In an era of digital & data, WindowsWear acts as a channel for the world’s biggest and most influential global brands. Through the celebration of content and community WindowsWear has strategically positioned itself to become the leading authority for inspiration, research, and competitive analysis. An inspiring level of innovation has sprung to life in retail creating trends & global phenomenon’s. In this transformational year, here were some of the biggest moments impacting the industry:
Technology
Beyond creating widely desirable collections and premium products, brands are capturing consumers through technology like Virtual and Augmented Reality more than ever. For consumers, AR and VR are poised to transform the path to purchase. By 2020, it’s predicted that more than 1 in 5 internet users in the US will experience VR content at least once a month.
Moschino, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci are venturing to new digital outlets like gamification to drive consumers sales.
By integrating technology, brands have pushed the digital envelope to become more experiential like Michael Kors collaborating with The Dolby to create a 360-degree immersive experience of videos, images, and music of the latest campaign starring supermodel Bella Hadid.
Pop Ups
As consumers continue to crave experiences, savvy brands are offering compelling activations to keep consumers coming back for more. – This past year, Moncler launched a series of ‘House of Genius’ pop-ups around the world, as part of its ongoing strategy to push the boundaries of innovative customer retail experience by merging offline and online. Fenty, epitomizes both the spirit of Rihanna and a new approach to modern luxury with a “see-now-wear-now” strategy.
YSL Beauté pushed boundaries with a fantastical custom beauty adventure, in the heart of Palm Springs. Limited-edition pop-up boutiques in strategic locations which have kept houses front and center with media worldwide successfully serving as a social media activation for shoppers.
Sustainability
Nine in ten Generation Z consumers believe companies have an ethical responsibility to be transparent with environmental and social issues. Sustainability is becoming a growing priority, launching meaningful initiatives worldwide to drive the fashion industry toward the future.
From Balmain, Gucci, Prada and Versace publicly committing to stop using fur, to Burberry pledging to end the use of single-use plastic packaging by 2025. Lush Cosmetics and Patagonia among others halted brick and mortar sales in solidarity of the global climate strike. This movement has even reached critical mass with 4,000 people joining a waitlist for Virgil Abloh’s reusable water bottle in collaboration with Matches Fashion and Evian.
Retail spaces like H&M, Printemps, Timberland, Galeries Lafayette, and Ganni, have designed their latest store to be eco-conscious pivoting major retailers to fuel the resale trend. At Salvatore Ferragamo their exhibition “Sustainable Thinking: The Latest in Eco Fashion” a work of art prompted the world at large to ask the bigger question, how can fashion fight to protect the future?
Online Business
Due to ever-evolving consumer demands, retailers and brands have ramped up their online efforts. Givenchy and Dior made its explosive E-commerce debut while the Social media juggernaut Instagram is not only influencing what we wear but how we shop. This past year they turned their platform into a go-to e-commerce destination.
The drop model– introducing a limited collection fueled the rise of streetwear and was quickly adopted by Ralph Lauren and Amazon who released exclusive products in limited numbers, fueling hype and sparking urgency and demand.
In a fast-growing trend for instant gratification More than 51% of retailers offer same day delivery. Nordstrom embraced demand with launching 24/7 curbside pickup for those who even need that dress at 3am. By 2022 65% of retailers will offer same day delivery services fusing together the complex and immediate world of in-store and online.
Hospitality
With experiences becoming the new avenue into luxury, hospitality is the next frontier of brand dominion. From the Coach Diner in California to Fendi’s café in London, to Ralph Lauren’s expansion of the Ralph’s Coffee concept, these destinations bridge the social element of food and fashion for loyalists to experience unique expressions of their favorite brand.
Comebacks
With rebranded logos on the rise, Burberry, Celine, and Bottega Venetta are also updating stores to better reflect new creative vision and repositioning strategy.
Nostalgia driven trends target consumers by revisiting archives and breathing them back into life. In New York City guided visitors explored decades of vintage and archival silhouettes with the Coach Originals pop up. While Louis Vuitton celebrated their 160 year-old legacy with a retrospective exhibition entitled Louis Vuitton X.
Versace teamed up with Google to bring a re-edition of the iconic green dress worn by Jennifer Lopez which subsequently launched Google images and made Versace spike 5822% in the 24 hours following her appearance at Versace’s Spring/Summer 2020 show.
Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Galeries Lafayette opens its doors and redefines retail with a 360-degree experience showing that department stores are coming back more modern than ever before.
The retail revolution is changing and evolving at a relentless pace of emerging ideas, how will you help us shape this future?