07 top_5_strategies_men_s_buyers_briefing_a_w_20_21

1、Retail A/W 20/21Top 5 Strategies: Mens Buyers BriefingMISSING CAPTIONThe demand for fewer, better products encourages performance- enhanced apparel for A/W 20/21Action PointsAs the menswear market continues to grow at a faster rate than womenswear, new opportunities are surfacing for category growth

2、 and technological advancement. Keep an eye on these key areas to get a leg up on the competition in A/W 20/21.1. Form and function: the fewerbut better movement demands more for your money. Cater to these needs with technical outerwear or better basics with enhanced properties.2. Be mindful of D2C:

3、 the rise of direct to consumer brands is largely attributed to market disruption. Prevent losing business by sussing out opportunities ripe for reinvention, such as technical suiting or big and tall sizing.3. Comfort is inherent: while hybrid designs and hi-lo styling has become the new norm in men

4、swear, A/W 20/21 takes this mantra one step further, expecting comfort to be seamlessly embedded in clothing without disrupting designs.4. Adopt systems: an organised approach to dressing declutters the path to purchase.5. Support sustainability: its no longer a question of if, but how brands will b

5、e sustainable. Find the solution that works best for your business, from circular rental models to adopting newfibres. Jack WolfskinOptimise Your OuterwearWhat you need to know:The demands put on outerwear are greater than ever, with consumers expecting benefits such as lightweight heat retention, t

6、ransseasonal design and travel-ready packability alongside elevated and beautiful designs. The reluctance to compromise on any of these categories has given rise to a new breed of performance outerwear that celebrates the beauty of function.Optimising your outerwear doesnt mean its restricted to per

7、formance attributes, as sustainability and ethical production are the upgrades worth shelling out for.Cruelty-free goose down and vegan-fur trims have also become key selling points.Who you need to know:Descente Allterrain: its Fusionknit technology infuses outerwear with titanium particle sheets, w

8、elded into coat backs for additional heat retention.Jack Wolfskin: this German brand brings sophisticated appeal to outdoor apparel, infusing functional attributes such as mosquito repellent.Save the Duck: using a proprietary down alternative, this growing brand also boasts packability.Snow Peak: th

9、is Japanese outdoor lifestyle brand masters the idea of functional beauty while also promoting recycled goose-down coats.Assortment actions:Buy into outerwear brands that view performance and function equal to design.Tap into the growing vegan movement with cruelty-free down, or if using fur be sure

10、 it meets high ethical standards, such as Saga Certification.Descente AllterrainThe beauty of function was a key callout at the S/S 21 edition of Performance Days, stressing equal emphasis on performance and aesthetic, highlighting a shift away from performance as paramountSnowpeakSupport Sustainabl

11、e SolutionsWhat you need to know:Advances in sustainable solutions are keeping pace with consumer education, paving the way for a future consumer who will vote with their money and seek out sustainable brands. Systemic change will be critical to facilitating these brands reaching a mass audience, me

12、aning the change starts with the buyer. Advances in legality around hemp fibres will play a role in the US brand landscape, while innovative fibre solutions create new opportunities for capsules andcollaborations.Who you need to know:Jungmaven: this hemp-based brand has embodied casual cool since 20

13、05 and is in the spotlight once again as hemp gains ground.Vollebak: this innovative start-up has launched a tee made entirely of compostable wood pulp and algae.Levis: its persistent R&D efforts have birthed the Wellthread collection, derived from the less-thirsty hemp plant, but with the softness

14、of cotton.adidas: teaming with fibre innovator Evrnus NuCycl technology, waste garments are transformed into cotton pulp and extruded into high-performance yarn.Assortment actions:Sustainability comes in many forms. If supply chain changes are unrealistic for your business, begin with versatile ward

15、robe edits that deter overconsumption.Invest in, partner with and celebrate sustainable brands. Clue consumers in to your #creativecollabs to increase brand affinity and elevate your sustainable status.adidas by Stella McCartneyNew-in sustainable mens apparel at online retail (UK) BetterCotton Initi

16、ative Recycle Organic*Q3 stillunderway, already shows +482% combined growthYoY20182019Q3Q1Q2Q4Q1Q2Q3*WGSN InstockNew-insComfort-proof yourtailoringWhat you need to know:Make comfort a key factor across even your most formal categories. The casualisation of the workplace coupled with the rise in work

17、ing from home ensures the smart- casual movement is here to stay. While hybrid designs and hi-lo styling have been a mainstay for years, embedded comfort and performance updates willset tailored clothing apart in the future.Pay attention to D2Cs in this space, as tech-savvy brands are gaining market

18、share for celebrating their technical attributes.Who you need to know:Ministry of Supply: boasting scientifically better dress clothes, its collections offer machine-washable suiting, moisture-wicking shirts, four-way stretch trousers and odour-repellant properties.Knot Standard: this D2C site offer

19、s customised suiting featuring high-quality items with enhanced properties, such as stretch, wrinkle-resistance and zippered inner pockets for secure travel.Nanamica: this Japanese brand attacks comfort twofold; blending Alphadry technology into its suiting for moisture-wicking, while also mastering

20、 the art of softly oversized fits, tapping into the growing trend for roomier suiting silhouettes.Assortment actions:Stock brands with performance attributes seamlessly blended into designs, from comfort-centric dress shoes to technical tailoring.Explore new growth markets, such as two-mile wear and

21、 soft tailoring for a fashion-forwardangle.NanamicaMen surveyed by WGSN Barometer in the UK, US and Germany rated comfort as the top driver for satisfaction among apparel purchasesMinistry of SupplyInclusivity Impacts MenswearWhat you need to know:The strides made in plus-size womenswear have had an

22、 effect on the mens market, with more inclusive sizing increasingly available across major retailers. The plus-size mens clothing industry grew by 0.2% over five years to$1bn in revenue in 2018, while the number of businesses has risen 1.6%, according to a report by IBIS World. As the menswear indus

23、try continues to outpace the overall growth of the womenswear industry, the timing is ripe to suss out growth markets within the sector and address the changing narrative around big and tall assortments.Who you need to know:American Eagle: this major player in the youth space has recently expanded i

24、nto mens plus, offering denim in sizes 26-48 both in-store and online.Stitch Fix: this subscription service launched a big and tall offer for XL sizes, which garnered a waitlist of 25,000 men.Boohoo: this fast-fashion kingpin is reporting strong sales growth in its mens plus-size sector, with triple

25、 digit growth in the last year. A recent collab with UK rapper Deno Driz has launched, available online in sizes up t0 5XL, with larger sizes seeing high sales.Assortment actions:Utilise your existing consumer base to gauge interest on extended sizing and fit concerns. Allow room for crowd- sourced

26、decisions to impact product buys.Expanded size ranges are increasingly preferred to standalone plus collections. Use special specs for larger sizes to avoid the pitfalls of simply scaling up.American EagleOutfittersMens big & tall sizes: % of total and growth year-on-yearUKUS+35%+32%+30%+25%+15%+13%

27、+19%+15%+7%+4%1xl2xl3xl4xl5xl and bigger1xl2xl3xl4xl5xl and biggerWGSN Instock. March - August 2019 and 2018.% TotalGrowthSystems for DressingWho you need to know:Whatyou need to know:Decluttering the path to purchase should be top of mind for 2020. The proliferation of choice has become overwhelmin

28、g, making curation a top priority. Future consumers will be mindful of waste and look to new systems for dressing that will offer intuitive solutions for building better wardrobes. New rental services,lifestyle edits and layering systems all speak to this trend.Everlane: its Uniform collection shows

29、 an increased emphasis on menswear, offering 12 interchangeable pieces for smart-casual lifestyles.Scotch & Soda: its Scotch Select rental programme offers clients three revolving items at a time.Frank & Oak: its Smart-Layering Outerwear system features garments that hook into each other across base

30、 layers, mid-layers and outerwear.Amazon: the Prime Wardrobe option extends the popularity of Prime to wardrobe edits from in-house and third-party brands. Up to eight items can be trialled at home for a week, only charging for items you keep.Assortment actions:Reframe seasonal offerings into edits

31、that work well together and speak to specific lifestyles or life events. Highlight the benefits for each capsule, from comfort- centric smart-casual workwear to coordinating, travel- friendly pieces.Promote transseasonal items with a fresh focus on layerable looks and merchandising that encourages a

32、dd- on buys to existing pieces.EverlaneWe found that once they love a style they will buy the same piece over and over again.-NatePeltonenSenior Merchant, EverlaneFrank & OakMethodologyDefinitionsWGSN Instock data New-in: new products available online during the specified period Market segmentation:

33、 retailers are segmented by their reaction to trend and price architecture. Trend- led retailers are those that are first to respond. Premium retailers work alongside trend to create their own look. Value retailers include supermarket and other value brands. Mass market are those that dont lead the trends but follow them. The luxury market represents the high-end retailers Sustainability: the commitment of brands and r