has anyone heard of any other stores doing this?
Would you pay to use a store changing room? Retailers charging up to $50 in 'try-on' fees to stop shoppers buying same item for less online
We've heard about Ryanair threatening to charge to use its in-flight toilets. Now fashion retailers are talking about charging shoppers for use of their changing rooms.
According to an article published today, stores in Australia are demanding shoppers pay as much as $50 to try on garments - a fee which is refundable if they decide to purchase the item.
The move is said to prevent people from trying designer items in-store, then buying them online at a discounted price.
The Australian revealed that the highest fees were being charged at ski stores, where trying on and fitting boots is a cumbersome and time-consuming process for both staff and customers.
Among the stores pioneering the trend is Sydney skiwear shop InSki, which requires customers to buy a $50 'boot-fitting voucher', which is refundable on purchase.
InSki Store manager Dominik Drexel explained: 'We are a very small business trying to survive.
'I would never hold it against someone if they got something online for cheaper, but we can't really work for free.'
Snowsports Industry of Australia chief executive Eric Henry added: 'Their time is valuable. People will wander into a shop and spend an hour or two with the boot fitter, then go out and buy them off the internet.
'The owner of the store wants to ensure that if he doesn't get the sale, at least he pays for their time.'
Delotitte's Katherine Milesi admitted that stores have to work harded to compete with growing online trade.
''E-commerce is growing at an exponential rate,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'Our advice is to create a multi-channel offering where the store, internet and social networking go hand in hand.
'Retailers could encourage customers to go online to browse and then insist they pick up in-store. Or provide an online kiosk inside the store where shoppers can view extended ranges that they can only order online.'
Fashion boutique owners told how they were going above and beyond to boost in-stor footfall.
Robby Ingham, whose designer boutique has been a Sydney fashion destination for the past 28 years said he has changed his approach to marketing.
'We haven't changed our philosophy, we don't sell online, but we have changed the way we market to clients,' he said. 'We have a blog, we email and now we text [customers] the same day new stock arrives.
'We also have designer meet-and-greets and give our VIPs early notice when a new collection arrives and offer pre-selling.'
He added that the in-store experience was unique when it comes to customer service.
'Service has always been at the heart of our business. Going in-store allows you to feel the garment, see the proper colour and fit and bring it back if something goes wrong. We can also do alterations and offer advice on how to maintain pieces.
'The internet is not going away and as long as international sites are not taxed like an Australian business, they will always have a 20 per cent advantage.'
dailymail.co.uk
Would you pay to use a store changing room? Retailers charging up to $50 in 'try-on' fees to stop shoppers buying same item for less online
We've heard about Ryanair threatening to charge to use its in-flight toilets. Now fashion retailers are talking about charging shoppers for use of their changing rooms.
According to an article published today, stores in Australia are demanding shoppers pay as much as $50 to try on garments - a fee which is refundable if they decide to purchase the item.
The move is said to prevent people from trying designer items in-store, then buying them online at a discounted price.
The Australian revealed that the highest fees were being charged at ski stores, where trying on and fitting boots is a cumbersome and time-consuming process for both staff and customers.
Among the stores pioneering the trend is Sydney skiwear shop InSki, which requires customers to buy a $50 'boot-fitting voucher', which is refundable on purchase.
InSki Store manager Dominik Drexel explained: 'We are a very small business trying to survive.
'I would never hold it against someone if they got something online for cheaper, but we can't really work for free.'
Snowsports Industry of Australia chief executive Eric Henry added: 'Their time is valuable. People will wander into a shop and spend an hour or two with the boot fitter, then go out and buy them off the internet.
'The owner of the store wants to ensure that if he doesn't get the sale, at least he pays for their time.'
Delotitte's Katherine Milesi admitted that stores have to work harded to compete with growing online trade.
''E-commerce is growing at an exponential rate,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'Our advice is to create a multi-channel offering where the store, internet and social networking go hand in hand.
'Retailers could encourage customers to go online to browse and then insist they pick up in-store. Or provide an online kiosk inside the store where shoppers can view extended ranges that they can only order online.'
Fashion boutique owners told how they were going above and beyond to boost in-stor footfall.
Robby Ingham, whose designer boutique has been a Sydney fashion destination for the past 28 years said he has changed his approach to marketing.
'We haven't changed our philosophy, we don't sell online, but we have changed the way we market to clients,' he said. 'We have a blog, we email and now we text [customers] the same day new stock arrives.
'We also have designer meet-and-greets and give our VIPs early notice when a new collection arrives and offer pre-selling.'
He added that the in-store experience was unique when it comes to customer service.
'Service has always been at the heart of our business. Going in-store allows you to feel the garment, see the proper colour and fit and bring it back if something goes wrong. We can also do alterations and offer advice on how to maintain pieces.
'The internet is not going away and as long as international sites are not taxed like an Australian business, they will always have a 20 per cent advantage.'
dailymail.co.uk
Designer clothes is often up to twice as expensive here as on the internet. Sometimes things won't even go on sale in stores here while it's marked off 70% in online stores. It's ridiculous. I often find myself thinking I'd love to buy an item in the store when the service is great but since I'm an obsessive bargain hunter I just couldn't do it 
I once asked an SA if she could sell the item to me for the same or a similar price as the online price but she wouldn't give me a discount at all 
I've noticed that almost all electronics shops here do that. If you see a product for a cheaper price somewhere else you can print the page with the product and price on it and they will sell it to you for that same price. IMO they should do that with clothes, too.
Plus, it's not like the service is always all that great and I feel like it would put a lot of pressure on the SAs because they would always have to please the customer and always be in a good mood because otherwise everyone who had to pay $50 for nothing would be madly pissed off.
