"No sample, no sale!" Busting the myths of selling without samples Pt. 1

2020 has been a rollercoaster for fashion brands in many ways. Due to the global pandemic, shops and showrooms have had to close their doors, people have not been allowed to travel, and many samples could not be produced. Brands have been forced to radically question, review, and reinvent the way they operate on a daily basis. As a result, digital adoption has soared, which has given HATCH the stage to challenge the status quo on wholesale selling and samples, through our Digital Showroom.

The sustainability arguments for sample reduction are unavoidable. From water usage (or rather: water waste), to carbon emissions that, across its entire value chain, accounts for more than that of aviation and maritime shipping combined. But it doesn’t stop there. Reducing samples can lower the costs of servicing customers and while allowing for a much faster go-to-market preparation. In addition, this year, the high level of dependency on samples has become increasingly prominent and calls for a change in the way we use samples now more than ever. At HATCH, we’ve been there. We’ve heard about every argument there is to find against selling without samples. However, through years of working with both global brands as well as retailers, we found that most of these arguments can be easily tackled. In this two-part mini series HATCH will clear the air around some of the most heard myths around selling without samples.

“I need to touch & feel the collection.”

Maybe the most used objection when it comes to selling without samples, and a valid one at that. At HATCH we’ve engaged with some of the biggest retailers in the industry such as Zalando, Bijenkorf, and El Corte Inglés, and it is quite clear: people love touching things.

However, when Tommy Hilfiger started structurally reducing their samples, we discovered the importance of creating a multi-sensory experience for buyers. Taking the buyers on a journey of hearing, seeing, and experiencing the collection (in a digital environment) that far exceeds just touching a physical sample.

In the early days, some brands we worked with used swatch books to have the fabrics within arm’s reach whenever a buyer would ask for them. But over time, these books started to collect dust, and by the end, we noticed that most books were even empty! This tells us that they merely existed as a safety net of sorts, giving sales representatives the confidence they needed to sell without samples.

Instead, we found that actually content equals confidence. Content may include key looks, product stories, brand inspirational videos, product videos, multiple product shots, and 3D designs. Brands can leverage content to make retailers truly appreciate the vision of the collection and fully understand the products. Think of showing videos of athletes doing sprints to get the essence of how products perform, or playing specific music to explain a collection’s vision. In the end, it’s not actually about touching, it’s about experiencing, understanding, and feeling in the broadest sense of the word. Content is key in driving this journey.

“People don’t want to buy from a screen.”

People don’t like change, period. Many studies show that people have a very strong preference for things that have been around longer. But if 2020 has taught us one thing, it is that the only constant is change.

According to the State of Fashion 2021, e-commerce’s share of fashion sales nearly doubled globally over just eight months this year, “jumping forward six years’ worth of growth”. But it won’t stop there.

“Over the next year, momentum in e-commerce will only accelerate” the report states. BoF and McKinsey also mention that 70% of fashion executives expect their e-commerce channels to grow more than 20%.

People are moving away from physical samples and digital is here to stay. Not surprising that digitally native wholesalers such as Zalando or ASOS were the first to embrace digital selling fully. Why? Because they could finally see how their products would look on a screen. Next to the importance for wholesalers to care about how their products come across on a screen, there is significant value to be gained by sales representatives. Using a digital showroom makes it much easier to get a quick overview of the chosen assortment, which results in greater confidence and better buying decisions.

Consider this myth, debunked!

Unlocking Storyselling potential

At HATCH, storytelling is a key part of our Digital Showroom experience. The benefits for brands that focus on storytelling are clear: better brand alignment and higher engagement and sales. We call it storyselling. In the digital world, it’s becoming harder than ever to stand out from the competition. With hybrid models emerging (in-showroom and remote appointments) consistency of storytelling will be crucial across channels. Brands will have to embrace a stronger digital presence to distinguish themselves from the competition. On the buyer side, this will make the difference between the best and the rest, as they navigate brands collections through digital linesheets. After focusing on the buyer perspective, the second part of this mini series we will tackle the sales rep’s perspective of selling without samples. Stay tuned!

To find out more about HATCH, go to hatchstudio.co