10 Tips for Throwing a Fun (and Profitable) Party for Your Customers

Starting an online fashion business is tough, but if you know your market, you’ll have an easier time selling to customers. For many fashion brands, hosting an in-store party is a great idea because these events can help raise brand awareness, gain sales and build up local customers.

How to Throw a Party for Your Fashion Brand

Packaged seminars and workshops can be underwhelming, overplayed, and not very exciting. If you want to impress your customers while generating leads simultaneously, use these party tips.

1. Create On-Brand Invitations 

Create on-brand invitations by using an invitation maker online to promote your party and your brand all at once. Be sure to add brand colors, fonts, and images that represent you and your store. Place fliers outside of your store and in local cafes, grocery stores, and other such shops.

Don’t forget to market your party on social media! If you have a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, share an open invention with your followers. Ask them to share the invitation and bring a friend.

2. Sponsor a Live Fashion Show

Nothing gets fashionistas more excited than a fashion show! If you have a new collection in the works, do a casting call for diverse models on social media. Not only is this free publicity for your show, but it also increases the likelihood the model’s friends and family will join the party.

We recommend photographing your models before and during the event. Consider contacting your local newspaper or journalists to attend the event for an interview or press coverage.

3. Run a Charity/Nonprofit Event

Most people, whether they’re fans of the fashion world or not, have clothes cluttering up their closets that they never wear. You could partner with a charity that revolves around clothing donations, such as local domestic violence shelters or employment-related organizations. 

To encourage donations, you could make admission to the party free if guests donate at least one outfit. Or, you could bring in many donations by tying donation amounts to raffle tickets.

4. Host a Sewing/Fashion Class

You can draw in a different crowd by hosting a sewing, fashion illustration, or “how to put an outfit together” class. These are skills you likely already possess, so you won’t need to hire a teacher. Plus, you can incorporate your own illustrations or fashion pieces into the class.

At the end of the class, ask the participants to take a customer satisfaction survey. If your customers liked what you offered, consider hosting a permanent class part or full-time.

5. Teach a Business 101 Course

Many of your customers want to start their own fashion business, but they don’t know where to start or who to ask for mentorship. A business 101 course could be a great theme for a party if you’re currently running a profitable business or you’ve created profitable startups in the past.

You can teach topics like “how to write a business plan” or “how to choose a fashion niche.” If you have a course you want to sell, this would be the right place to market your product.

6. Serve Non-Messy Finger Food

If you’re hosting an event inside your physical business, it’s a bad idea to cater the event or hold a potluck. It’s also a bad idea to hide your clothes in the back, as you’ll want to market them during the event. To get the best of both worlds, serve non-messy finger food and fizzy water.

Cold appetizers, like olives and cheese, dates and bread, and grapes and apple bites, work well if they’re cubed and served with a toothpick. Fizzy water can be bottled or served in glasses.

7. Give Away Free Gift Baskets

Giving your customers free gift baskets is a timeless business tactic, but it works. They help to build deeper relationships with current customers and reach out to potential ones. Make sure your gift baskets are on-brand, include fashion items and coupons customers can use in-store.

Fashion gift baskets can include everything from perfumes to wine, soaps to sewing products, and haircare to skincare. Try to avoid anything that couldn’t be universally used, like clothing.

8. Hold a Special Clearance Sale

Speaking of a tried and true business tactic, clearance sales are as old as the retail industry. If you want to hold a private clearance sale, include a mix of this year’s and last year’s styles. Pay attention to how you price your products, as you’ll want to entice shoppers without losing money.

For example, a “£10 each” rack can be perfect for last year’s items, while a “25% off” rack can work for this year’s but last season’s styles. Market your biggest discounts on social media.

9. Offer to do a “Store Walkabout”

A big part of retail is store layout, which is dependent on customer flow and item costs. It’s common knowledge to place more popular or high-priced items at eye level and lower-cost items below eye level. Your customers may be interested in learning these retail secrets.

If you feel comfortable, you could take your customer around your store and explain why it’s set up this way. This can help them become more knowledgeable consumers or business owners.

10. End the Night With a Raffle

If you want your customers to stay at your event for a long time, end the night with a raffle. You can give people tickets when they enter the party and offer more for beating certain challenges or completing a task. This will keep customers engaged for the entire length of the party.

But your customers won’t be interested in the raffle if the prize isn’t good. Consider what prizes your customer base would love to win or give winners a choice on what prize they want.