Store of the month: O’sofina

The O’sofina store on Nockeby square in Bromma, Stockholm, is run by Lotta Christersdotter and offers the customer honest and professional help in finding the right clothes for most occasions. We had a chat about how they changed their appreciated fashion shows to be digital, about the collaboration with the local tailor and what’s most fun and challenging with running a store.

“We are talked about as the store that makes everyday life a party and I have taken that to heart and it’s true! We believe that a nice and comfortable exterior gives a calm interior. With us, customers find clothes from many wonderful smaller and larger suppliers who are more or less well known. We believe that the clothes and not necessarily the brand should attract, but with good brands, customers become loyal and come again and again. We think more and more about sustainability. Customers appreciate that we know what they’ve bought earlier, that can be complemented with something new and that we in the store are good at finding that little extra for the wardrobe. With us, it is always close to laughter and it is needed in the time we live in now and always.”, says Lotta.

Covid-19 has meant a lot of change, how has it been for you? Among other things, you have invested in digital fashion shows, tell us more!
“When covid-19 hit in 2020 and we had 480 booked tickets for 10 fashion shows, I thought, what do we do now? With a few simple purchases of a microphone for the phone and a good app (InShot), we recorded a personal fashion show in the same style as customers are used to seeing from us and cut it together ourselves – you can do more than you think! Via newsletters and Youtube we spread the fashion show and it was so appreciated that over 1000 customers watched. Then customers called and booked products that we delivered ourselves. The day after we took what did not fit back and the customer “Swished” (method of mobile payment in Sweden) to the store, a wonderful boost for us during this super tough time and the customer felt seen and also appreciated to support us. We will continue with this in the fall and even if we can have fashion shows in the store again, we will also use film to reach more customers who like us. This was the good thing about covid-19, that I learned this!”

You have a collaboration with a local tailor, how does it work?
“We work closely with, among others, Nockeby Sko & Skrädderi on our square. Before the customer have changed back into their own clothes and paid at the register, Abbe has sewn up the trousers in the right length, the customer thinks the service is perfect!”

What is the most fun thing about running a store?
“The most fun thing about running my store is all the wonderful people you get to help bloom and feel like they look good! Through my long experience from working with clothes, both in production and now in retail, I have to brag about that I actually have good knowledge in the field. I think that digital areas like Instagram and Facebook are good forums to communicate with my wonderful customers. I also like to strengthen the customer who usually has something they are not happy with and make them realize that everyone , whether they are underweight, overweight – what is normal weight? – are VERY IMPORTANT. Meeting different challenges every day stimulates me enormously!”

What is the main challenge of running a store today and how do you overcome it?
“Yes, how do we overcome smaller stores being swallowed by big dragons and online shopping? My thought is the CUSTOMER in focus, service and yet more service, and to see the customer. By having the right products in the store and by reminding physical customers that they are CLIMATE SMART when they shop in stores. It is more important today that shopping is an experience.”

What do you think the store of the future will look like?
“If the future, I believe and hope that customers during covid-19 have realized that local retailers are worth their weight in gold, that we are needed and that a store employs many different professions that are good for Sweden’s GDP and that this realization will remain. I also believe that experience becomes even more important, the professionalism of us salesmen. Physical meetings are good endorphins for health! And to get the right size and color home with you directly with the help from us, instead of a lot of queuing for place of delivery.”

Read more at Osofina.se.