Buyer insight: Here are five popular categories that consumers are purchasing

The summer of loosening travel restrictions and the opening up of economies in Europe has led to a shift in purchasing categories. Although holiday apparel was less popular than expected, consumer spending continues to grow in casualwear, activewear, and footwear, with comfort being the key driver.

Denim 2.0

While consumers may still wear sweatpants when working from home, they are now also wearing jeans and denim. This is a sign that casual wear has become more mainstream. Online retailers reported a 60% increase in the number of new denim styles, with sell-thrus increasing 15% year over year. Trending is the loser silhouette, which has a longer leg and lower waist. The resurgence of vintage blue treatments and knee rips was a major theme in denim’s future. Acid washes are also a common feature on the AW21 women’s runway as well as the men’s SS21 presentations.

Elevated loungewear

Sweatpants, jerseys, knitwear, and sweatpants all saw strong sales in Q2, but this is not to be confused by the rise in popularity of lounge pants in the first quarter of 2020. Fall assortments should include high-end styles that can be worn outside the home such as smart crew neck sweaters, smart cardigans, and cuffed joggers. Transseasonal items and layering with mix and match are great options for knitwear.

Activewear

Activewear is still one of the fastest growing categories, with leggings, sports bras, and shorts at the top of the sales pyramid. Particularly in menswear, sales of sweatshirts and hoodies are up 29 percent and 41 percent respectively in the UK and US compared to 2020. Activewear continues to be driven by the demand for ‘at-home’ fashion and the search for ‘sports’.

Polo and preppy dress

Polo shirts are a staple in preppy dressing. There was an 18% increase in investment when retailers sorted them for complementary trends like tenniscore and golfcore. Investment in checks almost tripled in Q2 2020 when compared to Q2 2019.

Lifestyle updates

The world is constantly changing. This is why sleepwear continues to be so successful after restrictions were removed. Wellbeing is rapidly evolving, with new options in sleep accessories. These categories are also expanding into lifestyle categories like homeware. Global loungewear and sleepwear markets are expected to grow at USD 19.5 billion between 2020-2024. Designers showcased a variety of items such as hoodies, tees, and co-ord set on the Fall 2021 runways.