Anyone who wants to play Champions League in the fashion industry needs to have their digital sales journey in order. Sales agents are increasingly walking around with an iPad under their arm at fashion fairs. Whether or not there is WiFi, with a well-functioning sales app they can always demonstrate the new collection in an attractive way. And that goes beyond just the products. The story behind the collection is also becoming increasingly important. FashionUnited will discuss this with TCOG and Colect, partners for ten years in delivering specialized software solutions for the fashion industry.
Joint customer portfolio
A modern digital platform, on which B2B customers can immerse themselves in the new collection and easily place orders themselves – that is indispensable for every self-respecting fashion company these days. “It is not without reason that we have been working with Colect for over ten years”, say Eric van der Craats and Laurens Van Hemeldonck, Sales Managers at TCOG. Both organizations have grown considerably with a joint customer portfolio, including Vingino, Josh V, Ten Cate and My Jewellery. “Instead of purely focusing on writing orders, our B2B tool supports the complete storytelling for the fashion industry”, says Niña George, Customer Success & Operational Manager at Colect. “There is a great need for that. Fashion companies really want to take customers along in the story behind their brand.”
Personalized B2B platform
How does Colect’s sales tool differ from more basic B2B platforms? The answer is simple: in the user experience. It is a rich platform, with a webshop-like look and feel. This starts with the landing page and the welcome text, which fashion brands can personalize with a few clicks of a button. The solution then offers self-service for both sales agents and retailers, whether that involves putting together the assortment or downloading campaign images. With the shop-the-look function, products can be linked to specific content, to encourage customers to place better orders. Van der Craats: “With the rise of increasing competition from all sides, good positioning as a brand is even more important. The right tools help with that.”
Digitale showroom
Inspiring and enthusing, that is the focus more and more, instead of exclusively on orders. George: “We also offer the possibility to convert the collection into an interactive experience. This digital presentation can then be streamed on multiple screens. In this way, you can take customers in the showroom, at the start of the purchasing season, with the story behind your brand. How was the collection created? What materials were used? And what sustainable choices were made?” Marketing campaigns strengthen the story. Of course, that requires an investment. “That is why it is important that retailers are aware of when which campaigns are running. And to give them direct access to all the necessary images, for use in the store and online,” says George.
Fewer no-sales
Thanks to the integration between Colect and ItSuitsFashion 365, the Microsoft-based fashion ERP solution TCOG, data synchronization takes place in almost real time. Does the price or stock level of a product change? Then this is visible almost immediately on all channels. “That’s what you need in times of digitalization,” says Van der Craats. “This ensures fewer no-sales and more customer retention. Because if a customer orders something from you three times and the item turns out to be out-of-stock twice, you will definitely lose that customer.” Re-orders, pre-orders: everything is possible in the B2B tool. Even products that have not yet arrived at the wholesaler (future stock) can already be ordered by retailers. Van der Craats: “And that is interesting, because stock costs money, so companies prefer to keep their stock level as low as possible.”
Valuable insights
Fashion brands decide for themselves what they do and do not want to show in Colect’s B2B portal. One customer chooses to make out-of-stock items invisible. Others want to show the entire collection for the visual total picture. In short: brands have complete freedom to determine their ideal sales journey. “Also interesting: because it is such a rich platform, the interaction between brands and retailers is optimized,” says Van der Craats. “Wholesalers now obtain much more data about the retailer: what has been purchased, what are the best sellers?” George adds: “If it turns out that fifteen percent of the orders come from re-orders, then you as an agent can recommend a higher pre-order. That also makes the process more sustainable: a higher pre-order means less transport. A win-win situation.”
TCOG and Colect regularly sit down together to discuss new developments in the market. Van Hemeldonck: “The world is changing, we feel that the need for these types of solutions is growing in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the past, retailers only had insight into their own sales figures. Now wholesale and retail are really being brought together and both parties are helping each other grow. Increasingly, technology is really the foundation of every organization.”
Are you curious about how TCOG and Colect can help you make your wholesale business more successful and future-proof? Then follow this on October 17 free webinar and discover how you can strengthen your B2B workflow to sell more and better.
Source: fashionunited.nl
