Top Consumer Trends for Fashion and Apparel Brands | Salsify (2024)

Since early February this year, online orders and referrals for fashion brands have been steadily rising, up 58% and 66%, respectively, reports The Drum.

Statista also reveals that fashion is the largest business-to-business (B2C) ecommerce market segment and will reach a total market size of $1.164.7 billion by the end of 2025.

However, because consumer behaviors have fundamentally changed since the pandemic, many fashion and apparel brands have struggled to adapt their strategies to increase profitability.

In this article, we’ll discuss the top three consumer trends in the fashion and apparel industry and share some tips to help brands capitalize on these changes.

1. Consumers Shop Both In-Store and Online

The pandemic created a surge in online shopping for almost all industries, especially fashion and apparel. As retailers reopen their brick-and-mortar spaces, however, many consumers started returning to in-store shopping or combining both online and offline when buying clothes.

According to Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index 2021 report, 47% of respondents say to browse in-store, buy in-store was their favorite way of buying, followed by 43% saying they’d browse and buy on a brand or retailer website with home delivery. Only about 50% of shoppers prefer online shopping over in-store for the next year, globally.

These findings align with Forrester’s research, showing that despite feeling underwhelmed by the return to in-store shopping, consumers, especially Gen Zers, will continue to rely on in-store shopping options for convenience, ease, speed, and human touch.

What Brands Should Do

Offer a Seamless Shopping Experience

Offer expedited omnichannel options like:

  • Buy online, pick-up in-store (BOPIS or click-and-collect);
  • Buy online, return in-store (BORIS);
  • Curbside pick-up and returns; or
  • Buy in-store, return online.

Furthermore, they should ensure the shopping experience is consistent and seamless across channels.

Optimize and Enhance

Optimize product detail pages and digital search to assist shoppers in finding the products that fit their needs and enhance the online shopping experience.

Think about enhanced content, product finders, or lifestyle quizzes. You may also want to try artificial intelligence- (AI) based digital stylists and chatbots to give feedback on outfit choices or suggest alternatives to make your shopping experience more personal.

2. Consumers Rely on Social Media for Product Discovery

More and more clothing shoppers are using social media platforms for product inspiration and discovery. In the State of eCommerce Discovery in the New Normal report, Syte.io found that shoppers are deeply influenced by social media when searching for new trends in fashion.

The NPD Group recently surveyed consumers to determine how they learn about or discover fashion brands and retailers. They found that Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest landed at the top of this list, educating 41%, 35%, and 21% of consumers about brands, respectively.

However, Heuritech’s research emphasized that Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest aren’t the only social media platforms inspiring changes in the fashion and apparel industry. Weibo, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube increasingly play big roles as well because millennials and Gen Zers have become both fashion influencers and influencees on these platforms.

In sharing with Common Thread Collective, Marco Marandiz, Ecommerce DTC Strategist even strongly argued that:

“Websites will become less relevant and social media channels — TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube — those are going to be far more powerful for driving sales directly to a specifically built site to make a sale. There won’t be the whole lifestyle photography and product descriptions and all of that stuff.”

What Brands Should Do

Build a Community

Determine which social media platforms your customers show up on and build a solid community on those sites. When doing that, think about optimizing your profile, highlights, brand image, brand voice, and the like to make your brand searchable and recognizable.

Use Shopping Features

Take advantage of shopping features (i.e., stories, shoppable posts, paid ads, hashtags) on social media sites to promote your products.

Make Partnerships

Partner with fashion influencers and celebrities to reach out to more potential customers, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. You can ask them to post images or videos wearing your products, share reviews, run giveaways, etc.

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3. Consumers Increasingly Favor Transparent and Purposeful Brands

Another critical trend in the fashion and apparel industry is that today’s consumers want to buy from brands with a mission. They expect brands to care about employees, fight for social and environmental issues, and be transparent about what they’ve done to protect the planet.

Here are some statistics you should keep in mind:

  • In the State of Fashion 2021 report, McKinsey found that 55% of surveyed consumers expect brands to care for employees’ health in times of crisis. About 66% of respondents said they’d stop or significantly reduce shopping at a brand if they found the brand wasn’t treating its employees or suppliers’ employees fairly.
  • According to the Fashion Transparency Index 2021 conducted by Fashion Revolution, most brands and retailers lack transparency on social and environmental issues. More than half (54%) of brands score 20% or less.
  • London Research and Trustpilot’s latest international survey found that 82% of consumers reveal they would definitely (31%) or probably (51%) stop buying from a brand found to be lacking ethical standards.
  • Boston Consulting Group reports that more consumers prefer second-hand clothing as doing this allows them to fill their wardrobes sustainably with unique, value-friendly items. About 70% of pre-owned buyers “like the sustainable aspect” of second-hand consumption, compared with 62% in 2018.

What Brands Should Do

Be Transparent

Choose sustainable materials whenever possible and be transparent about them. Publish information about your materials and manufacturing process on the website and regularly post it on social media.

You can also share videos of how you source materials and manufacture clothing to strengthen your trust with consumers.

Get Creative With It

Be creative. For example, allow customers to exchange old clothing items for new ones. You can upcycle these old items into new products. You can also share tips to guide customers on making clothes last longer and how to reuse and recycle them.

Give Back and Be Intentional

Give back to the community with practical actions. Identify a cause that aligns with your brand and develop a strategy to support that cause.

If you decide to donate a part of your sales to charity, think about what charity you want to partner with, who exactly you’re trying to help, how you can get your customer involved in your mission, and more.

Also, be clear about your message, for example, “one purchase = one tree planted” or “one T-shirt = one donated to people in need.”

Is Your Brand Ready for These Consumer Trends?

The pandemic has brought a lot of changes in fashion shoppers’ behaviors. But as long as you keep a close eye on the three consumer trends above, determine what that means for your brand, and adapt quickly, you can win consumers’ hearts and turn them into brand advocates. For any brand that knows how to capitalize on these trends, the rewards can be substantial.

Consumer Research Report 2022

​​Download our Consumer Research report to gain better insight into changes in consumer behavior and how you can strategize to better meet their needs.

Top Consumer Trends for Fashion and Apparel Brands | Salsify (2)

Tag(s): Trend Watch

Top Consumer Trends for Fashion and Apparel Brands | Salsify (2024)

FAQs

What are the consumer trends in fashion 2023? ›

The 3 trends that will shape 2023's retail fashion

In particular, Two-track spending, gender-fluid fashion, and formal wear reinvented are key consumer new behaviors that should be considered when planning strategies for these upcoming months.

What do consumers want from fashion brands? ›

Fashion consumers want durability. Above everything else, they want high-quality products and they expect them to last. Even Indifferent consumers, who show little consideration toward sustainability when they shop for clothes, are driven by product durability and quality.

Who is the biggest consumer of clothing? ›

In an average person's closet there are about 148 individual items. At $1,460, per capita spending on clothing and footwear in the USA is the highest in the world. By comparison, in Brazil, a person spends an average of around $100 per year. Annual consumption of garments is 183.81 trillion pieces in 2022.

What is fast fashion buying trends? ›

Fast Fashion Statistics Trends

The Fast Fashion Market size was valued at $122,257.5 Million in 2021 and is projected to reach $283,457.5 million by 2030; growing at a CAGR of 10.13% from 2023 to 2030. The Fast Fashion Market is also driven by the growing youth population's demand for affordable clothing.

What do consumers want from brands 2023? ›

Sustainability is the key ingredient.

One report shows 82% of shoppers want brands to embrace sustainable and “people-first” practices. Another survey even found 75% of Gen-Z shoppers felt sustainability was more important than brand names.

What retail trend is predicted for 2023? ›

WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today issued its annual forecast, anticipating that retail sales will grow between 4% and 6% in 2023. In total, NRF projects that retail sales will reach between $5.13 trillion and $5.23 trillion this year.

What are consumers looking for in brands? ›

  • Authenticity Is Important for Brands. ...
  • Consumers Buy Based on Trust. ...
  • Color Matters for Brand Recognition. ...
  • First Impressions Matter for Your Brand. ...
  • Importance of Brand Consistency. ...
  • Your Brand Needs to Be Transparent. ...
  • Consumers Want Brands to Be Vocal About Social Issues. ...
  • Customer Service Helps Brands to Stand out From the Crowd.
Apr 8, 2023

What attracts customers to a brand? ›

Successful brands do not only offer spectacular products, but an emotional feeling that continues to entice their client after they walk out the door. By offering masterpiece branding and product marketing your client receives aesthetics and clear communication that gives your brand it's emotional roots.

What are the 4 segments of the fashion industry? ›

The fashion industry consists of four levels: the production of raw materials, principally fibres and textiles but also leather and fur; the production of fashion goods by designers, manufacturers, contractors, and others; retail sales; and various forms of advertising and promotion.

What type of clothing sells the most? ›

10 Best Selling Fashion Products in the US
  • Jeans: Denim jackets:
  • Bucket hats/beanie:
  • Sneakers:
  • Wrap dress:
  • Hair accessories:
  • Trench coats:
  • Jewelry:
  • Hair wigs:

Who is your target market in clothing? ›

Examples of demographics in target markets could be a person's age, gender, household income, job role, etc. For example, a 14 year-old boy is not shopping in the same department as a 70 year old retired man, and vice versa.

Who dominates the clothing industry? ›

The largest clothing company in the U.S. is TJX Companies, with an annual revenue of $48.55 billion. The largest clothing company in the world is LVMH, with a market cap of $479.09 billion. As of 2022, the global apparel industry has a market size of $1.53 trillion U.S. dollars.

How fast fashion brands attract customers? ›

With the rapid pace at which new trends emerge, consumers are often eager to keep up with the latest styles. Fast fashion brands can respond quickly to these trends, offering new designs and styles at affordable prices, which can appeal to consumers who want to stay on-trend without breaking the bank.

Do Millennials buy fast fashion? ›

Fast fashion is one of young consumers favorite ways to shop for price and more… Where shopping may once have been a seasonal habit, Gen Z and Millennials' have grown up with trends being replicated quickly and made available to them by fast fashion brands.

Why is H&M so successful? ›

The Secret to H&M's Success: Fast Fashion

Aimed at young, fashion-conscious urban consumers, their products are trendy and they're cheap, bordering on disposable. Fast fashion retailers make their profits by having a high merchandise turnover and by constantly resupplying the product pipeline with the latest trends.

What products will boom in 2023? ›

These 8 Industries Will Grow in 2023
  • Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) ...
  • Virtual Reality (VR) ...
  • Ethanol Fuel Production. ...
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) ...
  • Internet of Things (IoT) ...
  • Bioengineering. ...
  • Digital Twins. ...
  • Wearables.
Jan 17, 2023

What do consumers buy the most? ›

Perhaps unsurprisingly, clothing is the most popular category of consumer goods that Americans buy online. In 2022, the apparel market was worth $1.5 trillion. Clothing made up almost a third of online purchases.

What are the top consumer purchases? ›

Consumer Staples

These products include beverages, food, household items, and tobacco. Other consumer goods that people buy on a regular basis would be cleaning products, personal hygiene items, and clothing.

What is the fastest growing retailer in 2023? ›

Amazon will once again hold first place by a wide margin in 2023, with 37.6% of US retail ecommerce sales compared with the 6.4% of No. 2 Walmart Inc.

What is the trend for luxury retail in 2023? ›

Luxury resale will boom in 2023 as more brands take control of their second-hand markets. The 1% will continue to buy luxury goods, but other classes may pull back. The personal luxury market is expected to grow 3%-8% over the next year, according to Bain & Company.

What retail could look like in 2030 the store of the future? ›

In 2030, retailers must have an integrated omnichannel shopping experience that allows them to plan their supply based on the demand they're driving by personalizing offers, making product recommendations, and better directing customer interest. That's how retailers will keep margins where they need them.

What is the rule of 7 in marketing? ›

What is the rule of 7? The rule of 7 is based on the marketing principle thatcustomers need to see your brand at least 7 times before they commit to a purchase decision. This concept has been aroundsince the 1930swhen movie studios first coined the approach.

What do people want from brands today? ›

Sprout Social Index [ii] reveals that consumers want brands to be honest (86%), friendly (83%), and helpful (78%). When a customer reaches out, they are usually looking for specific personalised information. Offer a helpful two-way dialogue to address their queries and help move them through the purchase funnel faster.

Which brands have a greater emotional connection to their consumers? ›

By portraying a personality that customers can connect with, companies are able to create deep, intrinsic relationships. Apple, Amazon, Target, Nike and Patagonia are some of the top brands that have successfully established emotional connections with their leagues of customers.

What are 4 ways to attract customers? ›

10 Ways to Get New Customers
  • Ask for referrals. ...
  • Network. ...
  • Offer discounts and incentives for new customers only. ...
  • Re-contact old customers. ...
  • Improve your website. ...
  • Partner with complementary businesses. ...
  • Promote your expertise. ...
  • Use online reviews to your advantage.
Apr 6, 2017

What are the six strategies to attract customers? ›

The following six strategies will help you attract and keep customers.
  • Offer quality products. Good quality is the most important reason cited by consumers for buying directly from farmers. ...
  • Cultivate good people skills. ...
  • Know your customers. ...
  • Use attractive packaging. ...
  • Let customers try samples. ...
  • Be willing to change.

How do you attract customers to buy clothes? ›

8 Ways Retail Businesses Can Attract New Customers
  1. Buy online, pick up in store. ...
  2. Match online prices (or value) ...
  3. Provide inventory information online. ...
  4. Send out promotions via SMS. ...
  5. Optimize your website for local searches. ...
  6. Host events. ...
  7. Increase curb appeal. ...
  8. Create a lounge space (with WiFi)
Apr 9, 2019

What are the 5 C's of fashion? ›

Five strategies, called the "Five C's of Style," can help you revise a draft: cut, check for action, connect, commit, and choose your words.

What are the 4 C's in fashion? ›

Only this time, it's the four C's: cute, chic, classic and comfortable.

What are 3 main fashion categories? ›

A Lesson: The Three Types of Fashion
  • Mass Market Fashion. The first sector of design involves the most straightforward and accessible form of clothing, which is the mass market. ...
  • Ready to Wear Fashion. ...
  • Haute Couture Fashion.
Jan 18, 2021

What type of clothing is in demand? ›

Sportswear

And garments like sweats, leggings, and hoodies are hotter than ever. The global athleisure market size is anticipated to reach $549.41 billion by 2028. Google trends agrees: the growth of Google searches for sportswear shows us that athleisure is not going anywhere. . .

What demographic buys the most clothing? ›

The 45-54 age group spent the most on women's and girls' clothing in 2021, averaging $995. This age group is more likely to spend more money on clothing than other age groups.

What fashion is most popular? ›

Linen Gallery has prepared for you the most popular fashion trends that will help you understand the main styles of clothing to always look amazing:
  1. Casual style. Casual wear is a style with comfort. ...
  2. Business dress style. ...
  3. Sportswear. ...
  4. Classic style. ...
  5. Exotic. ...
  6. Vintage. ...
  7. Artie. ...
  8. Preppy.

Who is Zara's target market? ›

The Zara target market includes women and men, mainly younger adults in the age range of 18 to 40. This places the Zara segmentation strategy as largely focusing on Millennials and Gen Z, who are both fashion conscious and tech savvy.

What are the 5 types of target markets? ›

There are many ways to segment markets to find the right target audience. Five ways to segment markets include demographic, psychographic, behavioral, geographic, and firmographic segmentation.

Who is the target audience for luxury brands? ›

Your typical target market for luxury brands includes a wide range of ages, as we said, but also income levels. If you know a product might disqualify some of your audience because of the price, then you don't want to market to them. Instead, you want to focus on those who can afford it. With income targeting, you can.

Who buys more fast fashion? ›

The data shows that the low prices associated with fast fashion often encourage multiple purchases. But overall sales in this sector are falling. Women under 35 are the largest target demographic for fast fashion retailers.

Who makes the most money in the fashion industry? ›

15 highest-paying fashion jobs
  • Merchandising manager. ...
  • Buyer. ...
  • Editor-in-chief. ...
  • Art director. ...
  • Creative director. ...
  • Design director. National average salary: $96,178 per year. ...
  • Sourcing manager. National average salary: $98,439 per year. ...
  • Product manager. National average salary: $102,415 per year.
Mar 10, 2023

What are the fashion consumer groups? ›

Fashion consumer groups include fashion change agents (i.e., innovators, opinion leaders, innovative communicators) and fashion followers.

What are the consumer groups in fashion cycle? ›

Consumers Identification with fashion cycle Consumer can be identified with various stages of the fashion cycle. Fashion Leaders buy and wear new style at the beginning of their cycle other tend to imitate . People who look for new fashion and wear it before it becomes generally acceptable.

Is Zara considered fast fashion? ›

It's no secret that Zara is one of the largest fast-fashion brands on the planet. And much like all fast fashion's major players, the way they are treating their workers in the supply chain is as terrifying as their blatant environmental negligence.

What brands do millennials prefer? ›

CharacteristicShare of respondents
Apple17%
Amazon16%
Nike13%
Samsung6%
8 more rows
Jan 6, 2023

Why do Gen Z shop fast fashion? ›

Generation Z members say they want sustainable clothes but buy fast fashion instead, research says. Generation Z members say they want their clothes to be sustainable but still regularly buy fast fashion, demonstrating a "clear gap" between ideals and practice, new research shows.

What do millennials buy most of? ›

Contrary to popular belief, Millennials spend their money on the same things that other generations did; they just have less of it and have had to pay more for necessities. Housing is the number one cost, followed by groceries and debt.

Who is H&M biggest competitor? ›

Gap is an omnichannel retailer of clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children. Fast Retailing is a retail holding company. Uniqlo is a casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer. Inditex is a company operating as a clothing and fashion retailer.

What is H&M biggest weakness? ›

Overdependence on Outsourcing:

Instead of manufacturing in-house, H&M outsources most of its production to over 900 independent suppliers in Europe and Asia. While this strategy has contributed to its success, it puts the company at the mercy of the suppliers.

Why is Zara more successful than H&M? ›

Zara's strategy is to offer a higher number of available products than its competitors. While most clothing retailers manufacture and offer to the public for sale 2,000 to 4,000 different articles of clothing, Zara's production has been markedly higher, at over 10,000 pieces produced per year.

What do consumers look for when buying clothes? ›

Only purchase high-quality clothing and avoid pieces that will rip, pill out, lose buttons, or threads. Choose well-made garments made from durable and resistant materials. Don't buy or wear garments with poor construction or cheap fabrics. They will fall apart quickly.

What value do brands bring to consumers? ›

Customers find value in brands that enable them. Such brands solve customers' problems. They remove barriers, eliminate frustrations, assuage anxieties, and reduce fear. They provide peace of mind.

What consumers want from brands on social media? ›

Consumers want brands to use social to help them connect with others for several reasons. More than half of consumers (55%) want brands to use social to help connect like-minded people with each other, while more than one third (36%) are looking for communities they can belong to.

What are the 3 factors customers look at before buying? ›

There are three categories of factors that influence customers buying behavior:
  • Psychological factors.
  • Social factors.
  • Situational factors.

Who are the buyers in the clothing industry? ›

In the retail industry, a buyer is an individual who selects what items are stocked and their key responsibility is dealing with all the products that come into the store.

What are the 4 types of customer value? ›

The four types of value include: functional value, monetary value, social value, and psychological value. The sources of value are not equally important to all consumers.

What do consumers value most? ›

Additionally, customers want quick service and good after-sales service, which often leads them to being loyal customers. They also want products with useful and valuable features. In order to be able solve a problem or make a task easier, customers also want products that are tailored to their unique needs.

What are the four brand values? ›

Brand equity has four dimensions—brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand associations, and perceived quality, each providing value to a firm in numerous ways.

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