Someone has a wedding in five weeks, a christening in three and a work event she has been dreading since it was announced. She has looked at eleven dresses online and bought none of them, because she cannot tell whether any of them is right.
An occasion shopper is the most convertible customer a boutique has, and the most likely to leave without buying.
What they need to establish
The event and its formality, the date, the venue and likely weather, the dress code if there is one, whether they need to accommodate anything such as breastfeeding or comfortable shoes, what they already own, their usual sizes and whether anyone else will be wearing something they need to avoid clashing with.
The date is the most useful thing to capture
It determines whether delivery is possible, whether alterations can be done and whether an appointment is needed this week rather than next month. It also allows a follow-up that is timely rather than random.
Dress codes confuse everyone
Black tie, cocktail, smart casual and garden party mean different things to different hosts. Publishing a plain guide to what each usually means, with examples from your own stock, is genuinely useful content that sells product.
Alterations change the timeline
If a dress needs taking up or in, the deadline moves earlier. Explaining your alterations service, its cost and how long it takes lets a customer plan properly rather than discovering the problem a week before.
Shopper: I have a wedding in five weeks and no idea what to wear. Assistant: There is plenty of time. The occasion page shows the current range with filters by formality, and alterations take the period shown if anything needs adjusting. Could you tell me the date, whether it is a daytime or evening wedding, what the venue is like and your usual size? A styling appointment is the quickest way to narrow it down if you would rather not choose alone.
Offer the appointment
Occasion shopping is precisely where a styling appointment converts best, because the customer has a deadline and a decision to make, as described in styling and personal shopping requests for boutiques.
Size availability decides everything
There is no point styling someone toward a dress unavailable in their size. Stock and restock handling is covered in stock and restock questions boutique shoppers send.
Hire as an alternative
Some customers would rather hire than buy for a single event, particularly for black tie or a one-off formal occasion. If you offer hire, or work with a hire partner, saying so captures customers who would otherwise leave entirely rather than spending heavily on something they will wear once.
Groups buying together
Mothers of the bride, bridesmaids and families buying for the same event often shop together and need coordination, which overlaps with the wedding capture described in wedding venue enquiries that need dates and numbers and chatbots for event and wedding planners.
The repeat opportunity
Someone who found the right outfit for one event returns for the next. Capturing the occasion, quietly, means a boutique knows when wedding season, graduation or party season is relevant to that customer again.
Setting it up
Publish a dress code guide, alterations timescales and your appointment offer, then capture event dates at any hour. SpideyChat for online stores and boutiques answers from your published pages, and the guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how.