Clienteling Solutions: Key Insights from the State of Fashion 2025

25/07/2025 | by Proximity

Clienteling Solutions: Key Insights from the State of Fashion 2025

As brands navigate a rapidly shifting retail landscape, clienteling solutions for fashion and luxury retailers have become essential for delivering personalised service, building loyalty, and staying competitive in 2025 and beyond.

The State of Fashion 2025 report from the The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company underscores a turning point for fashion and luxury brands in a landscape defined by economic turbulence, shifting consumer values, and stalling growth.

Key Drivers to Watch

  • Consumers are more value-conscious than ever. Roughly 64% of U.S. shoppers traded down in 2024, and over 70% plan to shop off-price or resale in the coming year. Brands must prove their worth beyond price alone.The Business of Fashion

  • In‑store experience still matters. Although almost 70% of sales are digitally influenced, shoppers are returning to physical stores, but seek something beyond browsing. Human-driven personalisation and service are now true differentiators.The Business of Fashion

The Power of Store Associates

According to the report, high-quality staff engagement can drive revenue:

These stats make clear that a well-equipped, client-centric store associate is not a nice-to-have, they’re central to conversion, loyalty, and upsell success.

Smiling store associate crossing arms

Tech-Driven Personalisation at the Core

The future of store clienteling hinges on smart technology and real-time data:

  • AI-powered tools and mobile apps can raise order values by 15–20% via intelligent product recommendations and customer profiles.Vogue Business

  • Clienteling platforms unify customer data into a single, easy-to-use interface, enabling store teams to personalise outreach, tailor recommendations, and build long-term relationships both in-store and online

  • Innovations like generative AI, augmented reality, and virtual assistants are blurring lines between online and in-store, creating modern hybrid shopping journeys.Vogue BusinessThe Business of Fashion

Clietneling app on an iphone

Balancing Human Touch & Tech Efficiency

The report emphasises automation should augment – not replace – the human element:

  • Younger and aspirational shoppers especially value real-store styling advice. These consumers are twice as likely to seek personal touch from associates than value-market shoppers fashionsolutions.com

  • Investment in associate training and career pathways boosts retention and empowerment fashionsolutions.com

Strategic Imperatives for Retailers

Brands must embrace forward-looking strategies centred on customer-centric retail:

  • Empower store teams with clienteling apps that deliver real-time insights, appointment management, digital messaging and purchase history at their fingertips Vogue Business

  • Layer technology onto every touchpoint: discovery, in-store browsing, post-purchase engagement, and cross-channel outreach The Business of Fashion Vogue Business

  • Make clienteling scalable: prioritise top-tier customers, embrace aspirational demographics, and use tech-enabled outreach to build loyalty at every level Vogue Business

Final Takeaways

A human-first, data-rich approach is essential. Here’s how brands should act:

  • Integrate intelligent clienteling tools for personalised outreach and lasting connections

  • Redefine in-store excellence through associate training and digital augmentation

  • Meet evolving customer expectations – from younger Gen Z shoppers to affluent older cohorts, through curated, dynamic engagement strategies

  • Strategically invest in staff and technology in tandem, to build exceptional customer journeys that deliver both emotional loyalty and measurable growth.

The 2025 report sends a clear message: the brands that succeed will be those that blend empathy, expertise, and technology into every customer touchpoint.

How Proximity Helps Retailers Lead the Way

At Proximity, we partner with forward-thinking retailers to make this vision a reality. Our all-in-one clienteling platform for smart retailers equips store teams with the tools they need to build meaningful, data-driven relationships – combining personalised outreach, appointment booking, transactions, and event management in one seamless interface. With real-time insights, intuitive workflows, and a mobile-first design, Proximity helps brands deliver exceptional service across every channel. Whether you’re looking to deepen customer loyalty, enhance in-store performance, or connect with customers beyond the shop floor, Proximity gives you the foundation to succeed in the future of retail.

If you’d like to find out more, Book A Demo here.

Written by Proximity

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