EDITED’s data analytics drives the retail industry. From apparel and footwear, to accessories and homeware, our team of Retail Analysts crunch the numbers and not only find the trends, they set them every day. Many of these insights can be found each week on our blog and Inside Retail, EDITED’s Award-winning podcast. This time each year we look back on the most popular pieces of content so you can enjoy them again, or for the first time.
If all you heard in the world of retail in 2022 was recession, inflation and supply chain, you weren’t alone. The entire industry felt headwinds that impacted the day to day operations of both new and legacy brands. The pandemic that upended the world three years ago still lingers, leaving much uncertainty to consumers around the world. Through it all, EDITED’s dedicated analysts, researchers and industry experts used the power of our Retail Intelligence solutions to offer the best insights into the challenges and opportunities available to data savvy retailers.
Here are the most read blogs and listened to podcasts for 2022!
1. The Lingerie Market Explained in 8 Charts
Few categories have seen such significant shifts over time as lingerie. The pandemic accelerated the already-popular comfort dressing movement, propelling soft cup silhouettes into the spotlight. Consumer demand for inclusivity in sizes and shades has been met by viral DTC brands like Parade and SKIMS, forcing legacy players to finally up their game or fade into obscurity.
Top Takeaways
• Despite a return to events, demand for comfort is still strong, with retailers increasing their investment in sports bras by 9% and bralettes by 4% YoY. Push-up bras have experienced a two-year decline, down 15% YoY and 25% vs. 2020.
• It’s paramount that retailers embed diversity in all aspects of their business and not just as a box-ticking exercise. Darker shades of nude underwear now equal 56% of skin-tone underwear in the US, up from 42% a year ago. However, the UK is lacking with lighter beige hues accounting for 72% of nude product.
2. Activewear Market Analysis
Despite retail’s constant challenges, activewear sell outs have eclipsed pre-pandemic levels by 42%. Discover the macro trends shaping the future of this unstoppable category.
Top Takeaways
• The adoption of Gorpcore should motivate active brands to explore other outdoor activities and look beyond the physical world. More retailers are entering the metaverse, whether through gaming or NFTs and active players need to get on board before the trend goes into warp speed.
• More than just buzzwords, retailers are tapping into self-care, communicating that rest, recovery and wellness are just as important as getting physical. Yoga products increased 55% YoY with seamless activewear cementing itself as the new loungewear.
3. The Hottest Streetwear Trends for 2022
In a category that continues to disrupt the market, we look at themes across recent collections, which trends the biggest streetwear brands are backing and what to focus on moving into 2022.
Top Takeaways
• Preppy: Collegiate themes took hold of the streetwear market, with big-name brands like Kith, Aimé Leon Dore, and Noah releasing prep-inspired collections. Sporting influences saw Kith collaborate with tennis brand Wilson, and Nike release a NOCTA golf range.
• Gorpcore: Streetwear’s obsession with the outdoors continued. The North Face collaborated with both Gucci and Supreme on some of the most hyped releases this year. High street retailers also took note, with Uniqlo launching its outdoor-inspired collection with White Mountaineering. As technical clothing still dominates the space, windbreakers, gilets and cargos become core product lines for retailers.
4. Decoding The Ultra Fast SHEIN Business Model
Top Takeaways
• Though made and based in China, SHEIN operates online in the Western market only (with the exception of the occasional pop-up store). Even in the face of COVID, strong investment in ecommerce was paramount to its eye-watering success, bolstering a 250% YoY increase in sales in 2020• SHEIN’s digital DTC approach also underpins its wider strategy of breakneck speed design turnaround and low prices. Founder and CEO Chris Xu specializes in SEO and brand marketing, which are key factors in SHEIN’s rise to dominance.
•SHEIN’s digital DTC approach also underpins its wider strategy of breakneck speed design turnaround and low prices. Founder and CEO Chris Xu specializes in SEO and brand marketing, which are key factors in SHEIN’s rise to dominance.
5. What Is The Metaverse And What Does It Mean For Retail?
A term first coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 dystopian sci-fi novel, Snow Crash. What does the metaverse look like in modern society, and why is everyone talking about it?
Top Takeaways
• The metaverse takes a 2D screen and turns it into a 3D digital environment through a combination of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and video. People can then carry out daily tasks, such as working or socializing, like avatars in a digital world.
• VR vs. AR: An immersive experience, VR is a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment that users can discover by wearing a headset or glasses. AR is a digital overlay that gets projected onto the real world and is brought to life on your digital screen. For example, through filters on your phone.
Awarded the Best Branded Podcast of 2022 by Quill, Inside Retail continues to be a must listen for those who live, breath and most importantly, work in retail.
Hosted by EDITED’s Retail Strategy Director, Grace Hill, the show has grown into a place where the industry’s biggest players chat about the intersection of technology and retail, what goes into the day to day of planning a successful strategy in a crowded marketplace and what it takes to survive in a constant sea of challenges.
1. ThisMerchLife: Finding Fun in Fashion Merchandising
They weren’t the first in retail fashion to start a meme account dedicated to their overworked and underappeciated lives, but the creative force behind ThisMerchLife is now the one everyone aspires to.
2.Natalie Guzman, Co-President & CMO, Savage X Fenty
Rihanna’s had 14 number one songs, won 9 Grammy’s and is the wealthiest female artist in the world. But her biggest influence as a global superstar may be her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, still only four years old but already synonymous with being inclusive to everyone regardless of size, gender or ethnicity.
3.Tech Talks: What Does AI Mean for Retail?
While everyday uses of AI are found in tasks previously performed by humans (think Google or Alexa) its applications for brands and retailers offer a new way to use this technology to solve complex problems through machine learning.
4.Tech Talks: Maximizing Sales With Microdecisions
Merchandisers used to be responsible for a few hundred decisions every week. But with technology now allowing consumers unparalleled power at the click of their smartphone, from scanning products for personalized promotions, seeking out similar styles at other retailers or simply comparing prices, the game has changed.
5.Selling To Marketplaces with Rebecca Lacerda of Crocs
Whether you wear your Crocs with socks, with charms or without any, this legendary brand prides itself on designing “delightfully comfortable shoes” that make the world a happier place. And if we had to describe Rebecca Lacerda, the company’s Head of Digital Marketplaces, it would be happy. Or bubbly. Or the best friend you wish you had. She’s also an industry leading expert on Marketplaces, which range from Amazon and Zalando in the west to JD and Alibaba in the Asia-Pacific.
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Let’s raise a glass to 2022. We hope you’ve enjoyed our content as much as we had creating it this year.
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