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What is happening with retail fashion?

Posted 12.10.20

This year has been arguably the most tumultuous one for the retail sector. While high streets are expectedly quieter than they have been in recent years, the online shopping landscape has been developing strongly with more people being forced to shop online than ever before, especially for purchases such as fashion and clothing.

This year has forced a lot of people to shop online – where they previously might not have done so – 6 in 10 pre-COVID tech laggards now shop online more frequently.

Online shopping – including directly via social apps – is now impossible to ignore and needs to be communicated effectively in fashion brands’ messaging.

The Digital Fashion Retail Space is the latest insights report from our team looking at how the pandemic is and has changed how people shop and what people wear to work – or at home.

There’s been a 79% decrease in luxury fashion clothing sales; however, there has been an 80% increase in loungewear and sweatpants. Brands that have adapted to this change in demand quickly are the most successful. Indeed the top 5 brands in the UK have adapted their social approaches to be in line with this sector shift and have been noticeably focusing their ad spends on athleisure.

We surveyed shoppers and combined our insight with industry-leading research to explore the changing nature of fashion retail. The COVID pandemic has accelerated the shift online with 6 in 10 pre-COVID tech laggards now saying they shop online more frequently. 

We also take a deep-dive to explore how the UK’s top 5 fashion retail brands stand-out in this shifting landscape from social brand building to maximising their youth label.

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