Today I’m talking with Westfield Sydney’s Head Stylist, Adriana Fernandez, and I’m asking the question, ‘What does a personal shopper do?’

Adriana has been a personal stylist for 8 years and has over 110 clients who tend to book in with her once every 3 months for personal shopping and styling services.

I also wanted to understand how a personal shopper or stylist works with the stores inside a shopping centre, when shopping with a client.

LISTEN ON ITUNES

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

Shopping Centre Styling Services

Major shopping centres like Westfield in AUS and Nordstrum in the US offer personal styling sessions to customers.

Typically, the centre takes an inquiry from the customer and connects them with their preferred stylists.

But what happens when a client meets the stylist in the shopping centre? And how do you offer an exceptional shopping experience that makes the customer feel like it’s a valuable investment?

The Relationship With Stores

One of the most important elements of a personal shopping session is the engagement and support of the centre stores and their staff.

Some stores might keep a fitting room free for the personal shopper, or keep racks of pre-selected clothing aside, but how do you arrange this type of relationship when you are starting out?

Adriana shares her approach to building the best relationships with each brand in a centre to deliver an exceptional client experience.

Time needed: 2 minutes

Introduce Yourself To Store Staff
Working with brand-specific stylists in stores when you’re with a client will only improve the experience, not hinder it.

Introduce yourself and ensure you’re respectful of their responsibilities in the store too; as they are busy and won’t always be able to help.

Go in ahead of time and let them know who you are and what your client might like.
Ask for discounts or value-add offers
Many stores reward personal shoppers with exclusive discounts for their clients as a way of incentivizing the stylists to visit.

Adriana makes sure her clients know that what they spend on her service fee, they get back in savings within the stores.

This type of exclusive offer further reinforces the value of working with an expert personal shopper!
Prepare staff and stock before the client session

The client’s time is precious, as is the store staff’s, so make sure you arrange any relevant stock or discounts before the personal shopping session.

Prioritize the communication between you and store to ensure the experience for the client is seamless.

Brands will want to know who your client segment is, before offering you any add-on experiences or discounts.

If you need help refining this niche client group, you can head over to our Stylist Funnel here.