With customers WiFi in fashion stores to more new customers (2020 update)

Free customer WiFi is also becoming increasingly popular in fashion stores - unfortunately, fashion retailers are still forgetting 2020 to their own detriment.

Not only do customers benefit, but also the providers themselves, i.e. the stores customer WiFi. Loud studies of the German Trade Association and the Hamburg-based market and trend research institute EARSandEYES, 80% of retailers and 70% of German citizens want more public WiFi, especially in retail.

The magazine TextilWirtschaft already reported on this in issue No. 31, dated August 4, 2016.

The smartphone has become a constant companion for most people and is in continuous use. Even when shopping, many do not want to miss out on the opportunity to stay in touch with acquaintances, get advice from friends or compare offers.

If mobile data usage in stores is shielded by the construction of fashion stores, this quickly causes customer discomfort and may lead to faster departure from the store.

According to the magazine, this will TextilWirtschaft, change in the future. Many fashion entrepreneurs have recognized the opportunities of free WiFi and are therefore increasingly using it in stores. According to a survey among participants in the TW test club, over 40% of fashion providers are planning to offer a WLAN service in the future. This increases the willingness of fashion entrepreneurs to launch such an offer enormously, compared to previous evaluations. Particularly large fashion chains are upgrading the WLAN area. For example, fashion stores such as Sportscheck, Galeria Kaufhof, C&A and H&M are already using WLAN services. This would give customers the opportunity to use the companies' apps to secure discounts while shopping or sign up for the newsletter.

Where are we in fashion retail in 2020?

The TextilWirtschaft report was now four years ago.

The fashion trade has seen strong years, but has also experienced the corona crisis of 2020. A drastic, difficult event. Both large chains and small retailers had to and must fight to survive due to the corona consequences such as the lockdown or the subsequent economic crisis.

Customer WiFi is still the The most frequently underrated innovation in fashion retail.

Why

Compared to the major innovations from Silicon Valley, all the inventions of the tech industry in terms of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, etc., a simple WLAN seems like a mundane matter for customers. Definitely not something that can have noticeable effects.

Well, our fashion retailers in their customer base speak a different language here. Because customer WLAN is not customer WLAN.

Customer WiFi in fashion retail - benefits for customers

In addition to the general increase in demand for more free Internet, demand in fashion stores in particular is high.

For example, waiting times can be bridged more comfortably. You are shopping with your partner and want to get out of the shop as quickly as possible out of boredom while waiting. This is negative for the business, because the shorter the customer stays in the store, the less they buy. With free customer WiFi, the partner can surf in peace while waiting and make good use of the time. Customers also find waiting times at the cash register or changing room with WLAN more pleasant.

In addition, your customers can get the opinion of friends and family via photo on messenger services, which makes the purchase decision easier.

Customer WLAN therefore offers a great advantage not only to direct customers, but also to their accompanying persons.

Customer WiFi in fashion retail - benefits for retailers

However, retailers themselves also benefit from offering customer WiFi.

On the one hand, bridging waiting times has been proven to significantly increase the time spent in the shop. On the other hand, sellers can actively respond to price comparisons or offers from competitors.

For example, many customers already choose a specific product in store and in many cases even decide on the color and size. However, they don't buy the product right away because they want to compare prices online at home first. Should it then turn out that your store is actually one of the cheapest providers, at the same time as other Internet providers, the store still has the Look up. Customers then prefer to order from the comfort of their own home.

To counteract this, it is worthwhile to offer customer WiFi, as customers can then compare prices on site and the seller has the opportunity to actively respond to the offer on the Internet. This does not always have to be done through price adjustments. Customers are also often happy to accept a free service or something similar and therefore decide to buy directly.

You also have the advantage that the customer doesn't have to wait 3-5 working days for their order - that is often a powerful selling point.

Automated marketing through customer WiFi in fashion stores

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, you can also benefit from a WiFi hotspot.

Free social media reach

Thanks to the integrated marketing features of the Socialwave Hotspots Not only do you offer your customers legally secure WiFi, but also increase your Internet presence and social media reach. Your customers log in via Facebook, email, SMS or WhatsApp and then advertise for you — automatically and GDPR-compliant.

More positive reviews automatically

In addition, your customers will receive an automated email asking them for a review. If the review is positive, it ends up clearly visible on Google and Co. If the rating is negative, you will be sent feedback and the review is not publicly visible.

This means: automatically more positive reviews.

Continuous touchpoints with customers

You also have the option to keep your customers up to date via Facebook, WhatsApp, SMS or email and to inform you about promotions and offers. This allows you to stay in touch with your customers and thus increase customer loyalty.

In summary, with the Socialwave system, you can:

• Massively increase customer satisfaction
• Increase time spent in store
• Automatically generate positive reviews on Google and Co.
• Negative reviews only as unpublished Get feedback
• Possibility for pop-up advertising when the customer logs in
• Possibility of email campaigns to your existing customers
• Offline WiFi tracking, to analyze store usage
• and more

Customer WiFi in fashion retail - What is the legal situation in 2020?

If you now want to offer a WiFi hotspot in your shop, you should be aware of the legal situation.

In Germany, liability for interference has been abolished in principle, meaning that hotspot operators do not have to fear warnings for illegally downloaded content. However, he has BGH decided that operators must block the hotspot in any cases or register users. In addition, there is the active since May 2018 GDPR. This states that you cannot simply store personal data. Avoid annoying and expensive warnings and rely on a professional hotspot provider. With Socialwave, you're covered — and you don't have to worry about anything anymore.

Statement on Socialwave customer WiFi in fashion retail

The Socialwave system works via social media login and is already being used in branches of the fashion company Reischmann.

Bernd Deuter, Head of Marketing at Mode Reischmann, says:
“We discovered customer WiFi as an important service for our customer loyalty and, after a comprehensive comparison, opted for the Socialwave solution. The system impressed us with the easy and quick login for our customers, as well as the flexibility, innovation and partnership-based support. We also see a lot of potential in the collection and provision of contact data integrated by Socialwave. This enables us to improve our active customer contact and thus strengthen loyalty.“

Conclusion - Customer WiFi in fashion retail (2020 update)

Overall, there are therefore many benefits for businesses: customer satisfaction, time spent in the store and sales figures are increased. Socialwave also offers significant marketing benefits, which also increases attractiveness for potential customers. You too can rely on legally secure, free of charge Customer WiFi.

Contact us now, whether you are a large chain or a solo self-employed person with a small shop, we will find an individual solution for you.

With our WLAN marketing package, your customers/patients/guests advertise for you, are happy and recommend you to others.