Fashion Ecommerce Industry 2019 – Trends and Insights

No matter on age, gender or profession, fashion has a considerably large impact on not only on our individual self-satisfaction but in the development of culture. Shopping allows us to stay updated on the latest trends, styles and is a way of expressing our personalities when we socialise. It one of the most insignificant ways to stand out.

Those brands who capture these emotions that can be evoked when shopping, will have an everlasting, loyal customer relationship. The main thing ecommerce brands are in danger of forgetting is the reason why so many online shoppers decide to click that ‘buy’ button…

The ecommerce industry is in a steady state of growth even though shopping centres and physical stores around the world are closing at record rates. However, don’t take this as a bad omen, online and offline retail stores are both here to stay. Ecommerce brands need to be prepared to invest in more innovative, customer-friendly online shopping experiences.

The fashion ecommerce industry is there for the taking by forward-thinking and ambitious digital marketing entrepreneurs.

Although retail powerhouses like Amazon continue to rule the non-fashion categories of shopping, they are yet to crack the secret of how to replicate the online fashion shopping experience. We are noticing especially in fashion; many retail markets are experiencing a direct-to-consumer renaissance. Many emerging brands are taking on an ‘online first’ mentality to give consumers that personalised experience they so desire. Some brands are completely skipping the physical store tradition altogether.

Emerging markets and brands within the fashion ecommerce industry worldwide will have an annual consumption of nearing £25 trillion by 2025. Retailers have a huge opportunity to mark their territory in the Ecommerce space within the next 3 – 5 years. But who is brave enough to take charge and pave the way for outrageous and out of the box ideas?

The fashion ecommerce industry is gradually getting rid of its biggest weakness … uncertainty!

Customers wanting that personal experience online, but so they do not feel stalked is a tricky combination to master. Especially now people buying fashion products want to trial products before purchasing them without having to go into a store. If they are unsure on how successful the purchase will be, ecommerce brands will end up with empty baskets.

Last year the global cart abandonment rate (CAR) remained relatively stable with only a slight spike around BFCM. This would lead us to believe that high conversion rates are not moving inversely with cart abandonment rates.

So, what is the best route for ecommerce brands? At the end of the day no matter what technology is thrown at customers, a large percentage of shoppers go to brick-and-mortar shops despite recognising the convenience and advantages of online shops.

Forward-thinking and innovative online retailers are overcoming this consumer behaviour by developing content experience specifically designed to reduce this shopping uncertainty. However, it is worth remembering that between Q1 and Q4 of 2018, fashion ecommerce brands globally saw a 33% increase in average revenue per visit on desktop and 38% increase on mobile devices.

As we are living in a digital world, this shows that with the right technology, ecommerce brands can expand their revenue and consumer reach by applying more to their online strategy. 

How far can technology go to aid the increase in consumer shopping online and at home?

Why does I am Robot always pop into my head?

Numerous brands are investing in augmented reality technologies that allow shoppers to see virtual 3D forms of the clothes and fashion products they plan to buy. It can take into consideration certain parameters like fit options, colours and fabrics.

Another invention that is coming into light is touch screen wardrobes that will project an image of the outfit for you to stand in front of and keeps an inventory of what is in your wardrobe. This will even advertise outfits and accessories that suit what is in your wardrobe … talk about taking shopping at home to a new level.

BazaarVoice has this interesting analysis of the sharing economy merging into fashion ecommerce:

 “When we think about the concept of the sharing economy, brands like Airbnb and Uber are the first to come to mind. However, the concept of the sharing economy is also extending to fashion. Millennials who are driving this trend of disownership might not always have the budget to afford expensive clothes, but they still look for great experiences.”

Has social media taken over the Ecommerce industry yet?

Social media is becoming the centre of the universe when it comes to influencing shopper’s trends, buying habits and expanding the range at which we see advertisements and celebrities supporting brands. It has evolved from simple platforms designed to connect individuals, to information content networks that act as the gateway to the internet and more importantly ecommerce brands.

‘The visual nature of platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook plays right into the hands of fashion ecommerce retailers who can develop strong relationships with their target audience.’

It has never been easier for ecommerce fashion brands to effectively target niche consumer audiences! If brands can produce regular, quality, engaging content from these social platforms, including personalised email campaigns, you will give yourself a repeat customer marketing machine.

Particularly within the fashion ecommerce industry, the benefits of social media can include:

• Utilising A/B testing with individual messages for equally individualised unique audiences that are more captivating and less expensive than traditional advertising methods
• Can immediately see results of campaigns with real-time inputs from users
• The amazing ‘multiplier effect’, users will resend and forward messages or advertisements to thousands of friends or followers with the simple click of a mouse or tap on their phone
• Social media is an easy method to driving traffic to your ecommerce website organically

‘With the continual improvements and new features constantly integrated by the big social media platforms, more and more tools will be developed to help brands develop stronger relationships with their target audiences.’