Getting Schooled: 10 Things You Need to Know To Be A Successful School Uniform Retailer

August 22, 2010

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By Beth Silver,
Doubet Consulting

With more public, private and parochial schools looking to expand their school uniform programs, retailers of all sizes need their school uniform sales programs to make the grade. Whether you are a retailer looking to carry school uniforms for the first time or a long-time uniform retailer, following this top ten list will ensure that your school uniform program is on target.

1. Have a Strategy.
As with any retail program, a sales and marketing strategy is essential. A strong plan is the heart of the business and the basis from which all other operations and management plans are created. By understanding your school uniform program from the start, you will be able to evaluate the best techniques for your business so that you can achieve your desired results.

Begin to think about what type of school uniform retailer you want to be and who your customers will be. Will you cater to the public or private/parochial school market? Will you carry school uniforms year round or just at back-to-school time? Do you want to be a retailer who will be on hand to discuss how a program may affect a school or who will just carry goods? Will you sell your school uniforms in a retail store or on the Internet, or both?

Successful school uniform retailers know who they are and who they want to be, and they dont try to change that.

2. Know the Market.
Understand what the community is looking for and how school uniforms will help accomplish those goals. It is not your job to move a school into uniforms, but it is your job to understand its needs and to carry the necessary merchandise should it choose to go to uniforms.

Research school uniform programs in your area and learn who can help you. Understand what types of school uniform policies exist in your area.

Do the public school districts in your area require school uniforms and, if so, are the programs mandatory or voluntary? What types of programs do the private and parochial schools have? What process does each type of school use when it comes to school uniform programs including how the uniforms are selected and how they are offered for sale to the students?

If public schools require school uniforms, be sure to attend school board and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings to learn what your community is looking for in a school uniform program. At these meetings, you will show your civic interest and meet those parties involved in the decision making process. Then, when the time arises, you will be known as an active participant in the school uniform conversation.

If private schools require uniforms, learn about their programs. What has been successful for them, and what would they like improved? Are there specific garments required for certain grades and schools? Are contracts awarded, and if so, when are the requests for proposals extended? Are pre-orders given, and if so, when?
By understanding each market (public and private/parochial), your store will be able to assess whether targeting one or both markets will work and what the best methods for success are.

3. Know Your Customer.
Understand who is looking to purchase the uniforms from your store. Is it a parent of a child attending a certain school, or is it a school looking for one vendor? What will the school or district consider a uniform? Are they looking for separates, or does every item have to be a particular garment from a specific manufacturer? Will your customers mostly be paying in cash or credit card? Will layaway programs be seen as a plus? By understanding your customers and their specific wants, needs and purchasing style, you will be able to service them better.

4. Have the Right Product & Selection.
Choosing the right product, selection and manufacturer is vital to your business. As a school uniform retailer, you need to service the entire school, not just the majority of students. Product selection, garment quality, availability and price are just a few things to consider. Remember that some uniform manufacturers cater to private schools and others mostly to public schools. By understanding each manufacturers specific strengths, you will not be asking a manufacturer to provide products and services with which they are not familiar.

When choosing a school uniform manufacturer, be sure to ask what styles and sizes they carry and what is their year-round availability, as this will affect your retail program. Do they use treated fabrics such as StainSmart by Milliken or Teflon which are known to prolong the life of a garment and cost more than products that are not treated? Lisa Phrommer, North American manager for Teflon Fabric Protection, reinforces the importance of stain-resistant treatments. Our research has shown that parents are willing to pay more for products treated with Teflon, as it prolongs the life of the garment. Teflon sells its technology to uniform manufacturers such as Levinson Textiles, Elder and Lollytogs, as they cater their products to different markets.

Donald Singer, president and CEO of Executive Apparel, makers of Elite School Apparel, knows that his merchandise is better suited for private schools. For the most part, we dont deal with public schools. Their uniform needs are very generic. We deal with private and parochial schools that demand a more formal look and expect a higher level of quality control. We specialize in blazers, pants, ties and blouses and dont make golf shirts, T-shirts or work pants. This specialization means that our customers find us when their needs are very specifically geared to the higher end of the clothing spectrum.

Andy Beattie, general manager of Classroom School Uniforms, knows that Classrooms products are mostly worn by public school students. The Classroom line is known for its vast selection of uniforms, the sizing available, our StainSmart and stretch merchandise, and that our products fit within most school uniform programs. From preschool to high school, our customers know that Classroom will help make their program a success.

5. Create Effective Partnerships.
By creating effective partnerships with manufacturers, the local community and other retailers in your area, you will be able to maximize your school uniform business.

The Manufacturer.
When looking for school uniform manufacturers, be sure to ask what programs they have to help make your school uniform venture successful. By noting which manufacturers carry the selection you are looking for, combined with the understanding of your market, most of your needs are already met without having to start from scratch.

Its a partnership. If I succeed, they succeed. They want to make me a success, and I appreciate that, says Dorothy Moore, owner of Moore Seigler Sports World in Shreveport, La., speaking about her two most helpful uniform partners, Classroom School Uniforms and Elder Manufacturing. They are my experts. They educate me on what they are seeing in the market nationwide and how I can improve my business.

We understand what our retail partners need to improve their business, and we deliver, adds Classrooms Beattie. Classroom School Uniforms has launched www.classroomuniforms.biz to provide retailers access to their inventory in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We just completed our first survey of National School Board Association members so that our retailers have the most up-to-date information on the topic of school uniforms in public schools.

Executive Apparels Singer credits his companys success to providing superior service combined with diligence, response time and integrity.

The Schools and Community.
Introduce yourself to the administration and PTA leaders in your local schools and community. Make them aware that you carry uniforms and, if uniforms are being discussed in specific meetings, you will do your best to help them gather information that can add to the discussion. By forming a partnership from the start, school administrators will contact you when they are looking to grow a program or when they need more assistance during the implementation stage. Some schools have allowed retailers to set up in-school showcases and school uniform days where uniforms are sold on the premises. Other schools have provided special discount or promotional flyers to students in school.

Other Retailers.
See which retailers in your area sell products that compliment your products. Look to form retail synergies with shoe and school supply stores. The idea is to make the experience easy for the customer and reinforce how you can be a successful uniform retailer. If you dont normally carry shoes or do embroidery, find a local resource in the community that you can work with. Cross promote each others products and work together. By leveraging your strengths, the schools program will be more successful.

6. Location, Location, Location.
Where will your products be sold? Will you have a retail store in the area, or will your goods be sold online? Will you do both? Is your retail location centrally located, and what will your store hours be? By understanding what both parents and school administrators are looking for in a school uniform retailer, you will be able to better determine your formula for success.

You may consider extending your hours during back-to-school time to allow for the rush of new uniform needs. If an on-site sale is possible through the school, you may need traveling garment displays, fitting rooms and sales registers. The investment in such items will likely pay off in the number of sales.

7. Staff Training.
Customer service is vital to a successful program. Train your entire staff on your school uniform program so everyone understands the products sizing and availability and how to handle customer questions and issues. If your store can turn a potentially negative situation into a positive one, that customer will tell everyone how wonderful your store and people are. Remember, it costs more for your store to find a new customer than to keep an existing customer happy.

Manufacturers agree that great service is the key to success in most venues today. In a fast-moving, demanding environment, not all companies can adapt and change with their customers needs. For Talia and Danielle Goldfarb, co-owners of Myself Belts, staff energy and training is vital to success in certain retail stores. Myself Belts new product allows younger children to take off their belts with one hand, something sales staffs cant highlight if they arent aware of the special design. When our retailers train their staff on our products and they are excited about it, more of our belts are sold in their store.

8. Evaluate the Shopping Experience.
Shadow a person who has never been in your store before and watch how they shop. Or ask customers if they would be willing to participate in a mail-in survey of your store. To ease shipping, providing checklists, improving signage and merchandising all products together have been successful techniques. If shopping for school uniforms can be compared to a scavenger hunt, re-evaluate your setup and practices to improve the experience.

John Livingston of Hermann-Livingston says, Servicing the students and parents is important. We are thrilled to be able to provide our Toledo customers with a store that provides them more options. Last year, when we worked with Toledo Public Schools, we set up uniform days one Saturday a month for each school. Now, parents and students will be able to find what they need six days a week. We created larger dressing rooms so both parents and students experience greater comfort.

9. Advertising & Marketing.
There are many different ways to advertise your business as a school uniform resource. Placing advertisements in the local paper, making in-school presentations, creating promotional flyers, writing press releases and using discount cards are just a few ways to let parents in your community know that you sell school uniforms. Think about advertising at both back-to-school and holiday/New Year seasons. Because children grow and continuously need new uniforms, your store may see increased traffic during the off-season if parents know that you carry uniforms then as well.

10. Review and Reevaluate your Strategy & Program.
When the back-to-school season is over, evaluate the lessons you learned and what you can do in the future. Customers will be back throughout the year, so listen to what they say about what they are looking for and need. If you have a mailing list of customers who have bought school uniforms from your store, a simple survey can provide you with helpful feedback. Also, discuss with your manufacturing partner and school what can be done better the next time.

If you would like to contact Beth Silver with questions or comments, she can be reached at [email protected].