FormalTimes.com > Industry Newsletter Archives > 2009 Newsletter Archives

How are you doing this prom season?? As some stores finish up many are just beginning. The busy season tests and tries us all. Good luck keep going and as they say: “make hay while the sun shines!” This edition is abbreviated a little due to time available to produce it.

Prom around the Country

Some of our fellow members share their thoughts on prom thus far.

SAL J&L New Orleans, LA
Prom has been very strong. Still have weeks to go!

A Better Deal Tuxedos, La Jolla, CA
Jerry & Janet of A Better Deal Tuxedos said that going into the new year they like most of us in the industry were wooried about how the season may be affected by the economy. As a result they took a long hard look at their operation to see what they could do weather the storm. The dedicated themselves to spending more time in the store, changing displays to give the store a newer look and feel, and increasing their use of direct mail and email campaigns. As a result their season has turned out better than expected. After a slow start their overall business is up and wedding bookings are ahead of 2008. The CK & Perry Ellis peaks have been their #1 coats this season. Some of that possibly being due to the fact that a 1 button coat allows the accessories, vests & ties, to be better highlighted.

Brian Luepp Mr. Fromal, Phoenix, AZ
Dollarwise we are down a bit from what was a very strong prom season in 2008; orders for our "budget" package were up 400% over last year, and I was amazed at the number of "vest and tie only" orders we did this year. Promotions we did were the same as last year, as were those of our competitors, so I'd have to say our somewhat disappointing results were more a product of the economic situation here in Arizona than anything we did or didn't do. It's too early to tell about summer wedding business (which is always slow here compared to most other places), but show attendance has been steady and we're confident in our promotions.

Steve Davis Jims F/W
Overall our prom business has been relatively flat this year. Prom orders came in later than ever. We are still waiting to see what happens with summer wedding bookings. Our dealers are reporting strong fall bookings at this time. Suprisingly, average wedding party size has remained stable (if anything it has increased by a fraction of a percentage.) We have had a great response to all of our Calvin Klein coats as well as our After Six LaStrada line. We had a nice response to our grey FWI coat as well. The demand for stripes has been on the decline and the demand for white continues to increase. Popular accessory colors included jewel tones, royal blue, purple, fucshia and watermelon. While we were preparing to experience a decrease in our average rental unit price as customers opted for less expensive tuxedos, this has not yet been the case. We remain optimistic for the remainder of the year

Text Them!
I, as your editor work full time in an instock store in Illinois. The long hours of prom bring great satisfaction and great challenge. Being involved in production, order taking and distribution of the suits during these hard push times presents situations you do not have to deal with as much during the rest of the year. One of those things is getting the kids to return the suits.

Weddings in our store have a deposit that helps to insure the tuxedos will be returned. Prom rentals are different. The amount of forethought in placing the order is usually equal in their desire to return it after use. This year in our store we had more late orders than ever before. With these late orders come the late returns! Every one of us in this industry regardless of the size depends upon the prompt return of the garment for quick turnaround which equals greater profit. The necessity to subrent an item that has not been returned cuts greatly into that profit.

One of the hats I wear in our store is the delinquent suit return tough guy. We have developed a formula that works well for a store our size. TEXT THEM!! Especially the current prom generation communicates via text! Many of them do not listen to voice mails, but read every text. Our tuxedos are due back Sunday, with Monday as a grace day as long as it is in before we close. I start in about 2 hours before we close on Monday with reminder texts. Any suits not returned get their phone “blown up” on Tuesday…..lots and lots of texts explaining what the late fee will be and if I will give them an amnesty day. It is working well for us, what are you doing???? Let us all know editor@formaltimes.com

One of our educational seminar presenters at the Expo 28 offers another great article to make you think read on and let us know your thoughts:

Retail Street Fight
Part 2 – Insubordination vs. Survival
By: Arnie Capitanelli, III

For decades retailers have been expressing to me their frustration with compliance issues. They site poor attitude, a lack of motivation, not taking ownership, and a myriad of other accountability and willingness issues as the culprit. If one were to explore these factors, it would be quickly realized that these are actually symptoms not causes. Everyone working in your store today passed an interview. So either the interviewer was completely inept, or the interview was just fine and the system the person was hired into turned a good person bad.

My experience is that most people getting hired today are well intended to do good work, be responsible, and at some level satisfy the obligations of the job they are being paid for. So how is it that we find our stores filled with poor attitudes, low motivation, and a lack of accountability and willingness? What I believe to be the underlying cause of the aforementioned symptoms is that a complicated process is more likely to cause behavioral divergence than a lack of desire to do the right thing. Add to the mix that if the associate is completely dialed out on company expectations regarding operations and the customer experience, you create the perfect storm of what would be typically classified as non-compliance or a lack of willingness.

When expectations and process are not clearly defined, associates will default to their own way of doing things. If those behaviors don’t match the Manager’s way, it is typically categorized as bad attitude, incompetence, and non-compliance.

Even as retailers have realized significant improvements in systems and process efficiencies, where many miss the target is forgetting that it’s still the sales associate who has to deliver the desired experience, especially in High-Touch retail models. Retail Street Fighters must create an environment that makes it easy to engage the desire of the sales associate to serve in order to create an exceptional customer experience. So if an IT solution or supply chain improvement doesn’t include what it takes for the associate to serve the customer or transact the sale, then the associate’s Belief that the company has no clue as to what it takes to serve a customer will overshadow the solution. That Belief will manifest itself in behaviors steeped in frustration, embarrassment, and lack of passion.

Every time a retailer experiences non-compliance or behavioral divergence, it creates the opportunity to examine if the associate is being insubordinate or attempting to create a work-around as a method for serving the customer, thus making their life a little less complicated. It also prompts the retailer to examine if the expectations and purpose of the process have been clearly communicated. When processes are both efficient and easy to execute and objectives/expectations clearly defined, it

• Allow associates to focus on proactive revenue producing activities as opposed to chasing compliance
• Reduces confusion
• Keeps the staff focused on the Experience
• Reduces excuses and apologies

All retailers attempt to make the argument over who has the best selection, the best price, and even the most knowledgeable staff. Some perceived “advantages” could actually be a bit subjective. Although the formalwear industry may be viewed as non-traditional retailing, the reality is that in many ways it has a higher touch experience than many of the retailers found in the main thoroughfare of malls across the country. However, the key to differentiation in an industry of “sameness” is the experience a customer has with an individual working in your store.

In today’s retail climate, the Retail Street Fighter is the one committed to ensuring the discipline for delivering superior shopping experiences is consistent throughout the organization. This objective is realized through diligence to operational efficiency, relentless communication of Customer Experience Expectations, and a high degree of awareness and responsibility for revenue performance and sustained profitability. There must also be an unrelenting dedication to the ongoing development of the very people who were hired to engage the customer.”

In Part 3 of Retail Street Fight, I will introduce the Four Cornerstones of Passion. It is well known that beyond skill, ability, and the application of knowledge, the best of breed are the ones who thrive on an internal fire. That fire drives them to perform past the norms and the mediocre. The Cornerstones of Passion are:

1. Beliefs – I behave in accordance with how I think
2. Disciplines – I will engage in consistent activities that support my Beliefs
3. Awareness – I will be responsive and attentive to the needs of my customers and the company
4. Commitment – I will ensure that there is a consistent and relentless approach to the very things that will help me be successful.

These Cornerstones serve as the foundation for driving consistent experiences throughout your organization. They break through the antiquated models of compliance and consequence. They are the core of Retail Street Fighting.