Attracting Young Customers Without Alienating Others

Q: I have a traditional men’s clothing store, but a couple of years ago I started adding more inventory to attract younger clients. Now, these younger, slimmer styles are far outpacing my traditional business.

How do I keep attracting younger customers without isolating my older clientele (many of whom I have long-term, personal relationships with)?

A: Now that is a good question. Are you selling these more modern styles to the current customers or to new customers? Our research tells us that in most cases a majority of sales are to current customers.

But, to really figure it out, you can establish tracking classes for both traditional and modern silhouettes and then plan accordingly. It sounds like you’re following the general trend toward more modern styling, which is great. Also, remember that many of the older clients value your relationship because you guide them forward into new fashion.