With spring upon us and many consumers adjusting to a new life at home, we have compiled a report that looks into what’s inspiring shoppers most right now (Hint: hello relaxed fashion).
Revealed in our 2020 Global Fashion and Beauty Report, we highlight this season’s hottest trends and shopping patterns based on real purchases made by our global customer base of 7.3M (heavily Millennials and Gen Z), across our catalogue of 43,000+ brands and retailers. Our goal is to share with you the top trends to help you better plan for inventory, marketing efforts, promotions and more. We hope the findings below will help you target your customers for the remainder of the Spring shopping season and beyond.
Wellness and beauty top the charts
Footwear continues to dominate, with customers flocking to buy sneakers in particular – popular brands like Air Jordan and Nikes flew off the shelves as athleisure becomes the new norm of day-to-day wear. However, customers aren’t just focusing on casual. Our data also showed an uptick in beauty purchases, with some of the most popular items being skincare products and eye makeup such as liner and mascara. The mix of wellness and beauty is indicative of the mindset of many shoppers right now – self care is paramount.
Party of prints
Following last year’s print trend, which was big on camo, plaid and polka dots, this year we saw consumers turning towards even louder prints. While there are no repeats this season, we’re seeing the return of animal print, particularly leopard, which we saw this season in every possible style from midi-skirts and dresses to blazers and handbags. Floral prints remain popular as we approach warmer weather, and stripes continue to be a classic staple.
Influencer brands thrive
Beauty continued to be a favorite category for all global Afterpay shoppers – with Ulta Beauty being one of the most popular retailers. Beauty brands with massive social media followings on platforms like Instagram dominated in particular – fromColourpop to Fenty Beauty, whose eyeliner was one of the most sought-after items. Beauty brands with an instantly-recognizable face behind them continued to appeal to customers, with Kylie Cosmetics landing on our most popular brands list for the second year in a row.
The Kardashian-Jenner line of businesses proved popular. Kim Kardashian’s latest launch, Skims, her shapewear line, attracted millions of customers and famously sold out within minutes of launching. Health and wellness also remains a focus for customers, who purchased gummy vitamins and affordable gym wear from brands popularized by Instagram influencers.
Style by State
Analyzing our data state by state, locality continues to influence style. In warmer climate states like Arizona, crop tops were a hot-ticket item, while in sunny California, sandals surged. Illinois embraced its urban style with hoop earrings, and New York embraced its athleisure flare with biker shorts from the likes of Forever 21. A constant staple item, jeans were top of mind to all Afterpay customers regardless of state – with Levi Strauss & Co. and Madewell making it into the top most-purchased brands and retailers.
On Mondays, we buy jeans
Did you know that shoppers have distinct purchasing behavior down to the day of the week? Through our data, we found that Mondays are the most popular day for purchasing jeans. Eye makeup was a popular purchase on both Tuesdays (mascara) and Fridays (eyeliner), as eye makeup is highlighted on Instagram likely due to all the video calls consumers are having these days. The hot ticket item for weekend purchases? Sneakers, sneakers, sneakers.
On-the-go beauty dominates
For busy Millennial and Gen Z customers, kits are growing in popularity. From compact mirrors and influencer-endorsed highlighter kits to skincare essentials, today’s young customers want the convenience of an all-in-one beauty experience that can be easily transported on the train, plane and everywhere in between. Consumers also doubled down on all things primer – from face primers to lash primers for a perfectly clean base for makeup application.
Freedom to shop responsibly
Our biggest prediction of all? Especially in these uncertain economic times, giving your customer the opportunity to “buy now, pay later” will become top of mind to brand retail executives everywhere. Between 2018 and 2019, there was a 162% increase in buy now, pay later downloads – rising to roughly six million users. A win-win for your brand and your customers, it empowers you to hold on to your cash reserve while providing customers with what they need most right now -- peace of mind, avoiding credit card debt while still being able to get their must-haves for the season in as we look forward to brighter days ahead.
Curious to learn more insights about the Afterpay shopper? Contact [email protected].
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