Fashion and e-commerce, how consumption changes.
The events of recent years have also changed the way of shopping. It seems that buying clothes online is the preferred choice of many people.
The online fashion market continues to grow, why? The answer is very simple: fashion and its sector have changed incredibly in recent decades, so much so that the phenomenon of overproduction of fast fashion is taking place, which negatively affects the health of the planet and the exploitation of third-party populations. world. In fact, it is precise to them that the difficult task of creating and sewing clothes falls, most of the time receiving a negligible or zero fee.
As various economists state, it is no news that e-commerce strategies in fashion are constantly growing, especially after a long period in which the world has experienced first-hand the habit of no longer going to a physical store to buy a object or good. Today, therefore, clothes are also chosen from home , from the comfort of one’s sofa. Let’s see how come.
Fashion goes digital
There is said to be a profound acceleration in the digital transformation of the fashion industry . A statistics magazine, states that in 2022, online sales revenues in the clothing sector will reach 205 billion dollars in the United States . But that’s not all, in addition to clothes, footwear and fashion accessories are involved, which are increasingly being chosen remotely by many users.
Clearly, digital channels represent one of the first causes of this incredible growth, since increasingly inclusive online access allows anyone to turn to a simple device even for shopping. Technological innovation is therefore one of the first elements that leads us to see a world in which the e-commerce fashion market is increasingly flourishing. At the same time, however, there is a decrease in customers in physical stores.
Headless commerce, what is it?
In addition to a simple social process , we can also talk about another phenomenon, the so-called headless commerce . This term explains the new experience dedicated to the user even at a distance.
In fact, it is not difficult to come across e-commerce sites that offer the customer a unique experience in terms of choosing clothes. One of many, the possibility to recreate an outfit online or to receive the clothes and send them back in case you are not satisfied.
Pandemic, how the way of shopping is changing
Another of the factors influencing the change of direction in consumer choices is also the new world created by the pandemic. Even fashion is adapting to new distances , since the health emergency was not only such as it was linked to the health of human beings. The emergency also affected the economy and industry , especially the fashion industry which was initially among the hardest hit.
Between April and June 2020 there was an incredible drop in production in the clothing sector, by more than 38%. The data has been explanatory for the entire industry, and has left many brands unsure of how to manage the future of their brand. Purchasing behaviors are changing, and at the same time retailers are adapting to the choices of customers , who today prefer not to go to the store but choose the clothes to wear from a distance.
We cannot leave out the ethical values that strictly concern sustainability . This is why the fashion industry moves to a virtual level also on the green front . Respect for nature and the environment are the cornerstones around which the philosophy of fashion retailers revolves , which find a clientele attentive to transparency and environmental issues given the difficult period that the planet is facing.
“There are no more half seasons”
Among the reasons that lead people to turn more to an e-commerce to buy clothes, there is also the factor of seasonality . It’s called seasonless , an English term that indicates the fact that contrary to what happened in the past, today there is less and less a fixed category of clothes for each season.
The new clothing collections are therefore always suitable for all seasons and fashion operators are also expanding the genderless range. These are those items of clothing that have no gender but are suitable for everyone. This is a very important step forward for those who belong to the LGBTQIA+ community , since the introduction of new genderless clothing lines opens up greater inclusiveness even within fashion brands.
A unique experience
In addition to breaking down the barrier between women’s and men’s fashion , customers want a service that works but above all allows them to pay for what they buy in installments. This is an option that many e-commerce add in order to create a positive experience for the customer, who is increasingly looking for an online site that can give them everything they need.
Whether it’s social pages, shops or simple applications, what wins is the so-called multichannel , which takes the multichannel strategy to a higher value. Even fashion, therefore, is digitized creating a succession of new interesting and apparently profitable trends .
