How Fashion Retail Will Change*

Hi everyone!

Today we're talking about the Fashion Industry.


The fashion industry is nothing if not an evolving entity, and that includes insofar as it exists as a retail business. Ten years ago we were only just getting used to shopping regularly online. Then came extensive, beautiful online lookbooks, easy return options, shopping carts preserved over time, and more that made the experience rich and appealing. Now we’re beginning to talk about virtual fitting rooms! The point is, just as fashion itself evolves, the ways in which we consume it change as well. So I thought I’d use this piece to look at some of the ways in which it may continue to change, say in the next couple of years.

Beacons Will Help In-Person Stores Catch Up

Beacon technology might be the most exciting thing happening in fashion retail. It was explained fairly thoroughly in this take on how fashion retail would change in 2018, though we still haven’t seen it implemented too broadly just yet. The idea, basically, is that bluetooth “beacons” placed around in-person stores will interact with shoppers who allow said interaction via their mobile phones. This will effectively help the stores to become every bit as smart and helpful as online stores. They’ll be able to track the items you looked at, alert you when something becomes available in your size, access your shopping history, and more. All of this - bringing the convenience and assistance of online shopping to in-person stores - may just help these stores to catch up to the internet. In some cases it may even keep them in business.

Online Sites Will Adopt Tab Models

The “tab” model is something we actually don’t talk about much, because there are already all sorts of convenient and easy ways to pay for products online. But this is still an interesting possibility. Right now it’s mostly used in gaming. As explained here, some casino sites in particular are using a “pay-by-phone bill” model that essentially adds costs accrued via mobile gaming to an existing mobile phone bill. It basically allows you to shop without worrying about immediate costs, which - so long as you’re responsible about it - can be a relief. A similar model for online fashion retail would streamline the shopping experience even more than a saved credit card or PayPal account would. Image for instance if you use an iPhone and your shopping apps simply added costs to an Apple Pay tab to be paid at the end of each month.

Our Own Psychology Will Help Us

This is related in some ways to the beacons mentioned above, and it’s also something that’s been true throughout the history of fashion retail. Stores are always working to tap into customer psychology and provide more appealing experiences based on it. Now, however, thanks to beacons, surveys, feedback, browsing history, and more, there is simply more data for stores to access in order to actually get a grasp of what we want and how we want it. Through all of this, our own habits will continue to shape what stores do, such that in a roundabout way, our own psychology gradually produces better and better shopping experiences.

VR & AR Will Be Fun New Features

The most predictable change in the retail industry in the coming years will come through technology, and specifically augmented and virtual reality. Current thoughts on how AR and VR will change fashion retail address everything from manufacturing to marketing, and involve home dressing room simulations, screens at the front of stores that mirror you in clothing items, in-store virtual fitting rooms, etc. I’d agree with all of these things being on the way, and many of them being fairly impactful on the shopping experience. However, the prediction here is that these will essentially be fun new features, rather than fundamental shifts in how things are done.

We May See More Independent Boutiques

This is another somewhat vague prediction. But it could well be that as major stores are more streamlined, they also get consolidated. One store may be able to handle the volume of two, for instance, if it has beacons, AR, VR, and an online component all helping it to reach and satisfy more customers. This may just help the giants of fashion retail dominate even more thoroughly, but it could also open the door for more boutique competitors. Independent shops don’t have all of the same advantages, but they can still be very modern in their approaches, and they may just start to take up some of the space freed up by potential consolidation.

So what do you think the future looks like for the fashion industry? Let me know below!

H x

*This is a collaborative feature

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