How to Establish Your Vintage Fashion Brand's Identity In-Store and Online
If you love vintage and are passionate about fashion, there has never been a better time to start your vintage brand. There's a huge demand for vintage and thrifted items, and despite that demand, there are so many gaps in the market, particularly when it comes to brick-and-mortar stores.
Though in-store shopping will be crucial to your company's success, you can still have an online platform. The caveat, however, is that your store and website need to feel like extensions of each other. This combination is the power of effective branding. It's how you can increase sales and recapture previous customers again and again. Not only that but extending your marketing efforts to both in-store and online is how you can get your brand name out there.
How to Establish Your Brand Identity In-Store and Online
There are many ways you can establish your brand identity in-store and then use those decisions to carry on online. Factors like color, logos, slogans, and even sales can all be used both online and in-store to convey your brand identity.
There are thrift stores that sell a little bit of everything. The reason why they do this is that they buy vintage in bulk by condition by the pound. This is a perfectly valid form of vintage selling, especially if you have some sewing skills and can rework pieces if they don't sell as is. Rather than establish any specific theme, you'll need to create zones in your store and design the overall space to appeal to your target demographic. This audience is usually the younger generations (millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha). You'll need a more energetic design and music choice to appeal to these younger customers.
On the other hand, you can also specialize. Specializing means focussing on a type, style, or specific decade. For example, high-end vintage stores typically sell pieces that are fifty years or older. Keep in mind that "vintage" is anything older than 20 years, and antique items are over 100. At the moment, this means items produced in the early 2000s are now vintage. Specialist and niche themes are also far easier to market online, since there are fewer competitors and you can reach a wider audience. Even if you sell a mix of everything, try to sort out your stock and create dedicated landing pages for each decade, so you can improve your marketing overall.
The atmosphere and ambiance of a store can play a big role in shaping a shopper's experience. Stores that are well-lit, clean, and well-maintained can create a sense of comfort and relaxation, while stores that are dark, dirty, or otherwise unappealing can lead to discomfort and dissatisfaction. To match the ambiance with your website, try to mimic the feel of your store in the design of your web page. You need something which is clean and clear to use, without lots of cluttering text.
Your music sells the theme and establishes the overall ambiance. The right music can put your customers in a great mood – a mood that, critically, encourages more impulse shopping. Even if your customers don't buy anything on that day, if they loved the experience of hunting through your store to find a great deal or that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece, they'll come back, and usually often if they can. Music can be the catalyst for that repeat business. Keep in mind that you'll still need a license to play any music in your store. Thankfully, getting said license and access to uninterrupted, ad-free music for thrift stores is as easy as subscribing to a business account. From there, you just need to explore the different playlists and you'll be set.
Create a color scheme and stick to it both online and in-store. This should be a collection of five or so colors that work together. The colors you choose can even reflect the decades you keep in stock. If you specialize in 60s and 70s, clothing, you can opt for something that pops to mimic the fun, bright colors common in those eras. Use the colors you've chosen as base colors both online and in-store, for fonts, on your packaging, and so on.
In addition, you must also consider the type of hangers you use. As your store’s team is vintage, it would be best to use wooden hangers to hang all the outfits. It will make your store look more aesthetically pleasing and help with branding.
Your logo, slogans, and tone of voice (TOV) should be the same both in-store and online. If you can create and stick to a clear style guide, customers will feel like they're shopping with your brand from the moment they step into your store or shop with you online. This will help to create trust in your brand too.
For the sake of clarity, you should aim to add the modern sizes or even exact sizing (in cm, for example) to any clothing. This is because vintage pieces come with a wide range of sizes, to the point where they almost don't mean anything. This will be particularly true if you sell pieces over 50 years old. Customers, quite simply, will be more tempted to buy more if they know it fits. In that line, you'll need several fitting rooms, and mirrors throughout so that customers can see what items look like on their bodies.
It will particularly make it easy for online shoppers to compare your products to clothing which they know fits.
The same is true for non clothing items – you should add as much information as possible online so that there are no surprises and disappointed customers when the product arrives.
Tip: If you're selling items at a bargain you can get away with not professionally washing, repairing, and steaming your stock. If you sell mid-priced and especially high-end pieces, you must get the items professionally cleaned and mended. You don't want your store to smell like vintage. Use vinegar to remove that smell, have a tailor fix any issues, and steam the items before you hang them up or ship them out.
The attitude and expertise of store and online staff can have a major impact on a shopper's experience. Friendly, knowledgeable staff members can create a sense of trust and help shoppers feel comfortable asking questions or seeking advice. Decide what information and services you want to offer to every customer. For example, hold regular meetings with your staff to teach them about different designers and what they were known for, how to repair items, and so on. This way they can offer superior services. Online you can offer guides, create how-to videos, and publish useful articles for your customers.
Though in-store shopping will be crucial to your company's success, you can still have an online platform. The caveat, however, is that your store and website need to feel like extensions of each other. This combination is the power of effective branding. It's how you can increase sales and recapture previous customers again and again. Not only that but extending your marketing efforts to both in-store and online is how you can get your brand name out there.
How to Establish Your Brand Identity In-Store and Online
There are many ways you can establish your brand identity in-store and then use those decisions to carry on online. Factors like color, logos, slogans, and even sales can all be used both online and in-store to convey your brand identity.
- Identify the Type of Vintage You Sell
There are thrift stores that sell a little bit of everything. The reason why they do this is that they buy vintage in bulk by condition by the pound. This is a perfectly valid form of vintage selling, especially if you have some sewing skills and can rework pieces if they don't sell as is. Rather than establish any specific theme, you'll need to create zones in your store and design the overall space to appeal to your target demographic. This audience is usually the younger generations (millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha). You'll need a more energetic design and music choice to appeal to these younger customers.
On the other hand, you can also specialize. Specializing means focussing on a type, style, or specific decade. For example, high-end vintage stores typically sell pieces that are fifty years or older. Keep in mind that "vintage" is anything older than 20 years, and antique items are over 100. At the moment, this means items produced in the early 2000s are now vintage. Specialist and niche themes are also far easier to market online, since there are fewer competitors and you can reach a wider audience. Even if you sell a mix of everything, try to sort out your stock and create dedicated landing pages for each decade, so you can improve your marketing overall.
- Atmosphere
The atmosphere and ambiance of a store can play a big role in shaping a shopper's experience. Stores that are well-lit, clean, and well-maintained can create a sense of comfort and relaxation, while stores that are dark, dirty, or otherwise unappealing can lead to discomfort and dissatisfaction. To match the ambiance with your website, try to mimic the feel of your store in the design of your web page. You need something which is clean and clear to use, without lots of cluttering text.
- Ambiance
Your music sells the theme and establishes the overall ambiance. The right music can put your customers in a great mood – a mood that, critically, encourages more impulse shopping. Even if your customers don't buy anything on that day, if they loved the experience of hunting through your store to find a great deal or that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece, they'll come back, and usually often if they can. Music can be the catalyst for that repeat business. Keep in mind that you'll still need a license to play any music in your store. Thankfully, getting said license and access to uninterrupted, ad-free music for thrift stores is as easy as subscribing to a business account. From there, you just need to explore the different playlists and you'll be set.
- Color
Create a color scheme and stick to it both online and in-store. This should be a collection of five or so colors that work together. The colors you choose can even reflect the decades you keep in stock. If you specialize in 60s and 70s, clothing, you can opt for something that pops to mimic the fun, bright colors common in those eras. Use the colors you've chosen as base colors both online and in-store, for fonts, on your packaging, and so on.
In addition, you must also consider the type of hangers you use. As your store’s team is vintage, it would be best to use wooden hangers to hang all the outfits. It will make your store look more aesthetically pleasing and help with branding.
- Copy
Your logo, slogans, and tone of voice (TOV) should be the same both in-store and online. If you can create and stick to a clear style guide, customers will feel like they're shopping with your brand from the moment they step into your store or shop with you online. This will help to create trust in your brand too.
- Information on Products
For the sake of clarity, you should aim to add the modern sizes or even exact sizing (in cm, for example) to any clothing. This is because vintage pieces come with a wide range of sizes, to the point where they almost don't mean anything. This will be particularly true if you sell pieces over 50 years old. Customers, quite simply, will be more tempted to buy more if they know it fits. In that line, you'll need several fitting rooms, and mirrors throughout so that customers can see what items look like on their bodies.
It will particularly make it easy for online shoppers to compare your products to clothing which they know fits.
The same is true for non clothing items – you should add as much information as possible online so that there are no surprises and disappointed customers when the product arrives.
Tip: If you're selling items at a bargain you can get away with not professionally washing, repairing, and steaming your stock. If you sell mid-priced and especially high-end pieces, you must get the items professionally cleaned and mended. You don't want your store to smell like vintage. Use vinegar to remove that smell, have a tailor fix any issues, and steam the items before you hang them up or ship them out.
- Staff Friendliness and Expertise
The attitude and expertise of store and online staff can have a major impact on a shopper's experience. Friendly, knowledgeable staff members can create a sense of trust and help shoppers feel comfortable asking questions or seeking advice. Decide what information and services you want to offer to every customer. For example, hold regular meetings with your staff to teach them about different designers and what they were known for, how to repair items, and so on. This way they can offer superior services. Online you can offer guides, create how-to videos, and publish useful articles for your customers.
