. It’s almost like taking a customer through a flow chart to find exactly the product that suits them. Focus on a user experience that gathers information about the shopper’s taste and needs to recommend highly personalized suggestions.

Warby Parker

Now a household name when it comes to eyewear, Warby Parker was one of the first retailers to truly deliver a great shopping experience through the internet. Customers choose a selection of frames to try on and the customer receives the frames in the mail to try for up to five days before returning them. The Warby Parker shopping experience doesn’t include much personalization from the company end, but it certainly connects a digital shopping experience with a tangible one.

Apply it: Move in-store to in-home

There is no amount of photo editing possible that can show exactly what a product looks like in person. Especially in the case of interior design where lighting makes a huge difference, there is no substitute for getting a product into the hands of the consumer. Offering a box of samples removes the risk of a customer ordering a color or texture that does not match. Samples also allow companies to transport a showroom to a customer’s home, which makes digital shopping far more luxurious.

Transform retail

Even highly personalized shopping experiences are possible through digital means. If your business has not yet explored how to do this, let us know. We would love to help you figure out how to reach more customers and grow your business beyond what brick-and-mortar allows.