Clienteling is a customer-retention strategy that transforms shopping by making it personal. It involves using data – from purchase history and preferences to past interactions – so sales associates can deliver tailored service and recommendations. In practice, clienteling means treating shoppers more like long-term clients than one-off buyers. This might include personalised greetings, remembering favourite brands or sizes, offering relevant products, and following up after a visit. For example, an associate might note that a customer loves a particular designer and alert them to a new collection, or follow up after a purchase with tips on care. From the shopper’s perspective, clienteling “adds a layer of personal touch” that makes the retail experience special.

Clienteling isn’t just a luxury concept. Today’s consumers – including 49% of Australians – expect personalised shopping experiences based on their own preferences. Research shows that in a saturated market, building loyalty this way pays off: retaining a customer is far cheaper than acquiring a new one, and tailored service can drive repeat business and higher spending. Since only roughly 20% of customers often account for 70% of sales, focusing on these high-value relationships can significantly boost profits.
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A Brief History of Clienteling

Although the term “clienteling” is modern, the idea is old. For centuries, shopkeepers ran client lists or diaries. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, local tailors, haberdashers and boutiques often knew customers by name and stored details in notebooks. A Victorian-era tailor might have kept notes on a gentleman’s last suit purchase, his tastes, and when to follow up. This personalised service – making each customer feel valued and understood – is the ancestor of today’s clienteling. As retail scaled up, some department stores employed personal shoppers or stewards who tended to key clients, and salespeople were trained to remember “the girl who likes yellow” or “Mr Jones’s shoe size.”

With the rise of digital technology, clienteling evolved from paper lists to software. In the past, store associates might jot down notes in a ledger; now mobile devices and CRM systems store that data centrally. Modern clienteling tools replace “notebooks, paper files, and sticky notes” with apps that tie into inventory and customer databases. Despite new technology, the core goal remains the same – knowing and caring for your customers. The concept is hundreds of years old: shopkeepers “took detailed records of each customer to provide better service,” and today’s clienteling still aims to identify loyal customers and tailor service based on their past purchases and preferences. In short, clienteling is the new-age personal shopper built for multichannel retail.
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Why Clienteling Matters Today

The modern retail landscape is extremely competitive and omnichannel. Even though e-commerce is booming, most consumers still value in-person shopping. Retailers can use clienteling to take advantage of this preference by giving store staff insights at their fingertips. Equipped with a customer profile on a tablet or POS system, a store associate can identify a loyal customer walking in and immediately provide a curated experience: recommending the right products, offering personal discounts, or remembering sizing details.

This personal touch has measurable impact. For example, luxury and fashion studies show that a tiny fraction of shoppers drive a huge share of revenue. Fashion marketplaces Farfetch and Mytheresa reported that their top clients contribute disproportionately – the top 1% of Farfetch customers accounted for 27% of gross sales, and just 3% of Mytheresa’s customers generated 36% of revenue. This highlights that retaining and upselling high-value customers (through clienteling) can greatly boost the bottom line.

Even outside luxury, similar effects appear. Ulta Beauty – a mass-market cosmetics retailer – leverages clienteling data from over 44 million loyalty members: 95% of Ulta’s sales come from its rewards programme members, who spend far more per visit. Loyal Ulta shoppers tend to spend twice as much as average members, driven by targeted outreach and convenience.

Clienteling also helps avoid lost sales in the store. Queues frustrate shoppers: a recent U.S. survey found 82% of consumers will avoid a store with a line, and 40% will go to a competitor instead. Mobile point-of-sale (POS) devices – a key clienteling tool – let associates check out customers anywhere, eliminating lines. By processing orders, tapping loyalty points, and accepting payments on the spot, staff keep customers engaged and happier.

In today’s hybrid retail world, customers expect omnichannel consistency. They may browse online, order via mobile, and collect in-store (BOPIS). Clienteling-enabled stores with real-time data can seamlessly support these experiences. For example, modern POS systems provide real-time inventory across all channels, letting associates find items even if they’re in another store or in the warehouse. This ensures “endless aisle” selling and convenient pickup. In short, clienteling is a strategic response to current retail trends: Australians and global shoppers expect personalisation at every touchpoint, and retailers who meet these expectations can drive loyalty and sales.
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How Clienteling Works (Practical Overview)

At its core, clienteling uses customer data to guide human interactions. Every time a customer shops, their purchases and preferences are recorded in a central system (often a CRM or loyalty database). When the customer returns, sales associates can retrieve that profile. For instance, the system might flag that “Alice” likes brand X in size medium and normally shops once a month. Seeing Alice walk in, an associate could greet her by name and offer product suggestions based on her history, or notify her of upcoming deals on her favourite brands.

Common clienteling activities include:

• Profile-building: Associates collect information about customers (beyond transactions), such as favourite colours, hobbies or lifestyle events (weddings, birthdays). Notes can be added after interactions (e.g. “Jane loved our linen dress,” or “Preferred delivery vs. in-store pickup”).
• Personalised recommendations: Based on a customer’s past purchases and preferences, staff (or automated systems) can suggest complementary items. For example, if a customer bought running shoes, a follow-up suggestion might be athletic apparel or insoles.
• Tailored communications: Using email, SMS, or app messages, retailers can send relevant outreach – such as a birthday greeting with a special offer, restock alerts for a liked product, or invites to VIP events – rather than generic blasts. About half of Australian shoppers say they prefer retailers that tailor offers to them.
• Integrated loyalty: Clienteling often ties into loyalty programmes. When at checkout, staff can apply loyalty points or rewards and see a customer’s tier status. This lets them offer extra perks or surprise-and-delight experiences to top-tier clients.
• Omnichannel interaction: Clienteling blurs online and offline. An associate might check a customer’s online browsing history or wish list on a mobile device, or seamlessly fulfil an online order in-store. Awayco’s mobile POS, for example, unifies in-store and online data so that a shopper in a Sydney boutique or on a retailer’s app sees a consistent, “curated” experience.

Clienteling is about making every customer feel like a VIP. As one retail blog puts it, it “emulates the kind of store experience you might find at a high-end boutique” and extends it to every shopper, across all channels. It requires attention to detail – remembering preferences – and authenticity, so that service feels genuinely helpful rather than gimmicky.
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Clienteling in Practice: High-End Fashion vs. Everyday Retail

Luxury and high-end fashion

Clienteling has long been synonymous with luxury retail, where personalised service is expected. For example, luxury boutiques (think Chanel, Gucci or a bespoke tailor) often assign clients a dedicated sales associate or stylist. These associates might host private shopping appointments, notify clients of special previews, or even remember life details (like a client’s anniversary to suggest a gift). Recent industry analyses highlight that luxury brands focus on “experiential” service: Farfetch and Mytheresa (high-end online retailers) find that their top customers – a tiny fraction of all shoppers – account for a huge share of sales (27% and 36%, respectively). This underscores why luxury brands invest heavily in clienteling: keeping that 1–3% of clients happy drives most of their revenue.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, luxury retailers have doubled down on personalised experiences. They offer exclusive events, one-on-one styling sessions, and VIP lounges. In-store tech like tablets may guide the associate through a customer’s profile, but the service often includes extra touches (champagne, hand-written thank-you notes, etc.). Clienteling in luxury means creating “genuine connections” and turning service into memorable experiences that turn buyers into brand advocates.

Everyday and mass-market retail

Clienteling is no longer only for upscale brands. More accessible retailers use its principles too. Beauty chain Ulta (USA) is a great example: it built a loyalty programme of 44 million members and uses that data to fuel personal engagement. Ulta consultants regularly pull up a customer’s profile – seeing past skincare or makeup purchases – and proactively suggest complementary products (e.g. “I notice you love Brand Y’s moisturiser; we just got a new serum that would go great with it”). Thanks to these efforts, 95% of Ulta’s sales come from loyalty members, who spend twice as much as average customers during promotion partnerships. This shows that even mid-market retail can reap large rewards: the right suggestions and reminders create “intense loyalty” and higher repeat spend.

Other non-luxury examples include specialty chains and everyday stores. Home-improvement retailers may use customer profiles to advise DIY enthusiasts on which products to buy for their home projects. Pet stores might record details about a customer’s pet (breed, age, medical history) to recommend the perfect food or accessories. Sportswear brands sometimes maintain VIP programmes for high-value customers, offering personalised coaching tips or early access to new releases. Even department stores and fashion chains are experimenting: some use mobile apps that sync with in-store profiles, while others train staff to use customer data.

In Australia, clienteling is gaining traction. Premium menswear retailer Rodd & Gunn adopted a mobile “Retail Super-App” in 2019 to improve associate-customer interactions. The app (which includes client profiles and inventory) was so successful that the brand rolled it out across 41 stores globally. Rodd & Gunn’s executive reports “substantial growth and success in enhancing clienteling, personalisation, and meaningful interactions.” The CEO of their technology partner even noted that the integration has led to “unprecedented sales figures and personalised experiences” for their clientele.

Another Australian case is activewear label THE UPSIDE: by deploying a clienteling tool in its flagship stores, THE UPSIDE achieved a 75% conversion rate on engaged shoppers and a 13% lift in average order value. In other words, three-quarters of customers who had a personal interaction ended up buying something that day, demonstrating the power of tailored service.

These examples show that clienteling can work at all levels of retail. High-end brands use it to maintain exclusivity and loyalty; mass-market retailers use it to stand out in commodity categories. The common thread is using data and human touch to make each customer feel uniquely cared for, improving satisfaction and driving measurable sales lift.
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Measurable Business Impact: Case Studies

• Ulta Beauty (USA) – By leveraging its 44 million-member Ultamate Rewards programme, Ulta gives store associates customer insights for each visit. Consultants use purchase histories to give tailored advice (suggesting new products or alerting customers to deals). As a result, 95% of Ulta’s sales come from loyalty members, and loyalty-driven customers spend about double the average during partnerships. Ulta’s clienteling (emails, birthday offers, in-store events) has built “intense loyalty” even in the mass-market beauty sector.
• The Upside (Australia) – Flagship activewear brand THE UPSIDE implemented a clienteling app (Lexer’s “Serve” platform) in its three main stores. The results were striking: 75% of customer profiles captured by the app converted to a sale that day, and those customers’ average order values were 13% higher than average. This clearly shows how in-store personalised attention can boost immediate sales.
• Rodd & Gunn (NZ/Aus) – Since rolling out its clienteling-focused super-app, Rodd & Gunn reports “substantial growth” in sales and engagement. The company found the technology “seamlessly woven into how we roll,” making it easy for staff to build genuine customer connections. The CTO of their clienteling platform noted the partnership delivered “unprecedented sales figures and personalised experiences,” directly linking the tool to business growth.
• Farfetch/Mytheresa (Global Luxury) – Industry analyses highlight that the top-tier customers drive a massive share of luxury sales. For Farfetch, the top 1% of customers accounted for 27% of its gross merchandise value; for Mytheresa, just 3% of clients generated 36% of revenue. These metrics underline that luxury retailers can grow profits by focusing on that small segment through clienteling.

These case studies – from high-end to everyday retail – all show a common theme: personalised service and follow-through yield quantifiable benefits. Metrics like repeat purchase rate, basket size, and loyalty membership penetration all improve when clienteling is done well.
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Best Practices (and Pitfalls to Avoid)

Key Strategies

To succeed at clienteling, retailers should adopt several best practices:

• Build Relationships, Don’t Push Products: Train associates to act as trusted advisors, not just salespeople. Encourage them to listen and understand each customer’s needs and preferences. The goal is to provide value, not pressure a sale. (Pitfall to avoid: bombarding customers with irrelevant offers or treating every interaction as a transaction.)
• Prioritise Relevance over Frequency: Customers welcome communication that feels relevant to them, but are turned off by generic or too-frequent outreach. Personalise every message. For example, if a customer loves outdoor gear, send them updates on hiking boots or camping gear – not promotions on unrelated items.
• Use Omnichannel Touchpoints: Clienteling should not be confined to the store. Integrate it across channels – email, SMS, in-app messages, and face-to-face. Ensure the customer’s story travels with them. For example, if a customer browses a product online and then visits a store, associates should know what they looked at and can continue the conversation seamlessly.
• Empower Associates with the Right Technology: Give staff mobile tools (tablets, smartphones or handheld POS) that grant instant access to customer profiles, inventory and purchase history. Technologies like Awayco’s mobile POS combine CRM, inventory and checkout capabilities in one system, freeing staff to assist customers anywhere without returning to a register.
• Personalise Beyond Products: Take note of personal milestones and interests. Train staff to remember birthdays or anniversaries and follow up with tailored messages (like sending a birthday gift coupon). Consider offering services like personal shopping appointments or early access events to VIPs. These gestures show the retailer cares about the whole customer, not just a sale.
• Measure and Iterate: Track the right metrics to see what’s working. Common measures include customer retention rate, frequency of visits, average order value, and Net Promoter Score. Use these to refine your approach. For example, if tailored email campaigns are driving repeat visits, do more of that; if a particular store still has weak clienteling results, provide extra coaching there.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Common mistakes can undermine clienteling efforts. These include:

• Focusing too much on the sale rather than the relationship
• Neglecting staff training
• Sending irrelevant mass messages
• Failing to integrate data across channels (leading to disjointed experiences)

For instance, if in-store associates can’t access online order history, they might miss an opportunity to help. Retailers should avoid “spray-and-pray” outreach and ensure technology actually supports — rather than complicates — the personal touch.

In luxury retail, small missteps (like slow follow-up or inconsistent service) can sour high-value relationships. Mistakes in clienteling can erode brand perception and loyalty. To avoid this, audit your process: make sure staff know how to use the tools, and check that the experience is smooth from the customer’s perspective.
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Training Staff for Effective Clienteling

Clienteling is as much about people as technology. A well-designed training and change management plan is crucial:

• Introduce the Concept and its Value: Clearly explain to staff what clienteling is and why it matters. Highlight how it differs from regular selling: it’s about adding value and building trust. Use examples or role-plays to show how a friendly, personalised interaction can lead to sales and happy customers. Frame clienteling as part of the store’s mission, not a burdensome “extra task.”
• Hands-On Tool Training: Give associates practical training on the mobile POS, CRM or clienteling software you use. For example, ensure they know how to look up a customer by name, view purchase history, add notes, and push special offers through the system. Training should make them comfortable with all features (inventory lookup, order completion, loyalty points, etc.) so they can help customers efficiently.
• Develop Soft Skills: Clienteling depends on good communication. Train staff in active listening, empathy, and consultative selling. For instance, run workshops on asking open-ended questions (“What brings you in today?”) or recognising buying cues. Role-playing can be valuable: have associates practise scenarios such as greeting a returning customer or following up on a past purchase. Emphasise that how they say things (tone, friendliness) is as important as what they say.
• Leadership and Culture: Secure buy-in from store leaders and regional managers. Leaders should model clienteling behaviours and regularly recognise staff who do it well. It helps to start with pilot stores: roll out the programme to a few locations first, gather feedback, and refine training before a full launch. Celebrate wins (e.g. successful personalised sale) and share those stories company-wide.
• Incentives and Ongoing Support: Reward the right behaviours. Instead of only tracking sales totals, include metrics like number of returning clients engaged or successful follow-ups. Provide continuous coaching and refresher sessions – clienteling is a skill that improves with practice. Share data showing how clienteling boosts store performance to keep teams motivated.

Properly trained, empowered staff will use clienteling tools naturally. Without training, even the best technology will collect dust. Combining concept education, tool mastery and soft-skill practice is key to making clienteling a habit.
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Enabling Clienteling with Technology

Modern clienteling relies heavily on technology to deliver real-time data and streamline interactions. Key technological enablers include:

• Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS): Handheld POS devices or tablets that let associates process transactions anywhere. Awayco’s mobile POS, for example, merges customer profiles, inventory and checkout in one app. With this, an associate can pull up a client’s profile (including past purchases and notes), check stock across the network, recommend an item, and even take payment – all on the spot. This instant access frees staff from the counter and reduces queues, making the experience seamless and personal.
• Centralised Customer Data and CRM Integration: A unified customer database is essential. Every sales channel (in-store, online, mobile) should feed into the same system so that interactions build on each other. For example, if a customer browses your website, buys online, and then visits a store, the associate should see a single profile that includes all those touchpoints. Good clienteling platforms draw this data together.
• Inventory Management Systems: Real-time inventory is critical for clienteling to work across channels. If a customer wants an item, the associate needs to know instantly if it’s in another store or the warehouse. The Awayco POS highlights this: “real omnichannel requires real-time inventory.” That enables services like endless aisle or in-store pickup for online orders (BOPIS), which customers expect nowadays.
• Loyalty Programme Integration: Embedding loyalty into the clienteling flow is powerful. Awayco’s system, for instance, lets associates view and apply loyalty rewards at checkout. This means staff can offer personalised in-store rewards (points, discounts) tailored to each customer’s status. It creates a consistent experience: a shopper at the register sees the same loyalty offers they see online.
• Payment and Checkout Technology: Modern mPOS solutions support convenient payment options (contactless, mobile wallet) right on an Android device. This means no extra terminals or delays – faster checkout anywhere in the store. Removing friction at point of sale complements clienteling by keeping the focus on service rather than logistics.
• Communication Tools: Clienteling often uses direct communication channels (email, SMS, push notifications). Integrated systems can automate parts of this – for example, triggering a personalised email after a visit or sending an SMS when a favourite product is back in stock. Using these tools wisely (as per the relevance over frequency rule) keeps clients engaged between store visits.

Altogether, these technologies act as digital assistants for staff. They ensure the right information is at the associate’s fingertips. The result is a more informed conversation that feels personal: the associate isn’t fumbling for info or asking customers to “wait a second.” Instead, they have a full view of the customer and can focus on relationship. A satisfied customer might comment, “They knew exactly what I liked,” or “They remembered me by name” – the hallmarks of good clienteling.
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Conclusion

Clienteling is rapidly moving from luxury niches into mainstream retail because personalisation is the new differentiator. For enterprise-level retailers – including Australian retailers – adopting clienteling means creating a culture of customer focus supported by technology. By combining trained, empathetic associates with mobile POS and unified data systems, stores can give shoppers the attentive, personalised service they increasingly expect.

In practical terms, this might look like any of the following: a staff member tapping a tablet to recall a client’s last purchase while suggesting a matching accessory; an in-store notification to alert a sales rep when a VIP customer arrives; an email in the customer’s inbox a week after purchase checking satisfaction and recommending a refill. These touches turn routine shopping into a memorable, value-added experience.

Numerous case studies show clienteling pays off: from the +13% sales lift seen in one Australian activewear chain to the double-digit loyalty sales in beauty retail. Australian consumer research confirms shoppers want this personalisation, so retailers who invest in it stay competitive. When executed well, clienteling transforms casual buyers into loyal customers and even brand advocates.

In an increasingly digital yet crowded retail environment, the winning enterprise will be the one that knows its customers best and treats them as individuals. By taking clients’ data-driven stories and combining them with genuine human service, Australian retailers can create that “in-store magic” – turning sales floors into places where every customer feels recognised and valued.

Key Takeaways: Clienteling is both old and new – an age-old concept enabled by modern tools. It bridges data and personal connection, and when done right, delivers measurable gains. For Aussie retailers just starting out, the foundational steps are:

1. Develop a clear definition and goal for clienteling
2. Select the right technology (like a mobile POS) to give staff real-time customer info
3. Train and empower employees to use these tools with the right mindset
4. Measure outcomes (repeat visits, AOV, etc.) and adjust accordingly

With these in place, clienteling becomes a sustainable strategy for long-term growth.
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Sources

Facts and figures in this guide are drawn from industry research and case studies, including:

Retail consumer insights and clienteling examples from

• ecommercenews.com.au
• retailbrew.com
• endearhq.com
• connectpos.com
• globalresponse.com

Australian case studies and technology integration from

• awayco.com
• proximityinsight.com
• lexer.io

Historical context and technology evolution references from

• jumpmind.com