1. suit their
lifestyle and style
personality. 1:00PM
I head out of the office for a
quick salad lunch before “window
shopping” to get an idea of what our
neighbouring competitors are offering—one
of the perks of the job! 2:30PM I’m back at
the store to edit selections for client appointments.
For instance, like this
one regular customer who
has requested to be styled
for her company’s cocktail
event, we will review her most
recent purchases first through
our client records before heading
out to the floor to select the styles
she loves. We will then put together
complete looks—including shoes
and accessories—for her. 4:00PM
Client arrives for her appointment and
we make her feel comfortable with
her favourite beverage before making
our recommendations and guiding her
through the selection process. All this while
catching up with her on her latest travels and
adventures—things not at all fashion-related.
6:00PM Once the personal shopping
session has wrapped up, we update the
retail associates of the merchandise our client has
purchased and return merchandise to the floor. We
tend to take snapshot photographs of merchandise we
know our clients are, or could be, searching for: A white
pair of pumps, a red box clutch, or even something
unexpected that would excite them to return for their
next personal shopping appointment. 7:00PM
One of the job hazards of being a personal shopper
is being surrounded by beautiful things all the time! I tend to
head to the floor to try on merchandise that caught my eye
while working. My weakness is shoes: Anything from Sergio
Rossi or Rupert Sanderson will do. 8:00PM I usually eat
out on weekdays and am thankful that Sushi Goshin and
Gyoza Ya on basement one serves excellent comfort
food. Then, I catch the train home, checking out
the Instagram updates and social media tweets of
influential fashion bloggers like Rachel Zoe, Chiara
Ferragni, Miroslava Duma and Olivia Palermo.
10:00PM There’s more surfing the web to
be done after my shower. I keep in touch with
trends through fashion websites and browse
through online shopping sites. It’s essential
that I know what Robinsons has that’s not available
elsewhere online. 11:00PM I plan what
to wear for the next day before I sleep. It’s
important that I get my sleep so that I can
look fresh at work. Clients don’t want
to see gloom and doom when
they shop with us. ■
9:00AM I start my mornings with a skinny flat white at the Robinsons
The Heeren Costa Coffee before making my way to the Personal
Shopper’s lounge located on the third floor of our store. It’s a really lovely
space with a private lounge area and two private suites for customers—
luxuriously styled with parquet floors, chaise lounge chairs
and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Orchard Road.
A little known fact is that we are linked directly to the
hair salon next door, The Scene, through a well-hidden
connecting door. It’s perfect for clients looking for “total
look” consultations: From personal styling to a complete
makeover. 9:30AM I check my emails and follow up on
personal shopping activities like securing slots for customers
who write in for appointments. Then, I attend a pre-store opening
session with the retail team. This is to keep myself updated with
ongoing store promotions, upcoming events, style trainings and other
important must-knows—exclusive gifts with purchases, giveaways
with minimum spend or even complimentary shopping perks
like free coffee or parking, for example. 10:15AM
I start my walk around the store to keep informed of the
merchandise and visual merchandising displays. This
is a very important part of my job as I need to know the
store intimately so that I am able to maximise our customers’
time with us and ensure they benefit from our promotions.
10:30AM Robinsons opens and I do my rounds while
observing customer profiles on each level. I like to gather
feedback from the floor staff on daily on-the-job queries
and feedback they’ve received from customers after
trying on the fashion merchandise. I will also seek
out potential clients by introducing myself and our
personal shopper services to them. 12:00PM
I meet up with our Events and Marketing
Manager to finalise details of upcoming
events and collaborations we have planned
for our personal shopping clients. This could be
anything from partnering a beauty brand with
a womenswear label to showcase the latest
trends, or a newly launched fragrance
workshop by the Personal Shopper
team to enlighten clients on
customised scents to
Selected spring/summer 2015 collection. Slingback heel, $595, Chiara Ferragni.
Sandal, $525, Rachel Zoe. Espadrilles, $390, Chiara Ferragni
In a DayRobinsons Personal Shopper
Josephine Liu shares her day