Clothing and fashion
How to increase sales of an online clothing store
To increase sales of an online clothing store, first remove the doubt that stops a shopper on the product page: will it fit, and what happens if it does not? Clothes are bought without trying them on, so size information, honest photos and a clear returns policy decide more sales than one more discount. Below: where fashion stores lose the sale, quick wins for this week and how to bring buyers back for a second order.
Where does your clothing store lose the sale?
Open your shop analytics and pick the line that matches. Each one names the fix and links to a guide that goes deeper.
Too few visitors
Grow an email list with a real reason to sign up and give subscribers early access to every new drop, so each collection opens to people who already know you.
How to grow an email listVisitors look but do not buy
Answer the fit question on the product page with a size guide next to the size buttons, measurements and the model's size, then remove surprise costs at checkout.
How to reduce cart abandonmentOrders hold a single item
Show the complete outfit, set a free delivery threshold a little above your typical order and suggest the piece that goes with the one in the cart.
How to increase average order valueCustomers buy once
Follow the first order with care tips and a styling email, then send an offer for the next order with an end date.
How to get repeat customersShoppers ignore your sale banners
A prize wheel or scratch card with a capped budget gets the attention one more banner does not, and the cost is fixed before it starts.
Discount wheel for online stores
Quick wins and longer work for clothing stores
Start with the quick win that matches your bottleneck and run one longer project next to it.
| Strategy | Time to set up | Time to see results | What it moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size guide link next to the size buttons | An afternoon | The first weeks | Product page to cart |
| Model size and a fit note on every product | A few days for the catalogue | Weeks | Returns and conversion |
| Free delivery threshold | Hours | Days to weeks | Average order value |
| Complete the look on product pages | Days | Weeks | Items per order |
| Prize game with a budget cap | An hour or two | The first week | Sign-ups and codes used |
| Early access to new drops for subscribers | A day per drop | Each new collection | Repeat orders |
Answer the size question before it is asked
Fit is the one question a clothing shopper cannot answer alone. In its apparel research, Baymard Institute (2022) found that 83% of apparel sites on desktop and 87% on mobile do not give enough sizing information, and in its usability tests doubt about size was a common reason people abandoned a product.
Put the size guide link right next to the size buttons, not in the footer. Give measurements in centimetres and inches for each product type instead of one chart for the whole store, and explain how to measure chest, waist and inside leg.
Add one line per product on how it fits: true to size, runs small, relaxed cut. Shoppers trust that line more than a table, and it costs nothing to write.
Photos that show the fit, not only the fabric
Show every piece on a person and say who that person is: the model's height and the size they wear. Add a back view, a close-up of the fabric and one photo in daylight, so the colour on screen matches the parcel.
Ask buyers for a photo with their review and their usual size. A review that says "165 cm, usually S, took S" answers the next shopper's question better than any description.
Returns: plan for them, then shrink them
Returns come with selling clothes online. The National Retail Federation and Happy Returns expected 19.3% of US online sales in 2025 to be returned, against 15.8% for retail as a whole.
A short, clear returns policy on the product page wins sales, because it lowers the risk of buying. Then cut the returns you can prevent: ask the reason on every return, find the products that come back for fit and fix their size notes first.
Offer an exchange or store credit before a refund in the returns flow. A customer who swaps M for L stays a customer; a refund ends the sale.
Sell the outfit, not the single piece
Put the pieces from the product photo under the product: the trousers with the jacket, the belt with the dress. A shopper who likes the look buys more than one item to get it.
Set a free delivery threshold a little above your typical order, so one more item makes delivery free, and show in the cart how far the shopper is from it.
Drops and seasons
Fashion sells in moments: a new collection, the change of season, Black Friday and the end of season sale. Announce each drop to your email list a day early, so your best customers see it before everyone else.
Build the end of season sale around the stock you need to clear, not around the whole catalogue, and keep new arrivals at full price.
A prize game for a clothing store
A prize wheel or scratch card in a pop-up gives a shopper a reason to sign up and order now. With DealCraft you choose the prizes and how often the game wins, and a budget cap and a maximum number of winners stop it from giving away more than you planned.
Prizes that suit clothing: free delivery, 10% off the next order, a small accessory with an order, or free returns on the next order as a prize you describe and honour yourself. Add a minimum purchase to bigger prizes, so each one comes with a real basket.
After an order, put the game on the thank-you page or in the order email with prizes for the next order. Codes are valid for seven days by default, which gives a reason to come back soon.
Mistakes to avoid
Discounting everything all season. Shoppers learn to wait for the sale, and full price stops selling.
One size chart for every product. A chart for shirts says nothing about jeans or shoes.
Hiding the returns policy. Shoppers who cannot find it assume the worst and leave.
Questions
- What is the fastest way to increase sales of an online clothing store?
- Find your bottleneck first. If visitors look but do not buy, put the size guide next to the size buttons and a fit note on every product. If orders are small, add a free delivery threshold. Both take hours, not weeks.
- Why do visitors leave a clothing store without buying?
- Most often they cannot tell whether it will fit, or they meet costs at checkout they did not expect. Clear sizing, the model's size, an easy returns policy and delivery costs shown early answer both.
- How can a clothing store reduce returns?
- Ask the reason on every return, fix the size notes of the products that come back for fit, show the model's height and size, and offer an exchange before a refund.
- Should a clothing store give discounts to sell more?
- Use them with limits. A constant sale teaches people to wait. Time-limited offers for subscribers, a free delivery threshold or a prize game with a budget cap move sales without lowering your everyday price.
- How do I get repeat customers for a clothing store?
- Send care tips and styling ideas after the first order, give subscribers early access to new drops and give a reason for the next order with an offer that ends.
- Is DealCraft free for a small clothing store?
- Yes. The free plan includes 200 plays a month and needs no card. Paid plans start at $29 a month when you need more plays.
Add a prize game to your clothing store
Create a free account, pick a wheel or a scratch card, add prizes such as free delivery or 10% off the next order and set your budget cap. Then show it in a pop-up on your store or share its link.
Start free