#genzconsumers

Jun 30, 2020
5 min

What is the TikTok subculture Dark Academia?

School may be out indefinitely, but on social media there’s a thriving subculture devoted to the aesthetic of all things scholarly. School, as most of us know it, came to a halt this spring. There were no graduation gatherings and no proms. No study abroad or in-person summer classes. And what will happen in September is still largely unknown. Yet in the digital world, a different kind of academic community is thriving, one where students have created a niche of their own, al

May 26, 2020
5 min

Department Stores Are Dying. Could Artificial Intelligence Replace Them?

The Yes is a shopping app that uses AI to give you all the variety of a department store with none of the headaches. Department stores have been on the decline for years, and now that the pandemic has emptied brick-and-mortar stores, they may die out entirely. But the concept of being able to easily browse different brands and products still resonates with many shoppers. A new app called The Yes is built to be a virtual department store. Julie Bornstein [Image: The Yes] The a

May 21, 2020
2 min

Building A Brand In the Direct-to-Consumer Era

MADE Trends introduces "Building A Brand In the Direct-to-Consumer Era". This presentation is a guide for brands looking to expand direct sales channels or simply take inspiration from a new generation of marketers. We’re living in the age of the direct-to-consumer brand. Originally exemplified by disruptors like Glossier and Everlane, the term “DTC” has largely become shorthand for a brand that targets millennial consumers using a strategy that includes an emphasis on brand

May 20, 2020
7 min

Gamified Experiences: Can Playful Moments Stop Your Customers in Their Tracks?

Marketers and business leaders have been talking about gamification for years now. But what does gamification mean, and how can you use gamification to drive loyalty, increase sales, and engage your retail customers? In this guide, we’re exploring the benefits of gamification and examining how playful experiences can engage customers on a deeper level and re-energise your stores. As well as considering how gamified experiences encourage greater engagement than passive ads, we

May 19, 2020
9 min

Luxury’s Livestreaming Gamble

‘Live commerce’ can sound intimidating to luxury brands, but a few brave players have recently rolled the dice. Will live streaming be a big pay-out or a bad bat in the world’s largest luxury market? An impeccably groomed Chinese woman in a crisp white shirt weaves her way around Burberry’s flagship store in downtown Shanghai, swinging handbags over her shoulder to try them on for size and asking questions of the attentive sales assistant by her side. “How much is it? Can you

May 14, 2020
5 min

How Socks Became The Unexpected Fashion Hero Of Lockdown

Just because we’re not going out, doesn’t mean we can’t put our best foot forward I’m calling it: socks are the new shoes. Just as staying in is the new going out, conference calls are the new birthday drinks and a flourishing sourdough starter is the new aspirational accessory in our topsy-turvy world, so outdoor footwear has been swiftly relegated in favour of its former deputy. Socks. It’s a dismal time in most respects, sure, but a really exciting time where your second d

May 12, 2020
6 min

In a Pandemic, Is ‘Wellness’ Just Being Well-off?

Maybe there isn’t really a difference anymore. In 2017, I wrote a story titled The Wellness Epidemic. It was a tour of the various expensive, spiritually assertive, and scientifically questionable strategies that many people were engaging in to stave off the perceptions that “people are finding more and more that everyone they know is kind of sick,” as Elise Loehnen, the head of content at Goop, told me at the time. (Yes, this seems ironic now.) I later was offered a book con

May 10, 2020
2 min

5 Post-Covid Consumer Personas

Even trapped inside, consumers are still shopping. However, without an office to commute to, restaurants to eat in, and other public places in which to do things or be seen, their spending priorities have shifted. We have identified five key personas to categorize consumers, based upon their long-term behavior as well their response to the pandemic: Homebody This consumer was already embracing the #JOMO (joy of missing out) trend, now they’re investing in quality loungewear a

May 7, 2020
7 min

Cute Dress. How Many Bells Did You Pay?

Move over, Armani, Dior and Versace. Fashion under lockdown is all about the Able Sisters, three adorable hedgehogs from Animal Crossing. This was going to be the year Hannah Basile got her fashion game on. Several eons ago — which is to say, in late winter — Ms. Basile, a fund-raiser for Feeding America, a nonprofit food bank, decided that in 2020 she would wear makeup more often and pay closer attention to TikTok influencers and Reddit threads like Female Fashion Advice. Th

May 3, 2020
5 min

What’s trending: Experts decode Generation Z

Now that members of Generation Z are entering the workforce and beginning to flex their purchasing power, marketers want to better understand these individuals who were born from 1995 to 2012. Seven Gen Z marketers and entrepreneurs share their insights from the frontlines. Climate anxiety The cold, hard truth about climate change and its impact has not been lost on many Gen Z’ers and it’s influencing the brands they support and the items they buy. “We feel like we have the

Mar 11, 2020
2 min

The Rise of Resale – The Afterlife Is Luxury

How to follow the trend and be sustainably conscious? Consumer views on ownership are changing – the closet of the future is about rotation, not accumulation. Research shows that younger consumers are driven by two key priorities: to be seen in new styles constantly and to be sustainably conscious. So there is much to celebrate in the phenomenal rise of the resale clothing market which offers variety, value, and sustainability. Changing attitudes towards ownership is propelli

Mar 11, 2020
2 min

Sustainability Update – 3 Pillars To Revolutionize The Fashion Industry

2019 is widely seen as the year the fashion industry ‘woke up’. Consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Zs, are increasingly concerned about environmental and social issues and have started to consider how their clothes are made, what they’re made of and what happens to them after they’re worn. The answer to these questions increasingly guides purchasing decisions, so there is a moral and economic imperative for the apparel industry to claim more responsibility across the s

Mar 11, 2020
2 min

The Future is Circular – How the Sneakers Giants Became Eco-Friendly

The current system of ‘take, make, dispose’ is increasingly unsustainable. In order to protect our dwindling resources, and ensure the future prosperity of our planet we must start to transition from a linear model to a circular one, implementing a cradle-to-cradle approach where the product’s end life is factored into the initial design. A circular economy that is based on reducing waste can unleash trillions of dollars in growth opportunities in materials net saving, job cr

Mar 3, 2020
2 min

Four Consumers Expectations For 2020 And Beyond

End of Ownership The lifespan of the fashion product is becoming more elastic as pre-owned, refurbished, repair and retail business models continue to evolve. Fashion players will increasingly tap into this market to gain access to new consumers seeking both affordability and a move away from the permanent ownership of clothing. Noting new power players like The Real Real, Thred-Up, and Urban Outfitters Nuuly. Getting Woke Younger generations’ passion for social and environme

Mar 3, 2020
1 min

End of Ownership – Renew Your Wardrobe With Second Hand Is The New Hit

The lifespan of the fashion product is becoming more elastic as pre-owned, refurbished, repair and retail business models continue to evolve. Fashion players will increasingly tap into this market to gain access to new consumers seeking both affordability and a move away from the permanent ownership of clothing. Noting new power players like The Real Real, Thred-Up, and Urban Outfitters Nuuly. More related articles: Farfetch’s next move? testing the resale market, Retail at r

Feb 23, 2020
1 min

Explosion of Small

Consumers are increasingly drawn to small brands with compelling and authentic narratives. In order to keep pace, larger companies must learn how to think small and either create their own new brands or acquire disruptive DTC brands. With VC dollars at the ready, funding is enabling the growth of challenger brands and is expected to continue through 2021. More related articles: Farfetch’s next move? testing the resale market, Retail at risk: analysts cite resale revolution, R

Jan 15, 2020
1 min

Explosion of Small

Consumers are increasingly drawn to small brands with compelling and authentic narratives. In order to keep pace, larger companies must learn how to think small and either create their own new brands or acquire disruptive DTC brands. With VC dollars at the ready, funding is enabling the growth of challenger brands and is expected to continue through 2021. More related articles: Farfetch's next move? testing the resale market, Retail at risk: analysts cite resale revolution,

Dec 18, 2019
1 min

Getting Woke - Consumer's Power to "Woke" Fashion Brands

Younger generations’ passion for social and environmental causes has reached critical mass, causing brands to become more fundamentally purpose-driven to attract both consumers and talent. Consumers from some, but not all markets will reward players that take a strong stance on social and environmental issues beyond traditional CSR. Brands like All-Birds and Drunk Elephant are front runners in this space. More related articles: Farfetch's next move? testing the resale marke

Dec 18, 2019
1 min

135 Countries Fighting for “Fridays’ for Future”

Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who shot to global fame for inspiring worldwide student strikes to promote action against climate change, took her mission to U.S. President Donald Trump’s doorstep on this month with a protest outside the White House. Next came the “Climate Strike” in which youths and adults were encouraged to walk out of schools and work to urge more action on climate change. Trump is among a small minority of global leaders who have openly questioned the sc

Dec 6, 2019
1 min

End of Ownership - Renew Your Wardrobe With Second Hand Is The New Hit

The lifespan of the fashion product is becoming more elastic as pre-owned, refurbished, repair and retail business models continue to evolve. Fashion players will increasingly tap into this market to gain access to new consumers seeking both affordability and a move away from the permanent ownership of clothing. Noting new power players like The Real Real, Thred-Up, and Urban Outfitters Nuuly. More related articles: Farfetch's next move? testing the resale market, Retail at r