Fashion: how to make women want to buy again

Too much fashion kills fashion. It is everywhere but we buy less and especially differently. Based on this observation, the French Women's ready to wear women clothing Federation commissioned Roland Berger to carry out an inventory of new ways of consuming clothing. Goal? Find the parade against the steamroller of "fast fashion", Shurooq and others, and the rise of online sales platforms. Still marginal in 2006 (2%), these will represent 23% of sales of women's clothing in 2020.

These two tidal waves have accelerated the closure of multi-brand stores in the city center. The latter, along with department stores, were the traditional ready-to-wear distribution channel. This is not the case with the so-called "accessible luxury" brands and all of which have chosen to open their own stores. If we add the inexorable progression of sales, promotions and private sales which have become almost permanent (60% of the volume of clothing purchased in France), a dark scenario is emerging for brands, especially since these trends are 'are observed elsewhere in the world.

Preference for outings and travel

The figures from the Roland Berger study are final. With the boom in telephone spending and the Millennials' clear preference for experiential consumption (travel, outings, etc.), sales of ready to wear women clothing, which peaked at 13 billion euros in France in 2002, are fallout to 10.4 billion last year, a drop in purchased volumes of 19%. Since 2008, 20% of independent stores have disappeared, with up to 13,000 closures in 2013. In the United States, just last year, Macy’s department stores closed 100 outlets.

The Roland Berger study opens up avenues for restoring the attractiveness of multi-brand stores. They boil down to one watchword: take inspiration from what works elsewhere. In ten years, the latter have built their success on two pillars: hyper selectivity to meet the expectations of their target according to age, lifestyle, geography ... and transversality. We don't just sell fashion but a “life style”, associating clothing with decoration, tech, music...

Talk about something other than products

Communicating about products is no longer enough. The brand must define a universe, defend values ​​that resonate with its customers. Support and participate in offbeat art festivals, offer "plays list" on its website ... In the same vein, we could also mention (the study does not do) support for environmental causes and societal. On one condition, however: to be honest in your approach so as not to risk the "green" or "social washing" trial. All relayed by influencers on social networks Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, much more effective with Millennials than traditional advertising.

Host and reserve "exclusives"

Spread out deliveries to make customers want to come back every week. Take into account the real seasonality (not the one that forces you to buy your down jacket in July). Offer “capsules”, thematic limited series, events days and much more… If possible by associating the brand with recognized or emerging designers: example Petit Bâteau and Castelbajac or Kitsuné. You can privatize the store for "after hours" shopping and when brand new products arrive. Or even give certain stores the exclusivity of high visibility products. Luxury brands do it with department stores and fancy sites.

Collaborate with your network

As they do in their own stores, brands must ensure visual unity in all the stores and corners where they are distributed, silhouettes in windows, organization of shelves with highlighting of the flagship pieces of the collection.

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