Does the constant stream of microtrends on social media make your head spin? You’re not alone. There’s mounting evidence that consumers, especially Gen Z, might be getting tired of the need to keep up with trends too.
That doesn’t mean viral sensations are going away (we see you, Labubus). But just like some consumers, savvy retailers might be better served by getting off the hamster wheel of trying to connect themselves to every viral trend and looking for ways to authentically shape their brands in both timely and timeless ways.
Slowing Down the Pace
“For the past few years, opening up social media has felt like standing in front of a fire hose of fashion and internet fads and cranking open the nozzle, full blast,” says New York Times reporter Callie Holtermann in a feature earlier this year entitled “Too Many Trends.”
In that piece, Holtermann recounts how she set out to interview Gen Z-ers to try to make sense of which trends were actually relevant to them. But after hearing from dozens of them, a pattern emerged: “Many wanted to talk not about any one trend that they thought mattered, but about their struggles with the relentless onslaught of trends, and the whiplash they felt from trying to process them all so quickly,” she says.
Finding a Balance
Some consumers have coped by adopting low- or no-buy mantras, but most people are looking for a happy medium. That’s why the secret to success — for both consumers and retailers — likely lies in finding a balance between trying to stay relevant but also staying true to your personal style or brand.
Separate from the mental overload caused by the “breakneck proliferation” of online microtrends, Jessica Seddon, senior strategist for trend forecasting firm WGSN, points out that it’s no longer practical for many consumers to try to keep up with trends. ”Consumers’ spending power isn’t strong enough to keep up with all the changing trends, so it has driven them to return to personal style and more considered consumption,” she says.
Supporting Customers
So where does that put retailers? Authenticity plays a key role. “Brands should always ensure that product direction and collaborations stay true to the ethos that garnered their customers’ loyalty” in the first place, says Seddon.
Having a strong brand identity is key, but it’s equally important to refer back to it each time you consider a new product or linking yourself to the latest trend.
There’s also something to be said for showing customers how you support them on their journey to keep up with trends, without losing sight of their own personal style, needs or wants. That might mean balancing product assortments with both the timely and the timeless. It might also mean adding personalization services to existing products or in-store experiences that allow them to experiment with trends before committing to them.