What to watch – WWD

Retailers cite strong sales of loose fit pants, denim, athletic-inspired and luxury-inspired sequined shoes, even without the benefit of international tourism to the United States. Specialty clothing chains saw women replenish their wardrobes as vaccines rolled out.

“As we move into next year there are still a lot of questions and situations we will have to navigate, but probably calmer waters. We’re hoping for some form of normalization, but not until Q3, ”Bousquet-Chavanne predicted, referring to supply chain issues and the adjustments needed to change consumer buying behaviors.

“The government is turbo-fueling the economy we’ll be celebrating next year, it’s a headwind. By Q3, a more resilient supply chain with greater capacity should be available, with better flows, not up and down flows. I also see some degree of inflation continuing into the first half of the year, but to a lower degree than what we saw in the second half of this year, as costs realign, ”said Bousquet-Chavanne.

“In the second half of next year, we should also see a further normalization of demand,” he added. “Looking back, we have never seen such an increase in global demand for every category of consumer products as we have seen in the first six months of 2021.”

For 2022, “Most of our customers and brands are optimistic. I see the plans they generate. There is a very strong luxury forecast, ”said Bousquet-Chavanne. “We also play in beauty and clothing and these three sectors have a very optimistic view of consumer demand. The US economy will remain strong thanks to full employment and wage inflation. This will trigger the request.

He is optimistic about Europe. “We see Europe with lower inflationary pressure. France was at 2.6 percent inflation compared to the United States, which was north of 5 percent in the last quarter. [Germany’s inflation rate was 5.2 percent at the end of November.] The demand for luxury and beauty products in Asia will always remain very strong.

According to Martine Williamson, Director of Marketing at Revlon, retailers need to be aware that consumers “really want this fully interactive experience. They’ve relied on social and virtual beauty classes, and it’s still an important part of that shopping journey, even as improving the in-store experience through augmented reality, virtual reality and Two-way dialogues are of increasing importance, ”said Williamson.

Clean, sustainable products, and bringing them to market using recyclable materials in packaging, shipping and store display, which means less plastic and less excess, should be priorities, said Williamson. “Consumers are really interested in this. All elements of the experience are important.

“I certainly see that desire to indulge yourself,” said Marian Salzman, senior vice president, global trends and communications researcher, Philip Morris International. “People will do everything to create a luxurious home, a haven of peace, and install electronic products to escape without escaping the four walls of their house. There is a strong desire to shop via e-commerce. People want to get out of their homes, but it’s e-commerce to the max.

In 2022, Salzman sees consumers massively purchasing expensive kitchen utensils, garden accessories, outdoor kitchen equipment, luxurious manufactures and versatile clothing suitable for Zoom calls, office meetings, sitting in a room. coffee and the “new normal” of hybrid work schedules. More people will be entertained with small dinners at home, she said. In her report ’22 Trendsightings for 2022′, she wrote: ‘The world is poised to emerge from the dreary lockdowns and restrictions of COVID-19. “

She also wrote that “people are reconsidering what they want from work – and how much they are willing to take. More is expected of businesses, including not only fair wages, but also effective diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and a commitment to advancing social justice. As employers look to hybrid approaches and look for smarter ways to improve skills and re-train their workforce, watch for the growing number of “cohesion cultivators,” the internal and external specialists in charge. bring together a significantly dispersed workforce. “

At Joor, which operates virtual trade shows and a B2B marketplace, gross retail order value is up 60% for spring 2022. “Right now, in December, retailers are still ordering in the spring, and in January, they start buying in the summer, ”said Kristin Savilia, CEO of Joor. “We see a narrower window between purchase and delivery. It’s healthy for the industry. When you bring in goods too early, you write them down. Yet many retailers often order as early as possible knowing that deliveries are being slowed by COVID-19 issues.

December was “a record month” for Joor, Savilia said, noting that $ 2 billion in orders had been written on the platform at that time. Occasional merchandise orders, unsurprisingly, continue to be strong, although Savilia mentioned that she was starting to see work wear orders on the rise, for delivery from June through September.

The pandemic has been good for Joor as retail buyers visit trade shows and showrooms less and work virtually more.

“Even when the business came back and [in-person] the trade shows continued, we didn’t see a drop in our platform, ”said Savilia. “We see Joor being used in the physical environment by buyers using their iPads. The Joor platform eliminates the need for manual spreadsheets and provides commodity information, she said.

“Retailers are better off today than they were two years ago,” Telsey said.

While it will be difficult for retailers in 2022 to match the gains seen in 2021, “the processes are updated,” she said, referring to the “just-in-time” inventory delivery to effective digital marketing, enhanced loyalty programs and new types of collaborations. and partnerships between brands and retailers, i.e. Kohl’s stores opening Sephora stores and allowing buyers to deposit Amazon returns. “Everyone’s processes have been adjusted for the post-pandemic. This should improve margins and increase profitability… I’m looking to focus on brand value and strength and consumer businesses focus on process, purpose and profit.

2022 COMMERCIAL TRENDS, IN BRIEF