Years ago, when I had just started personal shopping, it all began with lingerie and swimwear. Like all my ventures, it started with a personal story—while I was a student, I ordered myself an extremely expensive lingerie set and liked it so much that I decided everyone else needed to know about the brand too. I had so many orders that I can definitely give a lecture on what’s important to customers when choosing a bikini:) It was the time when I also sharpened my customer care skills—can you imagine how personal and challenging it is to help a woman buy lingerie or a swimsuit online?
But let's look at it from both perspectives: how to sell bikinis in a way that benefits both the customer and the brand/shop?
Important for the Customer:
The opportunity to choose different sizes for the top and bottom.
That’s essentially it—flexibility is the most crucial aspect
Important for the Brand:
The brand/shop is interested in selling both the top and bottom together, as it makes it easier to manage stock and avoid ending up with mismatched pieces from different sets
Strategically: To build loyalty through customer satisfaction. Loyalty will, in turn, lead to increased sales
How to Combine:
Selling Bikinis as a Set Only
This may not be an option for specialized swimwear brands that offer different top/bottom options in the same color (e.g., Eres), as the customer may buy a matching top/bottom in a few styles. To make a final decision, the purchase behavior needs to be analyzed first. Selling by set with mix-n-match option within one color may be considered as an option.
Providing the Opportunity to Buy Different Top/Bottom Sizes
Yes, the shop/brand may still end up with varying sizes of the same set that are rarely bought together, but the client will still purchase the full set and remain satisfied rather than not buying at all. Although there may be tailor in-boutique option, many clients may not be so in love with the bikini (in the end it's just a bikini, not the most important wardrobe item) to proceed with the additional steps. It's also uncommon for a client to choose only the top or bottom to pair with another set, so the benefits outweigh any potential drawbacks.
I checked some policies of selling bikinis by luxury fashion brands:
Hermes: by set only, mix size
Gucci: by set only, no mix size
Dolce & Gabbana: by set only, no mix size