Swanky Outlet opened its doors back in 2004. It started as a modest in-house operation and steadily grew into a successful brick-and-mortar retailer and eBay PowerSeller. Swanky Outlet carved a name out for itself by focusing on the needs of its customers, and by maintaining a personalized and boutique-like experience for shoppers through adaptive social media outreach.
The days of operating at home are behind them and Swanky Outlet has grown into a team of talented bedding pros with a kick-butt website and a warehouse that most startup retailers can only dream of. How did they get there? Obviously hard work and solid planning had a lot to do with it, but looking at their products and business model, it would be hard to see this company not succeeding.
The Proof is in the Pudding Bedding
It’s no secret that large retailers don’t sell all of their stock. But overstock is just one of the sources Swanky Outlet taps into for merchandise. They buy great name brand and designer pieces in bulk from retailers. Not a revolutionary concept, but they know that a truly thrifty customer won’t be bothered by a light layer of dust or a rip in the original packaging, so they take everything from store models to slightly irregular store returns and offer them to customers who are looking for a deal but who don’t want to compromise on high style. Taking risks on some of the products their more conservative competition overlooks has gained the site a following among hardcore shoppers.
Because their products range from untouched luxury sheet sets in their original packaging to pieces that have acquired a certain showroom floor patina, the folks at Swanky Outlet have developed a straightforward and honest branding and sales strategy. They won’t beat around the bush if the duvet you have your eye on has a defect or two. Based on their percentage of return customers this kind of honest engagement obviously resounds with their clientele.
Getting their Clients into Bed
Customer engagement is clearly a key component to their success and their long term marketing strategy. They’ve covered the standard social media bases for online retailers. Their Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages keep customers up-to-date on trends and promotions, but they go one step further in keeping a conversation going with their customer base.
Two seconds into checking their blog, it becomes clear that it wasn’t just an afterthought or sallow attempt to appear relevant. Their blog is full of useful content that provides customers with answers to FAQs, design tips, and industry secrets. All of this makes the whole shopping experience way more personal, and helps generate excitement over the products being offered.
At the end of the day, it’s the combination of Swanky Outlet’s knowledge of their customers, engaging outreach strategies, and niche offers that keeps their clientele coming back for more. Yes, they offer potential solutions for customers looking for the discontinued pieces they just can’t live without. But in addition to helping people get that one missing piece for their bed set, SwankyOutlet helps offer a splash of personality in the otherwise drab world of online outlet retailers.
