Case Study: Scaling 1:1 Clienteling at Zimmermann

1. Background & Objectives

Zimmermann sought to harness its elevated in-store experience by layering on data-driven, high-touch outreach—moving beyond broad CRM sends to true 1:1 clienteling. The initiative aimed to:

Drive repeat purchase among single-order and lapsed clients by inviting them into stores for private styling.
Prove incrementality of a “store + CRM” channel versus BAU email.
Build a repeatable framework for global rollout across all regions. Clienteling Testing.

2. Pilot Design & Approach

A. Segmentation & Store Alignment

Target cohorts:
- Last-season purchasers who didn’t return (single-order or inactive 12–24 months).
- Store-opt-in clients who hadn’t shopped since Resort ’24.
Store onboarding: Shared outreach lists with each participating store so Client Advisors (CAs) could anticipate inbound bookings and avoid duplicate contacts. Clienteling Testing - C…

B. Multiphase Rollout

US West Coast Trial (Dec 3):
- Audience: 1,357 clients of San Diego & Hamptons–area stores.
- Tactic: Zendesk‐powered “A 1:1 styling session just for you” email from local store manager.
- Phone follow-up for non-responders. Clienteling Testing - C…
Sydney & Melbourne (Oct 15):
- 1,000 clients invited to Paddington pop-up appointments.
- Personalisation based on each client’s most-transacted store. Clienteling Testing - C…
EU Rollout (Nov 5):
- 800 clients across FR, IT, ES, UK.
- Added structured phone script for no-reply follow-up.

3. Key Metrics & Early Results

Learnings:

Hooks matter: “New collection” angle outperformed generic invites—stronger value exchange needed.
Segment refinement: Single-order clients yielded low uptake; focusing on already repeat buyers may increase impact.
Store feedback loop: Retailers requested deeper product hooks (e.g. “I know you love dresses—come see our new printed midi”).

4. Enabling Framework & Tools

Comms Prioritisation Map: Ensured clienteling messages sat above BAU but below critical transactional triggers (e.g. abandoned cart), capping total weekly sends at three Comms Prioritisation Ma….
Zendesk for Outreach: Leveraged existing ticketing for personalized store emails and follow-ups.
A/B & Pre-Post Analysis: 50/50 splits and control holdouts measured lift in orders and revenue—essential for incremental ROI proof Business Cases - FY25.
CRM Automations Roadmap: Planned to automate key lifecycle moments (CA assignment, VIP elevation) once tooling matured, freeing CAs to focus on high-value outreach CRM.

5. Roadmap to Scale

Phase	Actions	Timeline
1. Optimize Pilots	Refine messaging hooks, broaden segments to repeat buyers	Q3 FY25
2. Tooling & Training	Integrate clienteling triggers into CRM platform; train global CAs	Q4 FY25
3. Automated Outreach	Launch “CA Assigned” and “CA Re-assigned” triggered emails globally	Q1 FY26
4. Continuous Testing	Layer in product recommendations, SMS invitations, A/B new hooks	Ongoing

Resourcing Needs: dedicated headcount to own clienteling channel, enhanced CRM-retail alignment processes, and tooling upgrades for global scalability.

6. Conclusions & Impact

By tightly integrating data-driven CRM with bespoke store outreach, Zimmermann has:

Proven incremental sales from clienteling vs. BAU CRM.
Built a test-and-learn engine that refines messaging, segments and channels.
Set a clear path to automate personalized outreach at scale—turning every store into a high-impact touchpoint.

This replicable framework positions Zimmermann to drive meaningful repeat growth through truly personalized, 1:1 luxury service.

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