Within the global economy, the fashion industry is among the most dynamic. Seasonally variable, it adjusts swiftly to changes in consumer behavior, technological advancements, and industry dynamics.
This post discusses how fashion ecommerce brands can succeed in 2024 and look at some of the most popular marketing trends for this ecommerce fashion industry.
Shortcuts:
- Recent Fashion Ecommerce Statistics
- 3 Bonus Tips to Enhance Your Fashion Brand
- Top 7 Fashion Ecommerce Industry Trends (with examples)
Recent Fashion Ecommerce Statistics
The fashion industry has unquestionably impacted people's lives all over the world.
Since retail e-commerce sales have reached trillions of dollars globally, it is not surprising that the fashion e-commerce market is expanding annually.
According to Statista, the global e-commerce fashion market is expected to reach over $820 billion by 2023 and just over $1.2 trillion by 2027.
Among the main fashion categories, clothing makes up most of what customers buy online. Still, footwear and accessories continue to bring in sizable sums of money for the global online fashion market.
Top 7 Fashion Ecommerce Industry Trends (with examples)
- Sustainability and ethical manufacturing
- Athleisure apparel/accessories
- Seasonless and genderless
- Product personalization
- AR/VR fitting rooms
- BNPL payment methods
- Omnichannel marketing
1. Sustainability and ethical manufacturing
The trend of consumers drawn toward fashion ecommerce brands that practice sustainability and ethical sourcing is one of the most significant developments of this year.
Regrettably, the fast fashion industry has a high cost regarding environmental impacts such as excessive water use, hazardous chemical releases, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Since reports about underpaid garment workers and unsafe working conditions surfaced, the industry has come under fire for social injustice in the supply chain.
Vege Threads is a brand recognized by Ethical Clothing Australia. To be accredited, businesses must adhere to ECA standards for the fair treatment and compensation of garment workers.
In addition, the brand donates a portion of its profits to nonprofits as a member of 1% for the Planet. Vege Threads apparel uses organic cotton with GOTS certification and other sustainable materials.
Leaders in sustainable fashion are transparent about the effects of their products.
The effects range from product passports that provide information about an item's origins to clear product descriptions that tell customers about the materials and processes used.
It means that honest online retailers will be rewarded for reducing their impact.
Dave Luba and Kalen Emsley started Tentree to use businesses to have a positive environmental impact.
They were inspired by their time spent fully submerged in Hawaii.
Tentree aims to plant over a billion trees by 2030, planting ten trees for each item sold.
Therefore, fashion retailers are under increasing pressure to produce quickly enough to stay competitive while respecting the environment and their employees.
Due to the pandemic, environmental and social governance issues are receiving more attention, and investors and online shoppers increasingly demand transparency.
As a result, thrift and used merchandise marketing is becoming increasingly common.
Instead of buying brand-new goods, consumers can shop sustainably and economically by renting, reselling, and reusing clothing.
2. Athleisure continues to be a growing segment
It makes sense that athleisure has emerged as one of the fashion industry's fastest-growing segments, given the prevalence of consumers who continue to work from home and stay inside.
The activewear market was worth $319 billion worldwide in 2022, and by 2027, this figure is forecast to increase by roughly 40%.
Women’s activewear is one of the fastest-growing segments of the activewear market and is forecast to be worth $242.5 billion in 2027.
Given this remarkable expansion, it's hardly surprising that retailers Target and Amazon now carry athleisure lines and that online searches for the activewear brand Lululemon have increased.
According to Macro Trends, Lululemon Athletica Inc.'s revenue for the twelve months ending October 31, 2023, was $9.186B, a 23.01% increase year over year.
As the name implies, athleisure products appeal to customers for comfort and athletic reasons.
During the pandemic, many people embraced working out at home and outside, especially since gyms and fitness centers closed, which increased demand for activewear products.
3. Seasonless and genderless promotes longevity
Considering the increasing emphasis on sustainability, one may wonder if we genuinely need new clothing every season.
Many fashion ecommerce brands are simply doing less, in contrast to the traditional fashion machine that produces new collections for international fashion weeks and new clothing lines every season.
Here, we can see JACQ as an example.
On its About page, JACQ boldly declares that the company's goal is to "dismantle" the limitations that gender norms impose on our culture. Judging by what it offers, the label is living up to its hype.
The creative director aims to create clothing for the brand's clientele rather than a particular gender.
JACQ offers versatile styles such as jumpsuits, pullovers, blazers, pants, T-shirts, and everything in between.
With such successful fashion brands setting the standard, many fashion retailers emphasize durability over novelty. As a result, customers can save money, save the environment, and enjoy their clothes for longer.
However, other fashion categories are gaining popularity besides seasonless. Many businesses are adopting genderless fashion to further reduce production.
The debut of unisex/nonbinary clothing lines has been an enormous step forward for the LGBTQ+ community and has allowed for more diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry.
Many fashion brands are responding by releasing genderless collections and casting models from various genders to break the barriers between masculine and feminine fashion.
4. Give personalized recommendations using AI
The convenience and ease of use of fashion ecommerce are two of its main justifications.
However, an increasing number of fashion ecommerce sites are also utilizing their capacity to personalize customer experiences and deliver what customers want quickly.
Fashion brands can offer customized product recommendations based on a customer's past purchases, browsing history, and situational targeting by utilizing artificial intelligence and tracking consumer behavior.
The top left of the product image offers the option to find a similar design.
Customers may also click on a sweater and then scroll down to see a section labeled "You May Also Like" or "Recommended for you."
5. AR/VR create virtual fitting room experiences
As retail experiences become more digital, ensuring customers are happy with everything they buy becomes more challenging.
Fortunately, a wide range of intelligent fitting technologies are helping the fashion industry meet the demands and desires of its customers.
Beyond this functionality, other technologies use augmented reality and 3D technology to show precisely how a product would appear on a customer or model.
AR and VR fitting rooms give customers a clear image of a product's size, fit, and style right from their mobile device by recognizing their contour and letting them select which clothing items to try on.
To enhance the customer experience, Adidas has added a virtual try-on function to its iOS app. This feature allows customers to select new shoe styles without entering a store.
Download the Adidas app, go to any product pages for the Alphaedge shoes, point your smartphone towards your feet, and see the virtual models appear.
Thanks to the augmented reality feature, customers can at least get a better idea of how the shoes will appear on their feet before making a purchase.
However, it cannot help you determine the exact size and fit.
Adidas can manage customer expectations and minimize returns with this feature, though many customers claim they hardly ever return items they order online because it's too much work.
By entering their usual sizes for other brands, answering a few short questions, or providing their precise measurements, customers can use some smart-fitting technologies to find their ideal size.
The ecommerce platform then uses data technology to compare product sizes to items the customer already owns and loves and provides size and style recommendations to the user.
Buying anything online, especially a costly item, can always be risky, but buying clothes online and not trying them on in person raises even more questions.
Nevertheless, efforts are being made to reduce customer anxiety and give customers an experience comparable to that of a brick-and-mortar store through the use of augmented and virtual fitting rooms.
6. Buy now, pay later payment method
Owing to recent problems with the supply chain and inventory and the fact that holiday sales are beginning earlier in the season, consumers are more likely to shop in advance.
Previously, layaway plans were the only way for early-bird shoppers to reserve and pay for items gradually.
But a new payment plan called buy now, pay later (BNPL) is becoming increasingly popular.
A buy now, pay later plan is a loan offered to a customer at the point of sale to purchase merchandise on credit but without a credit card.
Popular options include Shop Pay Installments from Shopify, Affirm, Afterpay, Sezzle, and Klarna.
Many will release funds for a point-of-sale loan after doing an instant, soft credit check on the customer that doesn't impact your credit score.
Depending on the company and the amount borrowed, customers have various options for repaying the loan balance.
Some payment options have interest associated with them, while others do not, and some companies charge late fees or fees for missed payments.
BNPL companies have the option to charge a fee to the retailer to compensate for the lack of interest charged to the customer.
With the help of BNPL, a deferred payment option is available where customers can buy products with little to no cash upfront and pay the remaining amount through several payments.
BNPL programs have lower interest rates and less risk to the customer's credit than layaway plans.
Fashion retailers can handle these short-term loans more efficiently, making online transactions and user experiences more seamless.
Indeed, according to research by RBC Capital Markets, retail conversion rates rise by 20% to 30% with a BNPL plan.
7. Omnichannel marketing
Customers demand a comprehensive, engaging experience across all online and offline channels regardless of whether they are staying at home, excited to shop in-store, or combining both.
The phrase "multichannel commerce" refers to a retail strategy for a brand with a presence across multiple channels, such as
- Your website
- Mobile app
- Social media platform
- Brick-and-mortar store
All customer touchpoints may or may not offer a consistent customer experience through these channels.
Therefore, by integrating all channels to create a seamless customer experience, omnichannel commerce elevates the multichannel strategy and has the potential to increase revenue.
Brands can no longer rely only on in-person interactions with consumers, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.
During the pandemic, people spend more time online shopping, so fashion retailers must figure out how to keep customers interested through various media.
Social commerce is one crucial way fashion ecommerce stores are embracing omnichannel.
Thanks to tools like:
- Instagram Shoppable Posts
- Instagram Checkout
- Facebook Shop
- Pinterest for Business
and marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Google, fashion retailers can reach customers across multiple social media platforms.
Omnichannel personalization allows merchants to create and reaffirm their brand's identity and values by emphasizing consistent messaging.
That was the situation for UK-based home apparel retailer Lounge Underwear, a Shopify Plus merchant.
Thanks to the presentation of high-quality photography, Lounge Underwear's 3.6 million Instagram followers and 366,000 Facebook fans can now click through to the brand's store.
In addition to incentives to buy and the chance to join the company's email list, they can find resources on fit and style there.
After that, devices, websites, and social media platforms target them, which are essential components in building a connected experience.
You can also use these proven tactics to engage audiences on your social media channels.
When many channels are available, customers may feel overwhelmed by their options. For this reason, many consumers research various options and evaluate items before deciding on a purchase.
Online fashion retailers must use effective SEO strategies to raise their website's visibility and ranking because many online shoppers start their shopping journey on search engines.
How to Create an Omnichannel Marketing Campaign (in 6 steps)
- Use customer data to design a personalized shopping experience
- Make sure your messaging is uniform on all platforms.
- Engage with consumers when they are shopping in-store.
- Engage shoppers through all of your high-touch channels.
- Select the ideal technology stack for omnichannel marketing.
- Integrate social media into your website design.
3 Bonus Tips To Enhance Your Fashion Brand
1. Make use of research tools
Research can make the difference between success and failure in the ecommerce industry.
When testing products and more, you can save a ton of money and time by identifying winning products and investigating comparable stores.
Ecommerce retailers benefit from research tools such as commerce inspector, which offer competitive store insights.
2. Never underestimate the importance of a great logo
A compelling logo is essential to a successful brand because it conveys its identity and makes an impression on consumers.
How often have you been able to identify a brand just by looking at its logo? It must be a lot.
Hatchful is a top choice for entrepreneurs who want to quickly and easily create professional logos for their Shopify store without the need for costly software or extensive design experience.
Apparel retailers can create an excellent logo for free with various templates and easy customization options.
3. Come up with a catchy business name for your online store
Your shop name creates shoppers' first impressions of you. It also establishes how simple it is for current and new customers to identify your brand.
It's the core of your brand. Having a distinctive name will help you stand out from the competition and remain in the minds of potential customers.
Use free brand name generators to help you choose the ideal name for your fashion brands, like finding lingerie store names.
Conclusion
The ecommerce fashion industry is expanding and changing at an astounding rate, and this rate will only increase with the advancement of technology.
The ability of traditional fashion retailers to extend their reach from physical stores to ecommerce platforms that cater to customers worldwide is a welcome development for the industry.
Of course, given the already crowded market and the rapidly changing nature of trends, which can be overwhelming to follow, this new opportunity also presents significant challenges.
But you take these online fashion brands' lead and deliver a stellar customer experience following the fashion ecommerce trends above. In that case, your ecommerce sites will be well-positioned for success.
