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In terms of planning merchandising categories looked at current Ted Baker categories – how categorised online. I viewed that footwear was sectioned as shoes so decided to implement this on my range plan so that online figures would tie in with in store as categories would correlate throughout.

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The labels and tags from the comp shop trip were used as inspiration when creating the new designs which were made to be a little more creative in view of being an artist collaboration but still fall in line with current designs/methods.

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Before undertaking my comp shop, I planned out my visit in terms of criteria and what I wanted to achieve from the comp shop. The comp shop was undertaken to get an understanding of similar competition and what they are doing in stores currently/how they display product/window displays. Furthermore, also looked at stores collaborating with artists currently to get an understanding of what they are doing in store/window displays. The main objective due to being an artist collaboration was to focus the comp shop on the overall aesthetics of how the product will be showcased in a store environment. This is due to being an exclusive collaboration it was less about what competitors were doing in terms of pricing but more in terms of how fixtures, mannequins and general set up were either positive or negative for the customer experience and the impacts on product in correlation with this. Furthermore, being an artist collaboration it’s vital to look into how the product will be displayed in store in relation to what is happening at this current time.

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The majority of logistic and critical path decisions were guided by sourcing lessons which were informative in terms of lead times and predictive time for transportation to DC in particular if using fast truck.

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Assortment Planning & Reasoning 07.08.19

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Assortment Planning & Reasoning 07.08.19

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Due to minimal catwalk analytics in connection to Spring Summer ’20, I made the decision to await my assortment mix to use to confirm my range plan at a later stage to check the decisions I made were aligned alongside Ted Baker current silhouette choices. This meant when pre-summer ’20 analytics were released I could use in view of being the closest to the season due to proximity. The analytics enabled me to confirm decisions I made and to make sure my range was on the right track for the upcoming Spring/Summer season, commencing next year. Insightful information included the growth in shirt dresses, the percentage mix of dresses and the growth in the t-shirts which correlate with range plan decision making.

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Original Facebook Audience Insights Graph & one created for INP in view of appearance.

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Using Facebook Audience Insights can look into detailed information regarding for example gender and age of users and can set a location to be more specific. For my research I set the location to the UK, this was to find out in terms of my target audience where the age range would sit in terms of Facebook use. The results showed that the majority of the age range fit in the highest users of Facebook for women within the UK (location of range release). Website: https://www.facebook.com/ads/audience_insights
(11.08.19)

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Rainer, T. and Rainer, J. (2011). The Millennials. Nashville, Tenn: B & H Pub. Group, p.19-20.

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Rainer, T. and Rainer, J. (2011). The Millennials. Nashville, Tenn: B & H Pub. Group, p.19-20.

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The book looks into Millennials and their tendencies including how Millennials are the ‘relational generation.’  (21.07.19)

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ReferencesMontagna, G. and Carvalho, C. (2017). Textiles, identity and innovation. p.446.

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ReferencesMontagna, G. and Carvalho, C. (2017). Textiles, identity and innovation. p.446.

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“Art has never been so much part of the textile world as it is today”, and the reasons for this are founded in a constant exchange between schools, exhibitions, studios and shops. In response to such demands, art education assumes an important position. The arts become part of the development process of creative potential, leading to the acquisition of different types of skills essential to the success of the textile and clothing industry.”

When researching Portugal this book quotes in terms of the connection of art and the textile world in Portugal which correlates with my project. (12.07.19)

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(22.06.19 - 11.08.19)
My action plan and completion of tasks developed over time as the rate at which tasks were accomplished changed as I progressed. Furthermore, I was able to complete the majority of tasks before work placement in comparison to my initial plan, which meant I was constantly developing my planning ahead.

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Background of the artist and career information. (accessed 30.06.19)

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Keith Tyson (born Keith Thomas Bower, 23 August 1969) is an English artist. In 2002, he was the winner of the Turner Prize. His work is concerned with an interest in generative systems, and an embrace of the complexity and interconnectedness of existence. Tyson works in a wide range of media, including painting, drawing and installation.

Bower moved to Dalton-in-Furness when he was four, adopting his stepfather's surname Tyson. He showed an interest in and talent for art at an early age, having been inspired by his "very creative and enthusiastic" primary school art teacher. However he left school at the age of 15 without qualifications, and took employment as a fitter and turner with VSEL (Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd., now BAE Systems) in Barrow-in-Furness.[citation needed ]

In 1989, he began an art foundation course at the Carlisle College of Art, and the following year he moved south to take up a place on experimental Alternative Practice degree at The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, University of Brighton (1990-93).

During the 1990s, Tyson's practice was dominated by the Artmachine, which was the first means through which Tyson explored his ongoing interest in randomness, causality, and the question of how things come into being. The Artmachine was a method Tyson developed which used a combination of computer programmes, flow charts and books in order to generate chance combinations of words and ideas, which were then realised in practice as artworks in a wide range of media.

The results of the Artmachine became the basis of Tyson's earliest exhibited artworks; The Artmachine Iterations, as these works became known, established Tyson's reputation in the UK and internationally as an original artist and thinker, and by 1999 he had mounted solo exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and Zürich, as well as contributed to group shows throughout Europe, North America and Australia.

From 1999, Tyson's interests practice turned from the Artmachine towards an artistic approach which explored the same thematic terrain, but this time directly by his own hand. The first such body of work was entitled Drawing and Thinking. Many of these works were installed in the international exhibition in the 2001 Venice Biennale

In 2002, Tyson mounted Supercollider at South London Gallery and then the Kunsthalle Zürich in Switzerland. The name of the exhibition, derived from the popular name for the CERN particle accelerator in Geneva, indicated the significance of scientific ways of seeing and thinking about the world to Tyson's art at this time.

In December 2002, Tyson was awarded the British visual arts award, the Turner Prize. The other shortlisted artists that year were Fiona Banner, Liam Gillick and Catherine Yass. The Turner Prize was notorious that year not so much for the controversial nature of the work of the shortlisted artists as in previous years, but because of the comments of then Culture Minister Kim Howells. His comments that the Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain consisted of "cold, mechanical, conceptual bullshit" were greeted with both approval and criticism in the media.

In 2005, The following year, Tyson first exhibited his most monumental and ambitious work to date, Large Field Array, in the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, which then travelled to the De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art in the Netherlands and The Pace Gallery in New York. In 2009 Tyson's work was shown at the Hayward Gallery as part of the group exhibition "Walking in My Mind".

The Artmachine Iterations

Only a fraction of the instructions issued from the Artmachine were realised as artworks (the Artmachine generated around 12,000 proposals which are still unmade), but many of the playful and inventive mixed media works that were created include a twenty-four foot painting made from bathroom sealant, and a painting using toothpaste and music CDs.

Described by Walter Robinson as "nothing less than a complete Pop cosmology", Large Field Array comprises 300 modular units, most formed from into implied 2-foot cubes; the cubes are arranged into a grid occupying both the floor and walls of a gallery when installed. Each highly crafted cubic sculpture represents a unique yet highly recognizable feature of the world, from popular culture to natural history. Sculptures as diverse as a representation of American billionaire Donald Trump 's wedding cake, a chimney with a bird on top of it with a satellite dish, and a chair made of skeletons, were all constructed and arranged. The installation invited the viewer/participant to negotiate his or her own path through a seemingly random assortment of images and ideas, echoing the mental processes which create free associations between disparate phenomena which so fascinate Tyson.

The Nature Paintings (2005-2008)

A mixture of paints, pigments and chemicals are allowed to interact in specific ways upon an acid primed aluminium panel. The combined processes of gravity, chemical reaction, temperature, hydrophobia and evaporation simultaneously conspire to create surfaces reminiscent of a wide range of natural forms and landscapes. In this respect, the paintings seem to be depict nature, but they are also created by nature as well.

Studio Wall Drawings (1997-present)

Collectively these works on paper represent Tyson's sketchbook or journal. Each 'Wall Drawing' is made on a sheet of paper measuring 158 cm x 126 cm, the same dimensions as a small wall in Tyson's original studio where he used to draw-up notes. Over the years these sheets have recorded his ideas, emotional tone and mood, visits people made to the studio, world events and even economic fluctuations. They are often exhibited in large non-chronological grids to form solid walls of diverse images, and text.

Solo and group exhibition catalogues

Cloud Choreography and Other Emergent Systems, Parasol Unit foundation for contemporary art, London, 2009

Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art, Barbican Art Gallery, London, 2008

Keith Tyson, Studio Wall Drawings 1997-2007, Haunch of Venison, London, 2007

Keith Tyson, Large Field Array, Louisiana Museum, Denmark, 2006

How to Improve the World: 60 Years of British Art, Hayward Gallery, London, 2006

Keith Tyson, Geno Pheno, PaceWildenstein, New York/Haunch of Venison, London, 2005

Keith Tyson, History Paintings, 2005

Dionysiac, Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2005

Head to Hand, Drawings by Keith Tyson, Thea Westreich & Ethan Wagner, New York, 2002

Keith Tyson, Kunsthalle Zürich, Switzerland, 2002

Supercollider, South London Gallery, London, 2002

Turner Prize Exhibition, Tate Britain, London, 2002

Public Affairs, Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland, 2002

Century City: Art and Culture in the Modern Metropolis, Tate Modern, London, 2000

Over the Edges, SMAK-Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Gent, 2000

Dream Machines, Hayward Gallery, London, 2000

Secondary works

Mark Rappolt, 'Life, the Universe and Everything', Art Review, February 2007

Rachel Withers, 'Keith Tyson', Artforum, March 2005

Marcus Verhagen, 'Keith Tyson', Art Monthly, December 2004 - January 2005

Michael Archer, 'Primordial Soups', Parkett 71, 2004

Ethan Wagner and Keith Tyson, 'A Conversation', Parkett 71, 2004

Hans Rudolph Reust, 'Fabulous Art', Parkett 71, 2004

Tony Barrell, 'Rising to the Equation', Sunday Times Magazine, 30 November 2003 [1]

Virginia Button, The Turner Prize: Twenty Years, Tate Publishing, 2003

Matthew Collings, Art Crazy Nation: The Post Blimey Art World, 21 Publishing Ltd, 2001

Louisa Buck, Moving Targets 2, A Users Guide to British Art Now, Tate Publishing, London, 2000

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Keith Tyson (born Keith Thomas Bower, 23 August 1969) is an English artist. In 2002, he was the winner of the Turner Prize. His work is concerned with an interest in generative systems, and an embrace of the complexity and interconnectedness of existence. Tyson works in a wide range of media, including painting, drawing and installation.

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'I don’t believe in a permanent self or in developing an artistic style. Our world is full of intricately connected systems and events. I’m simply trying to make work in collaboration with them.'
accessed 22.06.19 and 30.06.19

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'I don't believe in a permanent self or in developing an artistic style. Our world is full of intricately connected systems and events. I'm simply trying to make work in collaboration with them.'

Hauser & Wirth London is proud to present 'Life Still', an exhibition of new paintings by Keith Tyson. The series of works displayed have a shared subject matter; they are all flower paintings. Through the prism of this singular genre, Tyson moves between the philosophical, the mathematical, and the mythological to create the 25 works in the exhibition. By taking a myriad of approaches, painting each canvas himself, Tyson draws on the information systems that surround and bombard us, reflecting an experience of the contemporary world we all inhabit. In this respect, beyond any reading of the subject matter, the content of the exhibition explores how painting is, and always has been, contingent on the conditions and context of its making.

Tyson has referred to paint as a 'programmable material' and an ongoing interest in computers, coding and data has always been an important part of his life - from taking apart a motherboard as a teenager, to building 'Art Machine' early in his career. This featured algorithm generated combinations of words and ideas, which Tyson then realised in a multitude of media. His fascination with systems and the effect of data consumption manifests itself in the abundance of formal languages of painting in the exhibition. A celebration of the interconnectivity of the current age and its effect on himself and society is a counterpoint here to Tyson's choice of subject matter which has a long-established art historical precedent. As Tyson says, 'I don't believe in a permanent self or in developing an artistic style. Our world is full of intricately connected systems and events. I'm simply trying to make work in collaboration with them.'

The notion of the hybrid and a fertile cross-pollination of ideas runs as a theme throughout the exhibition. In a similar way that a florist would pick and combine flowers from disparate regions on a purely aesthetic basis, Tyson chooses assorted painting styles and associated references which in turn provide a conceptual framework to operate within. In some instances, the titles give a sense of the cultural coordinates which have emerged in the process of making the work. 'Ikebana - Waterfall Stage (Boss Level)' (2018) draws on a simultaneity of ideas, encompassing the formal Japanese flower arranging technique based on notions of idealised natural beauty and a blurred abstract background reminiscent of early modernist painting. Tyson collides source material to create a cosmology on the surface of the canvas, including a reference to a Chinese parable of enlightenment which appears in the tiny video game figures which populate the work. Throughout the exhibition, the artist's interest in storytelling and mythology is matched by his enthusiasm for technology and the infinite possibilities it brings for cultural exploration.

The laws of computer coding are mimicked in Tyson's artworks through his take on a supposed rule of conceptual art; that there exists a parenthesis within which a conceptual artwork can be made. In this respect, the focus on one genre for the exhibition is a means of setting parameters or, as he explains, 'limiting himself to one octave'. For Tyson, the intersection of the personal and subjective also plays a pivotal role in determining the outcome. Layered references are composed in each work like elements of a chord or symphony. A painting entitled 'New Order (remix)' (2018) is in part an homage to Peter Saville's iconic design for the cover of New Order's album 'Power, Corruption and Lies', an image with an emotional resonance from Tyson's past. Here the paint-by-numbers strip on the edge of Saville's design, itself suggestive of a language for machines or a colourful bar code, becomes a framing device which recalls Mondrian's geometric abstraction. Further references skip between art historical eras; the theme of the collage appears both through the appropriation of flowers from different paintings by Henri Fantin-Latour and the forms of Henri Matisse's late cut-out work, 'The Snail' (1953).

In several instances it is the chance encounter or unpredictable occurrence that provides the starting point for the works. In the case of 'These are the Greatest Times of our Lives' (2019), the casual configuration of a candle, vase of flowers and empty vessel which Tyson encountered evolves into a Memento mori. Although the objects can be 'read' as symbolising the three stages of life, it is the formal properties of the painting which become its subject. Tyson gives the painting the appearance of a polaroid, a nod to the demise of the chemical photographic print, and its theme of obsolescence strikes a melancholic note. Tyson has often worked in series and here the cumulative impact of the repeated motifs - flowers, vase and support - draws attention to the different aesthetic styles in each painting. Like variations on a theme, the formal qualities of these individual works, become their subject with the potential to spark connections in the viewer's mind. In this respect, the exhibition is both a philosophical and aesthetic meditation on the nature of painting itself and a celebration of the intricacies of contemporary life in the age of technology.

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'I don't believe in a permanent self or in developing an artistic style. Our world is full of intricately connected systems and events. I'm simply trying to make work in collaboration with them.' Hauser & Wirth London is proud to present 'Life Still', an exhibition of new paintings by Keith Tyson.

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The book displays paintings from a previous Keith Tyson collection. This helped me to get an understanding of the Artist and his work.
(30.06.19)

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I collected Ted Baker 2019 Email Newsletter Examples on Edited in order to get an idea of how Ted Baker are marketing already, in view of my marketing strategy. I have included this within my marketing strategy but is not the main priority for marketing due to Millennial consumer research.
website: https://edited.com/
accessed: 12.07.19

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I kept track throughout the project when I completed tasks, when I researched content and accessed this research. This assisted me throughout the project understanding what I needed to do. All research and content dated thoroughly in order for me to keep track of my own progress. (dated on Padlet)

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Some of the main key identifiers from the survey include 42.86% advised that they shop for the majority of their clothes instore. This shows that Millennials still have purpose to instore purchasing so this information can help in terms of making sure that the set up in store through planogram and window displays is still vitally important as much as the online presence that needs to be created. Furthermore, it is vital to add that a small percentage were surveyed in comparison to online researchers, so this information collected must be looked at collectively and understand that the majority of research still identifies with the growth in online marketing.

In terms of fashion 100% surveyed appreciate creative brands. I investigated what makes for an effective window display a huge percentage making their own comments advised an eye catching, stand out and colourful display which I feel I have achieved in my own window display set up for marketing. 64.29% advised social media had successfully persuaded them to buy a product in terms of marketing as well as second to top billboards at 35.71%. Online video advertisements came out at 28.57%. Overall there was a mix in terms of traditional and evolved marketing strategies which Millennials felt work for them. 100% surveyed believe Ted Baker should market more as well as if the brand was to collaborate this is of interest to them. Another interesting outcome was that 50% evenly had a newly increase interest in Art or have always had that interest. Lastly 42.86% evenly had not seen/heard of any news recently regarding Ted Baker or had heard/seen negative press.

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View and analyze results from the Artist Collaboration Survey SurveyMonkey survey. See actual response data, text summaries and word clouds.

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Conducted by Limelight Networks it was reported that adults between the ages of 26 and 35 spend the longest amount of time playing video games on their phones.
(accessed 28.07.19)

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Today's shoppers can journey through Love Island contestants' clothing options, find exclusive Burberry items on social media and receive dating advice via Topshop.

The new wave of gamification apps has hit the UK, giving smartphone users the opportunity to digitally engage with brands through games, competitions and virtual experiences. The big brands are jumping on the bandwagon. But does this represent a step change in how fashion will be marketed to new generations of shoppers, or is it a faddish flash in the digital pan?

Gamification in fashion has traditionally been the playground for luxury brands keen to cash in on the growing dominance of online gaming.

At the end of 2017, for example, Burberry launched a Christmas game on Chinese social and payment app WeChat, which allowed users to shake, tilt, or swipe their phone to complete a game with six levels, each linked to a different product. Players could compare their ranking with others.

The rise of gaming

In 2018 a reported 2.2 billion people worldwide played video games, representing a third of the global population.

Digital media and content service provider Limelight Network's 2019 report on the state of online gaming found adults between the ages of 26 and 35 spent the longest amount of time playing video games on their phones, averaging at 2.26 hours per week, compared with 1.31 hours for those over 60.

Chanel rolled out a series of Coco Game Center beauty pop-up arcades last year in cities throughout the world. DKNY, meanwhile, was one of the first fashion brands to partner with online avatar game Stardoll in 2007 which allows users to dress their dolls up in looks from the catwalk.
Multiple exposure
High street retailers are now starting to get in on the action in a bid to engage shoppers and increase conversion. This summer Manchester-based etailer I Saw It First followed in Missguided's footsteps and teamed up with reality TV show Love Island. Customers can take a "Which islander are you?" quiz, and shop from the clothing that contestant has worn on the show.

Date Dash touches on the essence of reality TV through a medium that's second nature to our audience

Jason Griffiths, Topshop Topman

Last week Topshop became the latest retailer to delve into gamification with the launch of Date Dash: a six-episode online series where contestants race against the clock to assemble an outfit in store to impress an eligible date.

Jason Griffiths, brand and communications director for Topshop Topman, says it wanted to recreate the reality TV experience: "We wanted to tap into a world where real people can explore fashion and relationships in an unscripted and raw way.

"We stand for democratising fashion and inclusivity, so it's been exciting launching a marketing campaign that touches on the essence of reality TV through a medium that's second nature to our audience."

The experience economy is growing and is a game changer

Anusha Couttigane, Kantar Retail

Topshop partnered with Virtue, media outlet Vice's creative agency, to develop the campaign, which is aimed at the Topshop's Generation Z and millennial audience. Griffiths says the launch was a way of keeping up with a new generation and their expectations of how a brand would interact with them as consumers.

"For us, this project really encapsulates how our younger customers engage with media and consume. In today's fast-paced, socially networked climate, traditional marketing techniques are not resonating with the younger generation. Date Dash was created to allow everyone to view our clothing in a new, fun digestible format."

Anusha Couttigane, principal analyst, fashion EMEA at Kantar Retail, believes high street retailers are now moving into the space as technology has improved and the use of smartphones is ubiquitous.

"Compared with 2011, when some of these initiatives took off, the tech has come a long way, and phone usership has become more universal. The way the technology has developed and made [games] more user friendly has elevated the adoption of them, and improved the execution."
Pay and play
Yet one of the biggest challenges with gamification for many retailers is showing its return on investment. Founder of fashion technology consultancy Coded Futures Daniel Bobroff says any game costs a minimum of £100,000 to develop, and more advanced ideas come with "film star budgets".

Gamification is an art form and the retail world is at the very start of this path

Daniel Bobroff, Coded Futures

The managing director of one footwear retailer says: "We have looked at it for a couple of years. People have suggested treasure hunts in stores, but we didn't think it would work for us. It only works when people shop frequently with you. When you come in to buy a pair of shoes, it's hard to get people to buy a second pair."

However, he believes it may work in other areas of the business: "Where gamification does resonate is in the back end. We've looked at ways of gaming up our warehouse environment. If we could show a staff member's picking rate compared with another staff member. You are getting a bit of fun; a bit of competitiveness and a bit of productivity pick up."

One luxury brand that has launched a social media gamification app tells Drapers that justifying return on investment had not been a problem: "The fact our items are selling out is always the biggest measure of success, but we've also seen more engagement broadly on social media.

"If a consumer understands that they may have a chance of attaining a product that is only available for a limited time, they monitor our channels more closely."

Bobroff agrees that creating a sense of urgency is often the key to success for gamification concepts:

"One of the big reasons Ebay was successful was its countdown clock: it created a sense of scarcity, which is a gamification technique.

"Gamification is an art form and the retail world is at the very start of this path. However, fashion is about story-telling and leisure as much as it is commerce, having that know-how is going to be good for the winners."

Couttigane predicts that gamification will grow in importance as part of experiential retail: "The experience economy is growing and is a game changer. Fashion tends to be an early adopter of technology, but shopping is a very small part of what people spend their time doing.

"Gamification can grow the share of time people spend with you. Retailers have to think more broadly. Focusing only on sales is a very narrow way of looking at your business."

The Drapers Verdict

Many retailers are already wrestling with falling revenues, so finding resources to even consider new innovations, of which gamification is certainly one, can be difficult.

However, a new engagement-hungry generation of consumers show that, if done right, the concept can be a huge driver of brand recognition and sales. Any strategy that takes gamification on board needs to take into account the risks, and the difficulty in measuring success.

For those such as Topshop who willing to try it, gamification could allow them to stand out in the crowded marketplace.

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Today's shoppers can journey through Love Island contestants' clothing options, find exclusive Burberry items on social media and receive dating advice via Topshop. The new wave of gamification apps has hit the UK, giving smartphone users the opportunity to digitally engage with brands through games, competitions and virtual experiences.

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“More than half of retail sales will take place online in less than 10 years’ time.” E-commerce is anticipated to account for 53% of retail sales by 2028. Currently the largest clothing spend online was those aged between 25 - 34 years (35.7%).
(accessed 28.07.19)

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Ecommerce is expected to account for 53% of retail sales by 2028, the report by analyst Retail Economics for law firm Womble Bond Dickinson suggests. This is more than double the 19.2% of sales that occur online at present.

The report, The Digital Tipping Point, found one of the main causes of this shift in spend to be the increase in Generation Z and millennial shoppers, who spend the most online.

By 2029 these generations will account for more than half of the adult population, compared with 39% in 2019, and will provide the bulk of spending.

Splitting consumers into age groups, the report found that, currently, those aged between 25 and 34 accounted for the largest clothing spend online (35.7%), and those aged 45 to 54 were responsible for the largest online footwear spend (35.1%).

After books, clothing was the largest product category contributing to online retail sales.

Other contributing factors to online doubling its share in the retail market, were found to be changes in the property market, improvements in connectivity and innovate technology.

Richard Lim of Retail Economics said: "Despite concurrent waves of political and economic upheaval in our midst, our work with retailers suggest this is a mere distraction from the seismic structural shifts reshaping the retail landscape.

"New and emerging technologies will empower further online growth as artificial intelligence and 5G dovetail to enhance retailers' capabilities for speedier and cheaper online fulfilment, including in-home delivery. Meanwhile, innovative new retail business models will emerge. Subscriptions, auto-replenishment and fewer (but more experiential) stores will drive online sales to heights where online will become the largest channel within the next 10 years.

"Successful retailers have always had to reinvent themselves to stay relevant. However, the pace of change will inevitably prove too fast for many. While the impact of future technologies and consumer acceptance is highly uncertain, it definitely feels like the digital retail revolution is only just getting started."

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Ecommerce is expected to account for 53% of retail sales by 2028, the report by analyst Retail Economics for law firm Womble Bond Dickinson suggests. This is more than double the 19.2% of sales that occur online at present.

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“Athleisurewear is now embedded into modern consumer lifestyles and, despite speculation to the contrary, shows no sign of slowing down. The UK sportswear market will grow by 20.9% between 2018 and 2023 to £6.7bn." (accessed 28.07.19)

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From Primark stores to the Louis Vuitton catwalks, brands and retailers across the fashion spectrum are continuing to tap into the booming consumer demand for activewear and athleisure products.

No longer just a trend, athleisurewear is now embedded into modern consumer lifestyles and, despite speculation to the contrary, shows no sign of slowing down. The UK sportswear market will grow by 20.9% between 2018 and 2023 to £6.7bn, predicts a GlobalData report from February 2019. The research indicates that sportswear will outperform all other retail sectors over the next five years.

Nevertheless, as the market matures, consumers are becoming more demanding: they expect technical, detail-focused and stylish performance product.

"The biggest trend for us recently has been much more design focused," explains Louis d'Origny, founder of men's yoga brand Ohmme. "Products with more specific technical qualities are doing well. The more we dive into the more technical, detailed side of things, the more people are interested and the better they sell. The more we describe product details, the more popular it tends to be with our customers. They really want to know the story of the products and the brand."

The more we describe product details, the more popular it tends to be

Louis d'Origny, founder of men's yoga brand Ohmme

He notes that light fabrics with sweat and moisture-wicking qualities and increased movability have been particularly popular.

Flexible friends

The hunt for products that will equip them well for several occasions.

The pursuit of versatile, technical products that fuelled the rise of athleisure is now expanding. Customers are demanding product that works for a wide range of activities from spinning, to yoga, pilates, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes and the school run.

"Customers are choosing to buy versatile, multitasking products that can adapt to their many activities," says Colette Lever, brand director for activewear label Dare 2b. "It is essential that we meet their varying demands in a saturated market. They are aware of technology and expect it as a minimum. They want product that performs well and looks good. These two elements need to work seamlessly."

Tom Henshaw, senior brand manager EMEA

for sportswear brand New Balance, agrees: "Trend is definitely a key driver, but we still see an appetite for technical performance product, often worn

in a lifestyle context. The best mix of trend, brand and value always wins."

Co-founder and director of Australia's Nimble Activewear Katia Santilli explains that this is in part thanks to the rising popularity of boutique, studio gyms - such as Blok, Frame, 1Rebel and Barry's Bootcamp - and hybrid workouts.

"The product has to work hard for the wearer while still looking good. Sometimes people just want one thing to do it all. We are working on building out our hybrid assortment of 'go to' pieces [that work across a range of activities]," she says.

Frankie Thorogood, founder of direct-to-consumer performance sportswear brand TCA, adds that there is a growing trend for community-based fitness, such as Crossfit, which is influencing performancewear design: "People are not just working out for a physical benefit: it is not just about your body, but also about lifestyle and building a social circle." He says this necessitates a close, engaged relationship with the consumer, which can be tricky to build in the online world.

TCA has just launched a "Sunday Sessions" newsletter to support its online community, which he stresses is not about selling. It links not to products, but to articles and talking points that the team have found interesting during the week.

On a local level, the brand works with Miguel's Boxing Gym in Brixton, south London, to help run sessions for children in the community, and with anti-knife crime charity Knives Down Gloves up.

Consumer shopping habits are reflecting the demand for versatility and ease, as many choose to shop in the same places they work out.

Many studios and gyms - such as Frame, Blok and Equinox - now have an accompanying retail offer, and stock high-profile brands including Nike and Adidas, often alongside their own labels.

We're not trying to invent a viral product. We want to go back to the things people need day in and day out

Frankie Thorogood, founder of TCA

London-based studio gym Frame stocks third-party brands such as Nike, LNDR and PE Nation, and has retail sections at all six of its locations, as well as an online store.

Co-founder Pip Black explains that, when customers shop for activewear and athleisure, they want to shop for the whole lifestyle: "Everything is about convenience and the retail element [of the studios] is an important part of that. People like to shop when they're in gyms, as they're in the right mindset: thinking about working out and seeing the inspiration in front of them.

"It is not just workouts - the whole package is important for this sector. We try to encompass that lifestyle in our studios."

Shopping workout

Although the sector is largely dominated by big-name retailers and brands such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Under Armour, there is a growing appetite for unique, niche and independent brands that differentiate themselves from the multinationals.

Thorogood launched TCA in 2012 with £100 of his savings, and it is now a multimillion-pound revenue business - he declines to provide exact figures - that employs a team of 10 at its office in east London. Since then, the brand has sold more than 300,000 pairs of its signature Elite Tech men's shorts.

Everything is about convenience and the retail element [of the studios] is an important part of that

Pip Black, co-founder of London-based studio gym Frame

He says his business took off when he introduced compressionwear - skin-tight clothing that could be worn underneath other items - which was a relatively niche but popular product at the time: "I spotted a little opportunity and started to buy sportswear, then I reinvested time and again."

Ohmme's d'Origny notes that the high levels of competition between big names is opening up more opportunities: "Big brands are competing harder and there are fewer differences between them. The small brands that are still around are the ones that are really unique."

Thorogood agrees, and says he is focused on ensuring TCA retains its identity and niche, setting itself apart from larger competitors: "We're thinking smaller to grow bigger. We got quite successful quickly and there is a danger that you can become a little diluted: lose identity and lose focus. The cost of growth and more money is that you forget where you came from."

The race to stay ahead is tough and increasingly competitive. The sector is closely aligned with general wellness and fitness trends, which develop at pace, so those working in the sector must be agile enough to keep on top of customer demands and shifting consumer lifestyles.

Gym-based shops provide shoppers with the ultimate experiential retail journey, as they are able to see and use the products there and then. For up-and-coming activewear brands, this could provide a valuable route to new, targeted customers.

There is also still ample scope in the market for smaller, direct-to-consumer labels to make their mark with unique product that taps into the social aspect of fitness, and sets them apart from the big-name brands.

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From Primark stores to the Louis Vuitton catwalks, brands and retailers across the fashion spectrum are continuing to tap into the booming consumer demand for activewear and athleisure products. No longer just a trend, athleisurewear is now embedded into modern consumer lifestyles and, despite speculation to the contrary, shows no sign of slowing down.

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TrendSights Overview: Sustainability & Ethics

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TrendSights Overview: Sustainability & Ethics

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Sustainability & Ethics mega trend.
(accessed 28.07.19)

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"The demand for sports apparel and accessories has increased dramatically all over the world due to growing awareness about healthy lifestyles aswell as the fashion for athleisure products. Retailers are taking advantage of the high demand for sportswear and opening stores globally aswell as increasing their online presence." (accessed 28.07.19)

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Beyond Sustainable: The Growing Demand for Ethical Fashion

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Beyond Sustainable: The Growing Demand for Ethical Fashion

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Article regarding the demand for ethical fashion.
"Upwards of 65-70 percent of consumers under 35 around the world report that they will choose brands or retailers based on their ethical practices."
(accessed 28.07.19)

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When Vogue Australia quietly hit the newsstands in its home country and abroad earlier this month, its theme, which as recently as three years ago would have raised eyebrows among serious fashion-watchers, caused nary a ripple of controversy. Entitled "Designing Our Future," and guest edited by Emma Watson, the fashion bible's most recent edition is completely sustainability-focused, with features on pioneers like Tim Flannery discussing the Great Barrier Reef and Stella McCartney touting sustainable style.

The issue comes at a pivotal time-2018 has already proven to be a year when silenced voices ring out...and it is only April. Cause-related fashion first hit the scene when McCartney launched her fur-free, leather-free business in the early 2000s. Although there were millions of skeptics at first, over the last 15 years ethical fashion - developing, producing and distributing apparel, accessories and footwear in a way that preserves the planet and its inhabitants - has become not only an integral part of the industry, but also a key strategic initiative of many big and small players. As the commercial advantage of brands investing in ethical fashion becomes increasingly evident, companies from Walmart to Gucci have evolved their missions to align with the shifting landscape. No longer just about being eco-friendly, over the coming months and years we will see this trend accelerate and expand to include concern for human and animal rights, community, country, and more.
Young Consumers Are Changing the Game
Brands and retailers are taking this responsibility seriously, encouraged by younger consumers who, it turns out, are more conscious than any generation before it of the origins, composition, carbon footprint, and other consequences of what they purchase and wear. Numerous studies done in the past few years have confirmed that upwards of 65-70 percent of consumers under 35 around the world report that they will choose brands or retailers based on their ethical practices. A 2016 Morgan Stanley Research survey done in the U.K. found that when choosing among retailers, more than half of young consumers find ethical credentials somewhat or very important. These buyers are changing the game for brands, and we will continue to see more attention paid to sourcing factors, as the rapid growth of many new entrants to the fashion scene built on this pillar have demonstrated.

Hugely successful Everlane, one of the first nextgen apparel brands to give detailed information about the factories, costs and raw materials sources for its clothing, was ridiculed early on by industry veterans for its naïveté. Since then, many others, including some large traditional brands like Gap and Levi's, have included sourcing transparency in the information they share with consumers.

Stockholm-based Swedish Stockings has bucked the decline in the hosiery business by making its sheers and tights entirely of eco-friendly recycled yarns and using recycled purified water and renewable energy sources in its closed-loop production system.

While it would be wonderful if this new generation of consumers could see to it that climate change, human rights violations and irresponsible use of resources grind to a halt on planet Earth, many difficult obstacles exist, from finding a consistent definition of ethical fashion to managing supply chains to communicating with consumers. A focus on any of these areas, which tends to add cost to product development and production, must be undertaken carefully by a brand to ensure that the view is worth the climb.

What Does "Ethical" Mean?

One of the first steps a company should take to participate in responsible fashion is to try to cut through all the noise about what ethical and sustainability even mean to them and to their consumers. Does a sustainable garment need to be made of recycled materials, or is being organic sufficient? Where does responsible use of resources like energy, chemicals and water fit into the values hierarchy? And what about animals - do consumers want ethical treatment of animals, like Canada Goose requires in its traceable down-filled and fur-trimmed jackets, or is it better to make animal-free products, like Stella McCartney and handbag brand Matt and Nat? How important-or feasible- is it to ensure that suppliers' employees are paid fairly and have a safe and healthy work environment? And what is the best way to make sure your company is following best practices?

Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli pays his employees a premium above the going rate and takes a lower markup than most of his luxury brand competitors, makes sure his company's practices preserve the environment, and ensures that the cashmere and other raw materials he sources from Mongolia, India and elsewhere are obtained in a sustainable and fair-trade manner.

Big-box retailers are finding that small things can make a big difference. Costco added windows to and dimmed the lights in its stores, and regularly revises transportation strategies to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint.

Though few millennials would think about Walmart and sustainability in the same idea, the Bentonville behemoth has the scale, and therefore the ability, to save more natural resources than any other company in the industry in its effort to sell products that are sourced and produced with people and planet in mind. It uses recyclable materials in the packaging of all its private label products, and its Project Gigaton, which helps suppliers reduce emissions, is on track to reduce greenhouse gases by one billion tons by 2030, three times the amount produced by California in a year, or the equivalent of taking 211 million cars off U.S. highways for a year.

A growing number of brands believe that ethical conduct, like charity, begins at home. Bombas, a New York-based sock brand, gives away a pair of socks to a homeless shelter for every pair it sells. Made in USA Success story American Giant, whose fans call its $89 classic zipped hooded sweatshirt the best hoodie ever made, appeals to those who want to help U.S. industry survive and thrive.
Expanding the Narrative
Enabled by technology and increased access to consumers through e-commerce and social media platforms, marketers are embarking on education and awareness-building campaigns, expanding their narrative and sharing much more about how products come to be. We will see more information about the industry being shared with consumers as the landscape evolves towards a more sustainable and ethical future.

Rag & Bone and AYR are two lifestyle brands proud of their fair-trade supply policies. Yoga brand Prana has gained tremendous traction since evolving entirely to organic cotton and recycled wool and other fibers. Its website and shops contain a wealth of information about the materials it uses and company-wide fair-trade sustainability practices.

Patagonia, considered by many the poster child for environmental and social responsibility, has as its brand mission statement, "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis." It is fair-trade certified for all its sewing product, and publicly discloses its first-tier suppliers. The company prides itself on its long-lasting products, and founder Yvon Chouinard encourages consumers not to buy unnecessary amounts of clothes, and has been wearing some of the same Patagonia pieces for a decade.
Putting the Brakes on Fast Fashion
An issue getting a lot of airtime these days is the sheer amount of waste humans create and fail to handle properly. A startling McKinsey 2016 report revealed that nearly three-fifths of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of being made. The same report found that the number of garments produced each year has doubled since 2000, exceeding 100 billion for the first time since 2014, or 14 new clothing items for every person on earth.

Consumers are re-examining their tendency to over-buy and under-wear apparel. There is a growing backlash against Fast Fashion and the Disposable Apparel phenomenon. The philosophy of LA-based YSTR is to minimize waste through a creative purchasing process. Every piece is made to order, and their new model is a capsule "slow fashion" subscription, where the consumer can preview styles, order, and wait for items to arrive. The creation of clothing in small batches does away with the waste of creating too many items that go unpurchased.

Fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara are trying to diminish the black and white nature of cheaper versus environmentally-friendly purchases. In early 2017, both pulled out of the annual Dhaka Apparel Summit, sending a message that they will join efforts to pressure Bangladesh into ending poor working conditions and human rights violations in their garment industry. Zara parent Inditex reportedly has a team of 150 sustainability professionals.
Born-Again Fashion
Environmentalists are praising companies that promote the sharing of clothing, like "Rent the Runway," to reduce the waste accumulated by dresses and outfits, particularly special occasion styles, that tend to be worn only once or twice. Resale sites such as Poshmark, The RealReal and ThredUp have scaled rapidly, appealing to both buyers seeking value and sellers who want to monetize items they no longer want.

The affordable LA-based, eco-conscious label Reformation has earned a growing following by being endorsed by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss. Reformation began by selling re-worked vintage pieces in 2009, and now sells everything from party dresses to casual everyday pieces. Everything produced by Reformation is made at the brand's factory with sustainable fabrics and methods.
Will Consumers Pay More?
It's a tough call to say whether or not consumers, in addition to spending more time and effort to seek out brands and products that were produced responsibly, will also pay extra for the privilege of buying them.

Purchasing one high-quality t-shirt that was ethically sourced, will last for three years, but cost forty dollars could be a far sounder choice than buying one for $15 that will last six months, but how many consumers will make that decision while shopping? Although studies citing consumer willingness to pay more for better quality products abound, there is insufficient data so far to confirm that they're actually doing so. It could turn out that ethical practices become a price of entry for brands and retailers that want to do business with savvy young consumers.

Late last year, in a very public announcement accompanied by representatives from the Humane Society and Fur-Free Alliance, Gucci said it was replacing the kangaroo fur in its popular fur-lined loafers with more-ethical shearling. Although the material changed, the price of the shoes, at a cool $995, didn't.

While Gucci's gesture was a success, taking the ethical route doesn't necessarily guarantee a following. Zady, a high-profile sustainable fashion e-commerce brand worn by Emma Watson recently closed down its site, no doubt a victim to the higher costs and intensified competition in the e-commerce space.

How Are Brands Ensuring Ethical Production Processes Are Being Followed?

Fashion products are produced in a very complex supply chain in which many transgressions can hide. Although improvements in sourcing transparency, labeling and compliance have been made in the past several years, it's hard for brands and retailers to truly know for sure where, how and of what their products are made. They can't visit every factory, or look over their agents' shoulders every second, to make sure their demands are being met.

Although compliance efforts have increased dramatically in recent years, cheating has, as well. At the same time, however, there has been a rise in companies partnering with Bluesign, Oekotex and other firms that certify compliance with standards. The Textile Exchange, ClimateWorks, Ethical Fashion Forum and many, many other organizations are advancing thought leadership and progress in these areas. Each year, a growing number of conferences, leadership initiatives and campaigns are being launched to advance progress in these areas.

No longer just a side project for a staff person with not enough to do, sustainability and ethical practices are now becoming line management responsibilities. Kering's CSO, or Chief Sustainability Officer, drives a results-oriented approach at the luxury goods giant. Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger parent PVH has placed the responsibility of environmental and human rights stewardship under its Chief Risk Officer.
Faux-Pas
What happened to Missguided, a brand popular for its ethical sourcing promise and female empowerment vibe, could serve as a cautionary tale. Last year the Humane Society International discovered cat fur on a pair of the brand's high heels. Dog and cat fur have been banned for use in clothing across the European Union since 2009, which means that the shoes had been sourced illegally. It turns out that real fur is cheaper to source than faux fur in some Asian countries, opening the door for suppliers to switch to the more economical option.

Further complicating the fur issue is that much of the faux fur on the market is made from non-biodegradable and chemical-laden synthetic fibers and other materials such as nylon, acrylic, and polyester. Similarly, many fake leather products are made from plastic materials that are non-biodegradable and produced using toxic chemicals that not only have a negative impact on the environment, but they could have detrimental effects on the factory workers that helped produce the items. By blindly choosing to be good to our four-legged friends, a designer might be harming people and planet. As consumers become more educated and savvy about the true impacts of the materials they wear, brands must be more careful about their raw materials choices.

Stepping into the world of ethical fashion is not without its potential pitfalls, but the all-powerful consumer will increasingly set the bar higher, demanding that companies behave responsibly and according to a shared set of values. Brands rising to meet those expectations could find that the view is every bit worth the climb.

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Beyond Sustainable: The Growing Demand for Ethical Fashion - The Robin Report

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When Vogue Australia quietly hit the newsstands in its home country and abroad earlier this month, its theme, which as recently as three years ago would have raised eyebrows among serious fashion-watchers, caused nary a ripple of controversy.

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Tourists facing travel money 'shock' this summer

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Tourists facing travel money 'shock' this summer

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"Long way from the summer of 2015, when tourists were getting at least €1.32 for their pound.

The big fall came in 2016 after the UK voted to leave the European Union." (accessed 27.07.19).

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Tourists could face a "shock" this summer when they travel abroad according to foreign currency experts.

Those that buy euros at the airport can expect to receive around 98 euro cents for their pound. Better rates can be found by buying in advance, with the Post Office offering €1.0819.

But that's still a long way from the summer of 2015, when tourists were getting at least €1.32 for their pound.

The big fall came in 2016 after the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Tourist rates are based on trading levels on the international currency markets.

On those markets the pound earlier hit $1.2382, the lowest level against the dollar in 27 months.

That fall was attributed to rising fears that the UK will leave the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.

The pound also fell against the euro, hitting €1.1062, its lowest level for the year.

"It will be a big shock for tourists to Europe if they are expecting to get good value this year," said James Hickman, the chief commercial officer of travel money firm FairFX.

He does not expect any recovery in the pound until the Brexit situation is resolved.

"All pointers are that we're in for a rocky road," he says.

"If people are waiting to buy at a better rate I don't think that's going to happen."

If there is a no-deal Brexit then he thinks the pound could go lower. He points out that some in the financial markets think it could hit parity against the dollar, meaning tourists would receive just $1 for each pound they exchange.

At the moment the tourist rate for the pound against the dollar is $1.2127. That's down 5% on this time last year, according to the Post Office.

Getting the best from your travel money
Analysis by Kevin Peachey, BBC personal finance reporter
Millions of us would have spent many hours hunched over a computer trying to find the perfect accommodation and flights for a summer getaway,

Currency experts say holidaymakers should put the same amount of effort into organising holiday money.

That certainly means never waiting until you reach the airport to exchange money, as bureaux in the airport complex usually have the worst rates.

Timing can be tricky - it is difficult to predict how the value of the pound will move, so one common suggestion is to change half of your holiday money weeks in advance of departure, and the rest just before, to hedge your bets.

Ordering currency online in advance and then collecting the cash in person can also secure a better rate.

Cash exchange is not the only option. Carrying a wad of notes can be dangerous and not always covered by travel insurance. The market for specialist pre-loaded currency cards is growing, and banks are competing on the rates and deals for overseas use that they offer to current account holders. So doing your homework on charges and shopping around is advisable.

In general, using your regular debit card can be expensive, owing to the extra charges, and remember to let your bank know if you are going away to avoid being locked out by anti-fraud processes.

If you do use a card on your holiday, shops, restaurants and cash machines will usually ask if you want to pay in pounds rather than the local currency. Always choose the latter. Tourists can lose up to 10% by paying in sterling rather than the domestic currency.

However, if you haven't already booked your trip, then there are destinations where your pound will go further.

The Post Office says it has seen a surge in sales of Turkish lira, which has been hit by political turmoil.

Compared to last summer, the pound is up around 14% against the lira. Iceland is also better value than last year, the pound is up 12% against the Icelandic krona.

The pound is also a little higher against the South African rand.

The weak pound can also be more than compensated for by falls in local prices, the Post Office says.

It tracks the prices of a range of items in European family destinations, including meals and drinks.

It found that prices had fallen in half of the 15 locations, including the Algarve in Portugal.

"Picking a destination where prices on the ground are low can outweigh the impact of a weak exchange rate, but a destination where prices and cheap and sterling is strong is the best bet," said Nick Boden, head of Post Office Travel Money.

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Tourists facing travel money 'shock' this summer

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Tourists could face a "shock" this summer when they travel abroad according to foreign currency experts. Those that buy euros at the airport can expect to receive around 98 euro cents for their pound. Better rates can be found by buying in advance, with the Post Office offering €1.0819.

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Pound sterling is in decline and currently in a low state after a sharp decline from March onwards this year. (accessed: 27.07.19)

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All the latest news about Pound Sterling (GBP) from the BBC

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Increased spending in the UK aligned with tourism. (accessed: 27.07.19)

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We have identified a number of risks and assumptions when making our forecast and have briefly detailed these below. We will continue to monitor our forecasts during 2019 and will review our forecasts to take on board the final data for 2018 and the latest provisional 2019 data.

Brexit remains a key uncertainty. At time of writing (February 2019) there is still little clarity on the settlement post March 29th. The forecast assumes there will be no major disruptions to travel.

We note that the first seven weeks of 2019 (four of which took place after this forecast was initially run) have seen weak flight bookings from Europe. Flight bookings to the UK made through indirect channels during this period (i.e. bookings made in these weeks, for arrival in the UK any time) were significantly down year-on-year. Bookings from long haul markets were broadly in line with those made a year earlier but European bookings were down sharply, especially for arrival after March 29th. Although weekly flight bookings data can be noisy, this is a major concern. A decline in confidence in travel post March 29th is a significant and growing downside risk to this forecast and the outturn from European markets in particular could be significantly less than this forecast assumes.

It is assumed there will be no unforeseen major events in 2019 that disrupt overall international tourism or travel to Britain in particular, e.g. terrorism, health scares or natural disasters.

The ongoing value of the pound is a key uncertainty. The pound remains much lower than its pre-referendum level and is forecast to continue to be weak throughout the medium term, although the exact path of the exchange rate is a source of uncertainty in the forecast. The central forecast is for Sterling to strengthen slightly from its current rate of around €1.14 and $1.29 by the end of 2019 although the average exchange rate in 2019 is forecast to be similar to 2018. The value of the pound will depend on a number of factors including Brexit, monetary policy in the UK, USA and Europe and the strength of the UK, EU and US economies. VisitBritain's consumer sentiment research has found that while there is still widespread agreement that the weak pound makes it a good time to visit the country, the favourable exchange rate is less top of mind for travellers than it was in 2016.

The global economy, and in particular the economic performance of the UK's main source markets, are always important drivers of visitor numbers. While the outlook is still for moderate growth in 2019, the global economy has slowed somewhat since its peak in 2017/18. The Eurozone economy experienced a tough second half of 2018 with unexpectedly weak growth. Economic fundamentals remain benign for now in the USA, especially the labour market, despite considerable volatility on Wall Street. The Chinese economy continues to slow gradually, exacerbated by the ongoing trade war with the USA. There are many signs that the "cyclical peak" of global growth is now behind us, with risks to the downside.

The price of oil currently stands at $62/barrel, having fallen from a high of $86 in October to around $50 at year end before a partial rebound. This indicator has been volatile in recent years. The decline from the high point will aid disposable incomes and will help reduce travel costs although is itself a reflection of worries about global growth.

There are both upside and downside risks for 2019. However, risks are weighted to the downside, especially given the possibility of a no-deal Brexit (and, in the short term, concern about a no-deal Brexit) as well as the possibility of the global economy slowing quicker than expected.

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We have identified a number of risks and assumptions when making our forecast and have briefly detailed these below. We will continue to monitor our forecasts during 2019 and will review our forecasts to take on board the final data for 2018 and the latest provisional 2019 data.

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Political uncertainty in the UK impacts retail industry

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Political uncertainty in the UK impacts retail industry

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Impacts on imports and exports.
accessed: 27.07.19

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Recent political uncertainty and a lack of clarity about the UK's intended exit from the EU, have made it difficult for retailers to effectively plan for life beyond Brexit. However, consumer confidence aside, some retailers who failed to hedge their currency exposure have already seen an increase in the cost of goods purchased from overseas. Other retailers who hedged for 12 months are also seeing their agreements come to an end and a general reluctance to increase prices means that margins for those buying from overseas, are being squeezed.

Supply Chain mapping needs to be high on the retail agenda. When the UK exits the EU, in the absence of any other agreed arrangements, World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs will apply to imports and exports between the UK and the EU. WTO tariffs will also apply to imports and exports between the UK and non EU countries with whom the EU currently has free trade agreements. This is likely to lead to increased administration and costs. Retailers need to consider their contractual obligations, the added costs and potential time delays in transit.

For VAT purposes, assuming the UK leaves the single market, goods supplied to UK retailers would become imports and so would need import VAT to be paid at customs before the goods can be released. This could potentially create a significant cash flow disadvantage for retailers importing expensive goods, as this VAT will only be recoverable on the next VAT return.

The impact of customs duty could also be a major concern for UK retailers. If an agreement cannot be reached for the UK to be part of a customs union with the EU, then customs duty may be charged on the import of goods from the EU, which is not recoverable, so would be an actual additional cost for UK retailers. Likewise for UK retailers selling to the EU, the goods may attract duty in the recipient country, potentially deterring EU customers from purchasing from the UK.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding trade relations, tariffs and VAT, retailers are having to plan and consider for all the potential changes that may lie ahead. Some companies are considering the creation of an EU hub to ensure that they maintain access to the free market, whilst others are throwing their net further afield and exploring the possibility of extending their supply chain beyond the EU to more price competitive countries. For some companies, moving their sourcing back to the UK may be the most appropriate move, although this will obviously be dependent on the availability of the same quality of product in the UK.

Contact us

If yoy would like any further information please get in touch with Alison Conley, Partner and Head of Retail and Consumer Sector Group.

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Political uncertainty in the UK impacts retail industry

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Recent political uncertainty and a lack of clarity about the UK's intended exit from the EU, have made it difficult for retailers to effectively plan for life beyond Brexit. However, consumer confidence aside, some retailers who failed to hedge their currency exposure have already seen an increase in the cost of goods purchased from overseas.

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UK on course for no-deal Brexit as Johnson rejects EU agreement

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UK on course for no-deal Brexit as Johnson rejects EU agreement

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How no-deal impacts the UK/where the UK is at currently in terms of Brexit. (accessed 27.07.19)

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Boris Johnson has set the UK on an apparent course towards a no-deal Brexit by playing down the likelihood of any talks with the EU unless Brussels agrees to scrap the existing withdrawal agreement and Irish backstop, both of which it has ruled out.

The seemingly intransigent tone prompted Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, to warn that a no-deal departure could lead more people in Northern Ireland to seek a united Ireland.

Johnson's spokesman said there were no talks with the EU scheduled, and that if they happened it must be "clear what the basis for those discussions needs to be" - a message the new PM then delivered personally to Angela Merkel.

According to No 10, Johnson told the German chancellor in a phone call on Friday that while he would seek a deal, the "only solution" involved entirely scrapping the backstop, and that in the interim the UK must prepare for the prospect of there being no deal.

Asked earlier if Johnson's team had sought any talks with Brussels, a Downing Street spokesman said: "What we've done is set out our position and say that we are very ready and will be energetic in beginning talking, but we're also clear-eyed about what needs to happen if we are going to be able to secure a deal which parliament can support.

"As I say, we are ready to begin talking, but we are clear what the basis for those discussions needs to be."

The approach from Johnson, who spent Friday visiting a police centre in Birmingham to tout his domestic promise of 20,000 new officers, will boost speculation about a deliberate attempt by a No 10 now packed with former Vote Leave alumni to scupper any negotiated settlement.

With a seeming majority in the Commons set on blocking a no-deal departure on 31 October, this could create an impasse in which Johnson could declare an autumn election, for which he will be styled as the champion of Brexit.

The strategy does, however, carry risks, not least to the integrity of the UK, even as No 10 confirmed that Johnson would carry the extra, self-appointed title of "minister for the union".

On the visit to Birmingham, Johnson tried to scotch speculation that he was preparing for a general election, saying he would "absolutely not" call for another vote. The prime minister said: "The British people ... don't want another electoral event, they don't want a referendum, they don't want a general election. They want us to deliver."

While Johnson has no plans for talks with Brussels, he has spoken to Donald Trump, who called him on Friday evening to congratulate him on his new role and discuss the "unparalleled" trade opportunities offered by Brexit. The US president, who has publicly praised Johnson on numerous occasions, also discussed the Iran crisis.

Downing Street said: "The leaders both expressed their commitment to delivering an ambitious free trade agreement and to starting negotiations as soon as possible after the UK leaves the EU."

However, at an event on Friday in Co Donegal, Varadkar warned that a no-deal Brexit could make some in Northern Ireland "question the union". "People who you might describe as moderate nationalists or moderate Catholics, who were more or less happy with the status quo, will look more towards a united Ireland," he said.

"And we will increasingly see liberal Protestants and liberal unionists starting to ask the question as to where they feel more at home: is it in a nationalist Britain that is talking about potentially reintroducing the death penalty, or something like that, or is it part of a European home and part of Ireland?"

Johnson is likely to face some turbulent encounters with other EU leaders, including at next month's G7 summit in France. Following Johnson's call with Merkel, a German spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer, said he had also accepted an invitation to visit Berlin.

He is expected to combine it with a visit to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to whom he also also spoken. Political insiders in Berlin say the visit could take place as early as next week, but no date has been announced.

Michael Roth, Germany's minister of state for Europe, said Johnson was mistaken "to believe that the European Union will let itself be blackmailed". He told the TV channel ZDF: "My message to the new British prime minister is very clear. Boris, the election campaign is over. Just calm down."

Following Johnson's talk with Macron, France's minister for European affairs, Amélie de Montchalin, said both sides should avoid "games, gestures and provocations" with just three months to go before the UK is due to leave the EU.

On the domestic front, Johnson is due to make the latest in a series of ambitious, if so far vague and uncosted, new policies, this time for a new trans-Pennine rail route between Manchester and Leeds.

At a speech in Manchester on Saturday, Johnson was expected to say: "It will be up to local people and us to come to an agreement on the exact proposal they want - but I have tasked officials to accelerate their work on these plans so that we are ready to do a deal in the autumn."

The coming weeks, however, look set to be dominated by what could descend into a Brexit standoff, with a united EU27 adamant that there is no time to rewrite the withdrawal agreement, and that the backstop is the only proven way to avoid the risk of a hard Irish border.

Pressed on whether Johnson's stance meant, in effect, that the process was deadlocked, his spokesman said the UK's priority remained to leave with a deal. "But it is very clear that if we are going to be able to secure a deal that allows us to leave on 31 October, which the prime minister has said we are absolutely going to do, that is going to mean reopening the withdrawal agreement," he said.

Johnson must also factor in concerns about his strategy from worried Conservatives, given that he has a working Commons majority of just three, which seems set to fall further after the Brecon and Radnorshire byelection next week.

Tobias Ellwood, the junior defence minister, who strongly opposes a no-deal departure, was sacked from his post on Friday. He later told the Press Association that while "pure Brexiteers" on the Conservative benches wanted no deal, "the damage to our economy will send our party into opposition for a decade".
Topics

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UK on course for no-deal Brexit as Johnson rejects EU agreement

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Boris Johnson has set the UK on an apparent course towards a no-deal Brexit by playing down the likelihood of any talks with the EU unless Brussels agrees to scrap the existing withdrawal agreement and Irish backstop, both of which it has ruled out.

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Consumer confidence hits five-year low as Brexit uncertainty bites

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Consumer confidence hits five-year low as Brexit uncertainty bites

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Article regarding consumer confidence.
"The GfK index, which is used by the European commission to judge consumer confidence, fell to -14 in December."
(accessed: 27.07.19)

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Consumer confidence has slumped to a five-year low as Brexit uncertainty left shoppers fearing for the stability of the UK economy in the months ahead.

The GfK index, which is used by the European commission to judge consumer confidence, fell to -14 in December, down from -13 in the previous month and -10 in October.

The monthly monitor showed that most of the fall was fuelled by fears for the UK economy rather than consumers' concerns about their personal finances.

However, Joe Staton, of GfK, said: "In the face of ever-rising costs, and the threat of higher inflation combined with uncertainty around the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, consumers are in a chilly mood of despondency and putting on a glum face when they look at the prospects for 2019."

The decline in confidence mirrored results from high street chains including Boots, which said underlying sales at its pharmacies slid 3.5% while retail sales were down 2.6% in the three months to end of November.

The health and beauty chain's owner, Walgreens Boots Alliance, blamed a "very weak retail environment" in the UK. It said profits fell by 2.5%, excluding the impact of exchange rate changes and exceptional items, including the sale of the chain's manufacturing division.

Last week the Sports Direct founder, Mike Ashley, complained that retailers had experienced their worst November on record.

However, official UK figures for November were more buoyant after reports from retailers of a bounce back in sales after declines in the previous two months.

The Office for National Statistics said heavy discounting by online retailers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday drove a sharp rise in sales of 4K TVs, laptops and high-end smartphones.

The surge in online spending, which surprised the City after doom-laden reports by retailers, pushed the quantity of goods bought last month up by 1.4% compared with October. The annual increase hit 3.6%.

Retail analysts said the reliance by the ONS on smaller retailers in its survey skewed the results. Nick Bubb, an independent analyst, said: "Yet again the ONS retail sales figures are grossly inflated by improbably good growth for 'small businesses'. And yet again the ONS doesn't think the divergence against the weak performance of 'large businesses' is worth commenting on."

Howard Archer, the chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club, said: "There are bound to be suspicions about the November data, given that the ONS has acknowledged that it is not easy to seasonally adjust for Black Friday data given the changing nature of promotions.

"Furthermore, the underlying performance of retail sales still looks lacklustre, with volumes up a modest 0.4% in the three months to November compared to the three months to August."
Topics

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Consumer confidence hits five-year low as Brexit uncertainty bites

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Consumer confidence has slumped to a five-year low as Brexit uncertainty left shoppers fearing for the stability of the UK economy in the months ahead. The GfK index, which is used by the European commission to judge consumer confidence, fell to -14 in December, down from -13 in the previous month and -10 in October.

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“The total number of retail employees in the UK fell by 2.3% – equivalent to 72,000 jobs – in the second quarter of 2019, compared with 2018." (accessed 27.07.19)

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Full-time employees fell by 3% year on year, while the number of part-time workers was down by 2%. The total number of hours worked dropped by 2.5%, research from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has shown.

Stores growth slowed to 1.7%, compared with growth in the first quarter of 2.3%.

However, almost a third of retailers (30%) said they planned to increase their staff numbers compared with last year.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Retail is undergoing a period of profound transformation driven by changing consumer behaviours and innovative technologies. As these structural changes unfold, we have seen retail employment falling across the country, with a 2.3% drop as compared with the previous year. This is equivalent to around 72,000 jobs being lost. Such declines are likely to endure, hastened by government policies that continue to add costs to an industry already under immense pressures.

"With a new prime minister and cabinet in place, there is a clear opportunity to rethink the high street strategy. Business rates pose an unsustainable burden on shops and jobs, and we urge the government to provide immediate relief to retailers large and small to facilitate much-needed investment in the digital and physical offerings they provide to their customers."

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Full-time employees fell by 3% year on year, while the number of part-time workers was down by 2%. The total number of hours worked dropped by 2.5%, research from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has shown. Stores growth slowed to 1.7%, compared with growth in the first quarter of 2.3%.

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Previous Ted Baker concept store information - article. (accessed: 27.07.19)

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The 6,000 sq ft concept store opened in June 2015 to showcase the brand's licence products, including footwear, watches, jewellery, glasses and sunglasses, bicycles and audio products.

Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin said: "It has done its job to showcase all the products but, on a day-to-day basis, it doesn't fit with the portfolio, so we're moving on."

He did not rule out opening more concept stores in future, but said none are currently in the pipeline: "It's all about being appropriate for the brand," he explained.

The firm is poised to launch a new golf range for men, but Kelvin said, in terms of licence product and category expansion, "we have done pretty much everything we should do".

"Now it is about focusing more on the right things and remaining relevant," he added.

Earlier today, Ted Baker reported that sales soared 16.4% on a constant-currency basis to £531m for the year to 28 January, while profit before tax rose 4.4%to £61.3m.

Kelvin said the business traded well despite a backdrop of "ongoing challenges across global markets".

He admitted that the US market was probably the most challenging at the moment because of the strength of the dollar, but insisted that the company and brand was very resilient.

Ted Baker plans to open stores in Oxford and Paris, an outlet in Gloucester and its first Dutch outlet in Roermond in the coming year, as well as new concessions in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

In North America, it will open in Los Angeles and Houston, and will relocate in Miami. The firm will also open new concessions in Canada with a premium department store.

In Asia, Ted Baker has relocated a store in Tokyo and plans to open a further store in Shanghai and new concessions in Japan and South Korea.

There are also new franchise stores planned for Australia, Dubai, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, along with its first store in India.

Kelvin confirmed he had met with Marks & Spencer chief executive Steve Rowe recently but brushed off any suggestions that Ted Baker would be stocked in the chain's stores any time soon.

"We talked about Millwall and Spurs," he quipped.

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Ted Baker to close concept store but plots further expansion

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The 6,000 sq ft concept store opened in June 2015 to showcase the brand's licence products, including footwear, watches, jewellery, glasses and sunglasses, bicycles and audio products. Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin said: "It has done its job to showcase all the products but, on a day-to-day basis, it doesn't fit with the portfolio, so we're moving on."

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Lessons in luxury: seven subjects setting the sector a buzz

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Lessons in luxury: seven subjects setting the sector a buzz

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"Instagram’s influence in fashion retail is still growing – some 30% of Instagram users have discovered a new product or brand online. Luxury shoppers are particularly engaged, and consume five times more content on the platform." (accessed 27.07.19)

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British brand Ralph & Russo began life as a couture house, before launching a ready-to-wear collection for the first time for spring 18. Founders Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo said a strong customer understanding and impeccable service underpin the growth of the brand and its continuing success, and are what allowed them to compete with established names.

"Customer service is free for us to provide, so when we began, we were able to compete on that level with the more established brands," explained Ralph.

"We found that when customers are at ease in the atelier, they spend more," added Russo. He also stressed that luxury brands must retain this close customer connection to retain their exclusive appeal: "Luxury is becoming too commercial. It needs to be brought back to its roots."

Bundled buys are the next big thing

In a world of never-ending options, choice has become a burden, rather than a benefit. Simplicity is the new luxury frontier: take away the need for shoppers to choose and make the buying process as simple as possible.

Fashion brands including Wardrobe NYC and The Kit offer bundles of items to buy all at once - almost as a ready-made wardrobe or outfit. In addition, luxe streetwear brands are turning to bundles to combat resellers. The brands sell bundles of items for large sums, deterring those who may be buying solely to sell on, and elevating the brand's exclusivity one step further.

LOLs are the new KOLs

Influencers' follower numbers no longer matter as much as they used to. The key opinion leader (KOL) group of influencers with vast social followings are increasingly being passed over by luxury brands, as they seek to form more tangible and authentic connections with their customers. The new type of influencer to note is the local opinion leader (LOL), who has a more niche following around specific locations or topics - brands are finding these people enable a more genuine interaction with their customers.

Lesley Crowther, vice-president for consumer engagement and retail at Estée Lauder UK, noted that tapping into these grassroots "micro-communities" brought the cosmetics giant closer to its shopper and allowed for "richer, real conversations".

How to win Instagram in three steps

Instagram's influence in fashion retail is still growing - some 30% of Instagram users have discovered a new product or brand online. Luxury shoppers are particularly engaged, and consume five times more content on the platform, said Lisa Yeates, client partner for luxury at Instagram's parent company Facebook. Yeates shared three key rules for brands seeking to succeed on the platform in 2019.

1. Be relevant. You cannot have just one message to reach everyone. On social media. it is critical to be relevant, meaningful and timely. For example, Bottega Veneta ran a campaign that featured targeted ads for men and women, and specifically targeted users that had engaged with its New York Fashion Week content on the platform. It also targeted users that matched the demographic of their top customers to ensure they were seen by the right people at the right time.

2. Be fast. Creating "thumb-stopping content" is a necessity. Brands need to capture the attention of the viewer within just three seconds to stop them scrolling or tapping away from content. With Instagram Stories an increasingly powerful tool - the feature now has 500 million daily active users - this means engaging with videos and powerful visuals to catch the consumer's roving eye and ever-scrolling thumb.

3. Be visual. Once upon a time, text dominated the social space on the internet. Today, images rule the roost, and Yeates estimated that in five years video will overtake static pictures. After that, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) are set to move into the mainstream, and some brands are already embracing immersive experiences to bring the storefront to the consumer.

Purpose-driven purchasing is on the rise

Aleksandra Szymanska, art director at research firm The Future Laboratory, noted that the millennial predilection for conscious consuming is also present in luxury shoppers. Changing attitudes to wealth are creating a sense of "uneasy affluence". This could be set to drive an increase in purpose-driven purchasing - where shoppers buy luxury items that have ethical or sustainable benefits for others, as well as the shopper.

Augmented reality is becoming a practical reality

It is anticipated that the VR and AR market will be worth $77.4bn (£59.7bn) by 2021, and for several years, VR and AR have been teetering on the brink of usability for brands. Szymanska said the formats will enter a new, truly usable, phase in the near future, moving away from being marketing tools to become more practical. She highlights Nike's SNKR app, which used augmented reality to allow customers to shop for exclusive products, as a sign of what's to come. A more left-field trend may be the emergence of digital-only clothing: where consumers buy products that are superimposed onto their Instagram images and never actually made.

International or not, luxury should be looking to China

Although there have been some whispers of a slowdown in the Chinese market, the power of the country remains vast. Chloe Reuter, CEO of Chinese consultancy firm Reuter Communications, said 32% of luxury shoppers globally in 2018 were Chinese - a figure that is set to rise to 45% by 2025.

The market is digitally driven and incredibly fast moving, but as Chinese shoppers begin to travel more to international markets, the UK will receive a 13.5% rise in international traveller numbers by 2020. Retailers could look to harness the international spending power of the Chinese consumer by engaging with platforms such WeChat, but also lesser-known sites and apps such as DouYin (known as TikTok outside of China), Fliggy and Little Red Book, to enhance their appeal for the Chinese market.

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Lessons in luxury: seven subjects setting the sector abuzz

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Known for its traditions and heritage, as retail evolves the luxury sector is also becoming a driving force for innovation. Drapers rounds up the key take-aways from Walpole's Luxury Summit on 5 February, where some of the sector's biggest names discribed their vision for luxury's future.

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How These Retailers Use Augmented Reality to Enhance the Customer Experience

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How These Retailers Use Augmented Reality to Enhance the Customer Experience

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Article showing the use of augmented reality technology.

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Remember when augmented reality (AR) was a pie-in-the-sky idea? Even just a few years ago, AR caught our attention mostly due to its "cool factor."

Now it's becoming more of a reality, and forward-thinking retail brands are incorporating AR technology into the customer experience, both in-store and online.

Retailers are smart to adopt this technology: Almost 70% of consumers expect retailers to launch an AR app within the next six months. Despite this, nearly two-thirds of companies don't use AR at all.

However, there are many retail brands at the forefront of harnessing the power of AR and how it can enhance the brand experience. To help inspire you, we're highlighting a variety of retailers using AR to empower their customers, create a more interactive shopping experience, and help their products stand out.

Enhancing the In-Store Experience

Retailers across a number of industries have integrated AR technology into the in-store experience. It's a smart move, especially considering 61% of consumers prefer stores that offer AR experiences - and 40% of them would pay more for your product if they have the chance to experience it through AR.

Lacoste, for example, created the LCST Lacoste AR mobile app that customers could use to virtually try on shoes. The app also created AR experiences with window displays, in-store signage, and promotional postcards.

With this technology, the apparel retailer aimed to engage a younger audience. The app promoted the LCST shoe model, "the urban-savvy younger brother of Lacoste." And the investment paid off: More than 30,000 users engaged with 3D products while using the app. They quite literally put the shopping experience in the customers' hands.

American Apparel is another clothing brand that has also equipped customers with mobile app-driven experiences. They encouraged engagement with in-store signage and displays similar to the Lacoste example.

Essentially, a shopper would open the app and scan a picture of signage. The app would then pull up product details, including customer reviews, color variants, and pricing.

Another retailer instead incorporated AR into their in-store mirrors. Cosmetics brand Charlotte Tilbury took AR out of customers' hands and onto the "magic mirror" on the wall. They partnered with augmented retail solutions and software provider Holition to install AR-enabled mirrors in their store.

Charlotte Tilbury Westfield London Magic Mirror from Holition on Vimeo.

Customers would visit the store and sit in front of the mirror. The mirror would then use AR to scan the image of their face. Shoppers would then see their face with ten of the brand's iconic looks in under a minute - without physically wearing any makeup.

Apparel brands have also used AR mirrors to let customers try products on more conveniently. Timberland, for example, had a virtual fitting room created with Kinect technology. They turned this fitting room into one of the main window displays, which was a strategic move to drive more foot traffic.

Shoppers would stand in front of a camera and see a virtual version of themselves on a large screen. They could then choose different products to try on without even having to step foot in the store, let alone search for their size and go through the fitting room experience.

Topshop is another apparel brand that used Kinect to create virtual fitting rooms. They partnered with AR Door to create this experience for customers in their Moscow store.

One unexpected brand that has introduced AR to the in-store experience is Toys "R" Us. They worked with PlayFusion to create a "digital playground" through the Play Chaser app. The app isn't geared towards the shoppers who convert - it's targeted towards the end user: kids.

With the app downloaded on a mobile device, children can unlock AR-enabled activities. The mascot Geoffrey even comes to life, bringing the brand back into the experience.

Despite the retailer's financial woes, their AR initiative seems to be working. The app has more than 100,000 Google Play downloads and a 4-star rating.

Lowe's also uses AR paired with geolocation technology for their mobile app-powered in-store experience. The In-Store Navigation app, what they claim to be "the first retail application of indoor mapping using augmented reality."

Using Google Tango AR technology, Lowe's in-house product innovation lab created an app that makes the physical shopping experience easier and faster. Customers can create shopping lists in the app, which will then guide them through the store using the quickest route possible.

This isn't their first foray into AR, either. Lowe's Measured app gives users instant measurements based off images from the device's camera. This at-home AR use is an especially strategic tactic for home goods-related brands: More than half of homeowners don't proceed with a home-improvement project because they can't imagine what products will look like in their home.

Bringing the In-Store Experience to Consumers' Homes

AR has also proven an effective way to bring the in-store experience to life in a virtual sense. Rather than customers visiting your store, AR allows them to experience your products and services right in their homes.

Like Lowe's, home and lifestyle brand Magnolia Market created an app that allows customers to see how their products will look in their homes. They partnered with the AR team at Shopify to incorporate Apple's ARKit technology into their app.

Introducing this technology has enabled the brand to extend their reach, which is especially valuable considering they have a single brick-and-mortar store in Waco, Texas.

"Not everyone is able to visit us in person, but it was still important to us that the finer details of the in-store experience come through for those shopping online and on-the-go," said Stone Crandall, digital experience manager at Magnolia. "With this technology, users can see our products up-close to examine the intricacies that make them special and unique."
Read more about Magnolia Market and how AR tech is changing consumer perceptions >
Anthropologie has also used ARKit, partnering with CVLT to capture detailed, 3D images of their furniture line. They created an app that gave shoppers detailed views of furniture in different fabrics, colors, and shapes, as well as from different angles. The app was so detailed that it even gave customers peeks into what the furniture would look like with different lighting and shadows.

Another ARKit creation, IKEA Place, functions in much the same way.

Home goods aren't the only try-at-home AR experiences. Gap also plans to bring the fitting rooms home with its DressingRoom by Gap app. And Converse has already done so with its Sampler mobile app, which lets shoppers virtually try shoes on at home, easily sharing the pictures to get purchase validation from friends.

The cosmetics and beauty sector is also perfect for this AR execution. L'Oréal Paris's MakeupGenius app has been downloaded on Google Play more than a million times. With it, shoppers can virtually put makeup on images of their face. Like in real life, users can blend or mix and match different products to create their desired cosmetic look.

Sephora is also entering the arena of AR-powered cosmetic experiences. It functions a little differently than L'Oréal's - users must first upload an image of a selfie to which they can apply makeup. They're aiming to simplify the purchase process and minimize the number of steps users must take to buy.

Incorporating Augmented Reality Into Your Product

Some brands have gone as far as to incorporate AR into the actual product, enhancing not only the shopping experience but the overall brand experience too.

For example, Adidas launched a line of sneakers that unlocked an AR for customers at home. After buying the sneakers, customers would take the shoe home and hold it up to their computer's webcam so it could read the embedded code on the tongue. Customers would then find themselves in a virtual world which they could navigate through using their sneaker as a controller.

This isn't Adidas' first foray into AR either.. They've also incorporated it into their marketing campaigns and T-shirt design reveals.

An unlikely AR contender, BIC appealed to its younger customers with its BIC Kids DrawyBook. Children would color on paper, and then their drawings would come to life on a tablet through AR.

Incorporating AR into your product may require more capital due to the research and development and investment in stock. It may be a good idea to test the waters with a smaller AR initiative to make sure it resonates with your target market.

Standing Out and Building Brand Awareness

Some retailers have taken a more out-of-the-box approach to AR, using the technology to build buzz and brand awareness.

Outdoor gear brand Moosejaw introduced the technology for customers to use at home, in conjunction with their printed catalogs. Their main goal was to delight existing customers with their mobile app Sweaty & Wet. As you might imagine, the app was rather controversial: It allowed customers to scan the catalog images and see an X-ray image of models in their undergarments.

Whether you find the move tasteful or not, the app drove a quarter of a million downloads and a 37% increase in sales.

Fashion brand RIXO London also gave customers an at-home experience with AR. Considering that runway shows aren't accessible to the general population, RIXO London brought the runway show to customers' homes.

Perhaps one of the most creative examples of AR in retail is Airwalk's "invisible" pop-up shop. With geolocation and AR, Airwalk created a virtual pop-up shop to promote the limited-edition relaunch of the Airwalk Jim. Shoppers would download the AR app through which they would learn the location of the pop-up.

The Airwalk Invisible Pop Up Store from GoldRun on Vimeo.

In addition to providing consumers a unique and fun shopping experience, the pop-up resulted in $5 million in earned media, and their ecommerce store had its busiest weekend yet.

Which retail brands have you seen incorporate AR into their customer experiences? Which tactics would you like to try for your store?

More High-Tech Inspiration

AR is becoming more of a mainstay piece of technology for retailers, as you can see from many of the inspirational examples above.

Still craving high-tech inspiration? Read more about how several retailers are using virtual reality to attract customers and keep them.

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How These Retailers Use Augmented Reality to Enhance the Customer Experience

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Remember when augmented reality (AR) was a pie-in-the-sky idea? Even just a few years ago, AR caught our attention mostly due to its "cool factor." Now it's becoming more of a reality, and forward-thinking retail brands are incorporating AR technology into the customer experience, both in-store and online.

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Investors sell Ted Baker shares after profit warning

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Investors sell Ted Baker shares after profit warning

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Recent press regarding Ted Baker - (accessed 22.06.19 - 06.08.19)

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Shares in Ted Baker lost more than a quarter of their value on Tuesday morning after the firm said profits would fall short of expectations.

In response to the profit warning, investors sold off shares wiping more than £150m from the company's value.

The fashion house blamed "extremely difficult" trading conditions for the lower than expected earnings.

It is the latest setback for the firm after its founder, Ray Kelvin, left in March following harassment allegations.

'Unseasonable weather'

The company complained of "unseasonable weather" across North America and a "highly promotional" sales environment as it said profits for the year ending January 2020 were likely to be between £50m and £60m.

The estimate falls short of the £70.9m it was expecting.

"The scale of today's profit warning at Ted Baker will raise eyebrows... there will be questions around founder Ray Kelvin's departure and the wider question of how to get Ted back on point," analysts at Peel Hunt said in a note.

In March, Ted Baker reported its first drop in annual profits since 2008, as traditional bricks and mortar clothing stores struggled to compete with online retailers and British consumers tightened their purse strings.

Mr Kelvin, who had been chief executive since the company's launch in 1988, resigned in March over claims he presided over a culture of "forced hugging". He has denied all allegations of misconduct.

Lindsay Page, who replaced Mr Kelvin, told Reuters: "The markets that we trade in have been extremely challenging and that has also led to levels of discounting I think we've rarely seen before, particularly in the UK."

"Several of our new product initiatives will commence imminently and we are confident in our collections for the coming season," she said in a statement to the stock market.

Analysts at Liberum said the believed the "short-term and identifiable issues around product" were being addressed quickly but the "unpredictable trading backdrop across all markets appears to have less end in sight".

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Ted Baker shares plunge after profit warning

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Shares in Ted Baker lost more than a quarter of their value on Tuesday morning after the firm said profits would fall short of expectations. In response to the profit warning, investors sold off shares wiping more than £150m from the company's value. The fashion house blamed "extremely difficult" trading conditions for the lower than expected earnings.

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Press/News regarding Ted Baker.
accessed: 27.07.19

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Kelvin, who owns about a third of the company, has indicated that he would support a buyout that would take the company private under the existing management, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Kelvin took a voluntary leave of absence from his role as CEO of Ted Baker in December after allegations of misconduct were made against him. Since that date, an internal independent committee has been investigating the claims and commissioned law firm Herbert Smith Freehills to investigate the allegations and the company's policies, procedures and handling of HR-related complaints.

Kelvin has denied all allegations of misconduct. However, in March he agreed to resign with immediate effect from his position as chief executive and as a director of Ted Baker.

He is no longer on the board but retains a 35% stake, so any move to buy the company would have to secure his approval. It is not known if any attempt to buy the business is progressing or whether advisers have been appointed.

Kelvin founded Ted Baker in 1987 with a shop in Glasgow, before it became listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997.

Ted Baker has been contacted for comment.

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Kelvin, who owns about a third of the company, has indicated that he would support a buyout that would take the company private under the existing management, according to the Mail on Sunday. Kelvin took a voluntary leave of absence from his role as CEO of Ted Baker in December after allegations of misconduct were made against him.

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The SWOT was conducted in the Regent St store and the Convent Garden store, results inclusive.

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Ted Baker launches ship from store service

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Ted Baker launches ship from store service

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Ship from store and express click and collect inititaves, items can now be directly sent to consumers from stores. (accessed 27.07.19)

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Ted Baker has launched a new ship from store functionality to enhance its omnichannel order management operations.

The British luxury brand teamed up with omnichannel order management specialist OneStock to unify inventory across its estate and deploy new ship from store and express click-and-collect initiatives. OneStock currently works with the likes of Monsoon, Radley, Jigsaw and Whistles.

With Ted Baker's new feature, items can now be sent directly to consumers from stores, instead of having to rely on a central warehouse to have the items in stock, offering customers a faster pick-up time while reducing logistical costs.

Ted Baker store teams will now have an app allowing them to receive click-and-collect instructions and access ship from store orders. Orders will be claimed competitively by qualifying stores, and the items will be packed and sent directly to customers.

"The main drivers for the ship from store project are to enable greater product availability on Ted's website while maintaining a better sell-through rate of full-priced items within the store," said Clare Harrison-Empson, head of global retail operations at Ted Baker, in a statement. "OneStock will aid us in offering a seamless experience and delivery process for customers, keeping pace with the ever upward-shifting expectations placed on their favourite brands."

Romulus Grigoras, CEO of OneStock, added: "To succeed at omnichannel requires retail agility. A distributed order management system will enable Ted Baker to give customers a smooth shopping journey and increase sales."

Ted Baker's new ship from store functionality will initially be rolled out in the UK, followed by the US and territories in the Middle East and Asia, where it will be used for local fulfilment of ecommerce orders.
Photo credit: Ted Baker

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Ted Baker launches ship from store service

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Ted Baker has launched a new ship from store functionality to enhance its omnichannel order management operations. The British luxury brand teamed up with omnichannel order management specialist OneStock to unify inventory across its estate and deploy new ship from store and express click-and-collect initiatives.

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The Inspiring Story of Ted’s Latest Recruit

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The Inspiring Story of Ted’s Latest Recruit

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Blog post regarding recruiting a former homeless artist on to the special projects team. (accessed 27.07.19)

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The Inspiring Story of Ted's Latest Recruit - BEHIND THE SEAMS

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Meet Jamal. A talented young artist from London and Ted's most recent recruit to his busy team of creatives. With eagerness and personality to match, Jamal's made quite the impression since joining, an impact made even more impressive given the circumstances that propelled him here.

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Work Placement - John Lewis, 15th July - 2nd August

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Work Placement - John Lewis, 15th July - 2nd August

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During placement at John Lewis I was involved in many supplier meetings and discussions. Useful information included meetings on how sourcing directly from a factory was more cost-effective for the business than sourcing through an agency, with agency fees. I used discussions to support and evaluate my own sourcing decisions.

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Connected Consumer: Multichannel Insight Report 2018

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Connected Consumer: Multichannel Insight Report 2018

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"Younger shoppers aged between 18 and 24 prefered Instagram: 52% said it had inspired them (outfit buys), compared with 30% for Facebook. Consumers over 25 reported a preference for Facebook." 52.8% don't use social media for shopping. (21.07.19)

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"85% of millennials have purchased a product after watching a video." 

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"85% of millennials have purchased a product after watching a video." 

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accessed 20.07.19

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Dive Brief:

Seventy-six percent of consumers and 85% of millennials, defined as people age 18-34, say they've purchased a product or service after watching a video, according to Brightcove's "2018 Video Marketing Survey." The September survey of more than 4,000 adults was done with market research firm YouGov.

Video was the most memorable form of content for 21% of consumers and 29% of millennials. Video ranked higher than display ads at 13%, email marketing at 9%, case studies at 4% and text ads at 2%. Forty-five percent of all consumers and 56% of millennials find video more engaging than other formats. Video is the preferred form of brand and marketing communication for 36% of consumers overall and 46% of millennials.

Other findings include 53% of consumers and 66% of millennials say they've engaged with a brand after watching a video on social media, with 20% saying they visited a brand's website and 20% conducting more research. Fifty-six percent of consumers enjoy seeing videos for personal electronics, 52% for household appliances, 48% for tools, 47% for software, 35% for clothing and makeup, and 27% for personal care.

Dive Insight:

Brightcove's new research offers some insights for marketers looking to engage consumers with video content and sheds some light on how consumers, especially millannials, interact with and are influenced by video. The latest research aligns with other studies affirming that video is the preferred format for engaging with brands. A HubSpot Research study found that 72% of consumers prefer video to text for receiving marketing information,

Marketers continue to experiment with different video formats and lengths to find the right mix to engage with consumers and drive sales. As many are working on future video strategies, marketers should note the Brightcove findings that 45% of consumers overall and 57% of millennials say it's helpful when videos have a call to action so that they can engage directly with brands. Also, 35% of consumers and 41% of millennials say they'd like for videos to include links for them to access more brand information.

Online video viewers are projected to exceed 200 million in 2018, according to Forrester research. Video ad spending is expected to grow from $91 billion in 2018 to $103 billion by 2023, with the total share of video ad spending increasing from 21% this year to 34% in 2023. Younger consumers are spending more time on their smartphones than older generations and consumer more video content. They are also not as ad averse as older age groups and don't mind watching video ads from their favorite brands.

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Study: 85% of millennials have purchased a product after watching a video

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Seventy-six percent of consumers and 85% of millennials, defined as people age 18-34, say they've purchased a product or service after watching a video, according to Brightcove's "2018 Video Marketing Survey." The September survey of more than 4,000 adults was done with market research firm YouGov.

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Connected Consumer: Multichannel Insight Report 2018

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Connected Consumer: Multichannel Insight Report 2018

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74% of Millennials use Facebook and 70% use Instagram.
accessed: 21.07.19

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Used store visits 29.06.19 - new releases fixtures and shelf to plan and create collection planogram as per usual store set up.

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The range plan is made up of 6 departments. The planned sales turnover for the range is £644,977. The planned total buy at cost for the range is £165,536. The biggest planned unit sales are accessories and shoes at 1514.24 units, with the trainers at the highest rate of sale across categories due to the rise in Athleisurewear. Planned sales turnover individually for accessories and shoes is £219,204, with the second highest being dresses at £199,164. The planned buy at cost is £57,334 for accessories and shoes and £48,535 in term of dresses. With the planned likelihood of the accessories and shoes category making the biggest profit in comparison of the two categories. Dresses being the second due to being the highest assortment mix of the range which ties in with usual category percentage mixes for Ted Baker ranges.

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Article with reasons why technology companies look to Portugal for set up.

"Fifty-three percent of 20- to 29-year-olds are graduates in an engineering or math related discipline." (accessed: 12.07.19)

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Image credit: Shutterstock

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Lisbon's hosting of the Web Summit in November saw tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and specialists flock to the Portuguese capital, the most visible sign of the country's buoyant technology sector.

While the food, weather, beaches and architectural splendor have seen Portugal emerge as one of Europe's hottest tourist destinations, startups are also beating a path to Europe's westernmost country.

Lisbon has now climbed to fourth in a global list of the best places to start a new business (according to freelance marketplace PeoplePerHour's Startup City Index), leaving a list of rivals that includes San Francisco and London in its dust. In fact, a report from Startup Europe Partnership found Portugal's startup ecosystem is now growing twice as fast as the European average.

A key driver is the record number of foreign companies using Portugal as a more convenient and affordable way to assemble their digital platforms. The quality and cost of our tech services continues to draw these companies for specific projects, with increasing numbers returning to establish their tech hub here.

Competitive development prices mean a junior developer (i.e. someone with three years of experience) earns an average of $22,549 in Portugal -- those with seven years under their belt are likely to earn twice that amount (around $45,000). However, using a similarly skilled software developer from Germany or Sweden is two-and-a-half times more expensive, someone from the U.K. will cost three times more and a bill from a Swiss developer will be four times higher.

If you choose to use top tier agencies -- those that work purely with highly skilled developers such as PhD graduates and Open Source contributors -- you'll be charged around €80 per hour in Lisbon. In Switzerland, you'll be likely to pay around €300 per hour.

Another local advantage comes in a more traditional area -- bricks and mortar. Despite recent price rises, Portugal's property market is still highly competitive, with an office in Lisbon costing on average €222 per square meter, per year. By comparison, Berlin costs €360 per square meter, per year, it's €669 in Stockholm, €732 in Zurich or the stratospheric €1,223 in London's West End!

And with an annual inflation rate of just 1 percent, Lisbon is also a significantly cheaper place to live. The cost of living in Lisbon is half what it would be in London, a fifth lower than Berlin and 60 percent cheaper than New York, San Francisco and Zurich.

Is ROI everything you should look at when picking your partners to build a tech product?

Other factors need to be taken into consideration to fully understand why so many firms see Lisbon (rather than other more traditional outsourcing areas) as a solution for their technology challenges:

Education, cultural adaptation, geography and resilience are some of the qualities that historically made Portugal a global power for over four centuries. Nowadays, these traits are making the country a land of opportunity for tech outsourcing and startups.

Portugal has a proud history of investment in education -- it was key for the evolution of navigation. In the School of Sagres, the most advanced techniques for navigation were taught, allowing Portuguese explorers to be the first Europeans to reach South America, Asia and Africa.

With an educated workforce -- and English spoken widely throughout the country -- our eight universities produce 100,000 graduates a year. Fifty-three percent of 20- to 29-year-olds are graduates in an engineering or math related discipline.

Unsurprisingly, this pool of tech talent is attracting the attention of global firms. BNP Paribas, Zalando and Mercedes Benz have all set up operations in Portugal while a range of successful startups and tech agencies are now successfully working with clients around the world.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, Portugal has strived to become Europe's most startup-friendly country. Investments of up to €5 million enjoy tax deductions of 20 percent, meaning the tax rate for startups can be as low as 7.5 percent.

The Portuguese government has also eased residency programs for foreign startups and slashed red tape -- setting up a company has been simplified to a simple online process. It has also allocated €200 million to help foreign companies invest in local companies and/or relocate to Portugal.

Compared to the rest of Europe, Portugal's local tech scene is relatively small but it's growing rapidly -- a trend that Brexit will only help accelerate. In 2016, VC investment totalled only €18.5 million -- but that was a six-fold increase from 2015.

Portugal's geographical location is also playing a part. We are in the same time zone as London, an hour behind Central European Time -- and a three-hour flight from key cities such as Zurich, London and Stockholm. Looking west across the Atlantic, our clocks are only five hours ahead of New York.

Renowned as a country that made its name for launching ships around the globe, Portugal is now playing a central role in helping startups from all over the globe navigate and conquer today's digital world.

The advent of the lean culture has made it easier than ever before to assemble tech products from anywhere in the world -- and Lisbon is rapidly positioning itself as a serious alternative to its main European rivals.

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Why Portugal Is the New Land of Opportunity for Tech Startups

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Lisbon's hosting of the Web Summit in November saw tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, investors and specialists flock to the Portuguese capital, the most visible sign of the country's buoyant technology sector.

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Lisbon is the 2020 European Green Capital Award winner

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Lisbon is the 2020 European Green Capital Award winner

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Lisbon was handed the title of European Green Capital 2020. accessed 12.07.19

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Image by Ursula Bach

The Portuguese city of Lisbon has won the European Green Capital Award for 2020. The title of European Green Leaf 2019 goes jointly to the cities of Cornellà de Llobregat and Horst aan de Maas. These prestigious titles were awarded by the EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, at an awards ceremony in Nijmegen, the Netherlands - the current European Green Capital.

Apart from the title, Lisbon receives a €350k financial incentive from the European Commission to kick-start its green capital year.

Commissioner Vella said: "I am delighted to be awarding Europe's green city awards for the eleventh time to a new champion of urban sustainability, and for the sixth and seventh time to smaller green cities. As we enter the second decade of the European Green Capital Awards, the initiative has become even more significant than ever. Globally we are faced with enormous environmental challenges. Climate change, over consumption, plastic waste and biodiversity loss are major threats to our cities and our future. It is heartening and inspiring to see such strong leadership from Lisbon, and other European Green Capital winners. With best practice environmental management, good urban planning, and citizens at the heart of their green transformation, they showed how to turn environmental challenges into opportunities, and make their cities healthy and enjoyable places to stay, live and work in."

The Jury felt that Lisbon - that started its journey towards sustainability during a period of economic crisis - can be an inspiration and a role-model for many cities across the EU, demonstrating clearly that sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand.

The Expert Panel highlighted that Lisbon is particularly strong in the field of sustainable land use, sustainable urban mobility (transport), green growth & eco innovation, climate change adaptation and waste:

Lisbon was the first capital in Europe to sign the New Covenant of Mayors for Climate Change and Energy in 2016, after achieving a 50% reduction in C02 emissions (2002-14); reducing energy consumption by 23% and water consumption by 17% from 2007 to 2013;

It has a clear vision for sustainable urban mobility, with measures to restrict car use and prioritise cycling, public transport, and walking. In 2017 Lisbon launched a bike-sharing scheme, with electric bikes comprising two thirds of the fleet to encourage cycling in the hillier parts of the city;

It has one of the world's largest networks of electric vehicle charging points, while 39% of the municipal car fleet is electric;

93.3% of people in Lisbon live within 300 m of a frequent public transport service;

76% of people in Lisbon live within 300 m of green urban areas, and

It has a strong commitment to sustainable land use with particular focus on establishing green infrastructure, or connected networks of green space, to counteract the effects of climate change, such as drought, extreme heat, and storm flooding.

The Spanish city of Cornellà de Llobregat was commended for its commitment to transforming the city into a genuinely sustainable high-density metropolitan area that could be a role-model for other compact urban areas. The jury was particularly impressed by its traffic calming measures and promotion of sustainable transport modes. The city also demonstrates a strong focus on water management, including water conservation, flood management, and also public awareness-raising campaigns.

The Dutch city of Horst aan de Maas was commended for its enthusiasm and well-planned inclusive urban strategy. The jury was particularly impressed by the involvement of all stakeholders in the city, in particular its citizens, in a range of activities related to climate change, sustainable urban mobility, water, and air quality. The city has an extensive bicycle and public transport network and has taken a wide range of actions to encourage cycling, electric vehicles, and car sharing.

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Image by Ursula Bach The Portuguese city of Lisbon has won the European Green Capital Award for 2020. The title of European Green Leaf 2019 goes jointly to the cities of Cornellà de Llobregat and Horst aan de Maas.

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Portugal has been ranked as the third most positive contributor.

“Portugal intends to more than double the production of renewable electricity by 2030.”
accessed 12.07.19

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By Brendan de Beer, in News · 17-04-2019 09:54:00 ·2 Comments
Portugal has once again been placed at the forefront of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world to live in or to visit.

While recent climate reports have painted a grim future of the well-being of the planet, a handful of countries, among them Portugal, have been singled out for their positive ecological contribution.

According to the Good Country Index, which aims to measure the impact a single country has on the wider world, Portugal has been ranked as the third most positive contributor.

The index takes into account a number of factors, including a country's ecological footprint relative to the size of the economy and the percentage of renewable energy used.

"In our age of advanced globalisation and massive interdependence, everything sooner or later, has an impact on the whole system," Simon Anholt, an independent policy advisor who founded the index, was quoted as saying.

"I wanted to create the first index that measured the external impact of each country on the whole of humanity, the whole planet, outside its own borders."

Following the release of these findings, the BBC ran a report to discover why countries like Portugal are much greener than its neighbours.

It says that Portugal was an early leader in investing in a full network of charging stations for electric cars (which was free until just recently), and has incentivised citizens to install solar power and renewable energy with lower rates and the opportunity to sell energy back to the grid.
Recycling and composting is a normal way of life, the report continues, adding that there are specialised bins in every neighbourhood, including one for batteries. Education has played a big role in making everyday green efforts a reality, it found.

This follows on news that Portugal intends to more than double the production of renewable electricity by 2030, mainly through solar energy, under Portugal's National Energy and Climate Plan 2030.

According to the plan, renewables are expected to represent 80 percent of electricity consumption in Portugal in 2030.

In 2018, renewable output supplied 52 percent of national consumption, with wind and hydroelectric plants each accounting for 23 percent, biomass 5 percent and photovoltaic 1.5 percent.

Portugal has seen its reliance on fossil fuels drop considerably over the years and last May, managed to run the country for three consecutive days on renewable energy alone.

Green energy currently supplies just over half of Portugal's annual electricity needs, saving the country around 750 million euros in fossil fuel imports.

Portugal also performed well in the latest Climate Change Performance Index and was placed first in terms of policies to counter the effects of climate change.

In keeping with the theme to keep Portugal as environmentally friendly as possible, Portugal introduced the Green Visa at the beginning of the year.

Investment in organic agriculture, renewable energy, ecotourism and a wide range of environmental projects will see foreigners now be allowed to gain a residency permit and eventually Portuguese nationality.

André Silva, leader and sole MP for PAN, said after the vote that "the approval of the Green Visa will serve to reinforce Portugal's role in attracting international ecological investment, while simultaneously ensuring the transition to a circular and carbon-free economy."

Meanwhile, Lisbon has also been handed the title of European Green Capital 2020. More than 30 European cities were in the running for the title, but it was the Portuguese capital that emerged victorious. It is the first time ever that a capital city in southern Europe has bagged the accolade.

The jury felt that Lisbon - which started its journey towards sustainability during a period of economic crisis - can be an inspiration and a role-model for many cities across the EU, demonstrating clearly that sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand.

The expert panel highlighted that Lisbon is particularly strong in the field of sustainable land use, sustainable urban mobility (transport), green growth and eco innovation, climate change adaptation and waste.

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By Brendan de Beer, in News · 17-04-2019 09:54:00 ·2 Comments While recent climate reports have painted a grim future of the well-being of the planet, a handful of countries, among them Portugal, have been singled out for their positive ecological contribution.

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Instagram Posts of Ted Baker Gift Boxes & Bags 

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Instagram Posts of Ted Baker Gift Boxes & Bags 

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Used for packaging ideas.
https://www.instagram.com/ (11.07.19)

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Size 8, Shirt Dress used for measurements, additional length was added in terms of split detail in range design to accommodate this (not revealing as luxury brand).
(10.07.19)

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Designers showcasing currently for S/S 2020. (04.08.19 - 07.08.19)

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By continuing your visit to the site, you accept the use of cookies to provide us with anonymous statistical data to understand how our site is used. You can oppose these cookies and change the settings by clicking on the following link. Learn more and set cookies

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By continuing your visit to the site, you accept the use of cookies to provide us with anonymous statistical data to understand how our site is used. You can oppose these cookies and change the settings by clicking on the following link. Learn more and set cookies

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Using Ted Baker's website looked into key items and pricing. The current products supported inspiration, range items and pricing architecture.
https://www.tedbaker.com/uk/Womens/c/category_womens
accessed 02.07.19

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Catwalk Analytics A/W 19/20: Dresses & Skirts

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Catwalk Analytics A/W 19/20: Dresses & Skirts

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+24% Pleats.
website:
https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/83230/page/8
(accessed 04.08.19)

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T-shirt (+32% YoY) dominating the mix at 40%.
website:
https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/84362/page/2 accessed 07.08.19

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Catwalk Analytics Pre-Summer 20: Trousers, Shorts & Jumpsuits

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Catwalk Analytics Pre-Summer 20: Trousers, Shorts & Jumpsuits

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Trouser analytics Information.
website:
https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/84349/page/3 (accessed 07.08.19)

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Catwalk Analytics Pre-Summer 20: Dresses & Skirts

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Catwalk Analytics Pre-Summer 20: Dresses & Skirts

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Shirt dress (increasing by 50% YoY to hold 10% of the mix), "Waisted dress shapes are on the rise."

https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/84373/page/4 (accessed 07.08.19)

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Catwalk Analytics Pre-Summer 20: Action Points

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Catwalk Analytics Pre-Summer 20: Action Points

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Wrap skirts (+11% YoY, 9% mix), 27% mix dresses, tailored trouser (+39% YoY, 29% mix).

https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/84480/page/5 (accessed 07.08.19)

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Images from collections - designers showcasing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By continuing your visit to the site, you accept the use of cookies to provide us with anonymous statistical data to understand how our site is used. You can oppose these cookies and change the settings by clicking on the following link. Learn more and set cookies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By continuing your visit to the site, you accept the use of cookies to provide us with anonymous statistical data to understand how our site is used. You can oppose these cookies and change the settings by clicking on the following link. Learn more and set cookies

# data[].attributes.headline
Catwalk Analytics A/W 19/20: Prints & Graphics

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Catwalk Analytics A/W 19/20: Prints & Graphics

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+147% Painted/Painterly Prints

website: https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/83217/page/7 (accessed 22.06.19)

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Women's & Young Women's Colour S/S 20: Code Create

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Women's & Young Women's Colour S/S 20: Code Create

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Clear waters colour palette.
https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/79309/page/6 (accessed 04.08.19)

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Women's Prints & Graphics Forecast S/S 20: Empower Up!

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Women's Prints & Graphics Forecast S/S 20: Empower Up!

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"The love for craftsmanship and painterly prints seen throughout trade shows picks up pace, as florals become more expressive for summer."
website:
https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/80037/page/8
(accessed 04.08.19)

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Florals is the highest volume print for Ted Baker products presently. (accesed 12.07.19)

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Buyers' Briefing Newness S/S 20: Womenswear Details

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Buyers' Briefing Newness S/S 20: Womenswear Details

# data[].attributes.body
"Bows increased by 52% (UK) YoY across S/S 19 new-in apparel." (WGSN Instock)
(Website: https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/83091/page/11, accessed: 07.08.19)

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Buyers' Briefing Newness S/S 20: Womenswear Colour

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Buyers' Briefing Newness S/S 20: Womenswear Colour

# data[].attributes.body
(website: https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/83089/page/1, accessed 07.08.19)

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The Latest UK Social Media Statistics for 2019

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The Latest UK Social Media Statistics for 2019

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Charts and article looking into ages and genders of social media users.
(accessed 20.07.19)

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In this blog, we look at the latest social media statistics and demographics for the UK in 2019.

As more social media reports are released throughout the year, we will keep this resource up to date with the latest figures and user insight.

There are now 3.484 billion active social media users around the world. This number represents 45% of the world's population and an increase of 280 million since January 2018. This growth rate is likely to continue in 2019. In the last month 98% of internet users have visited or used a social network or messaging service.

During 2018 there was a 10% increase in the number of mobile social media users. Today, the number totals 3.256 billion people, which is 42% of the global population.

In the UK specifically, there are now 45 million social media users. This equates to 67% of the entire population. Of these, 39 million are mobile social media users. If you are not optimising your campaigns for mobile, then your content will not be having the desired effect. The UK is very much a mobile-first nation.

Amazingly, 96% of UK social media users visited a social network or messaging service in the past month. Of these 77% actively engaged or contributed to social media in this time.

Every day, the average UK based user spends 1 hour 50 minutes scrolling through social media sites. This may not seem that much if you work in social media,but consider this figure spans across all ages and locations across the country.

Interestingly, only 13% of UK internet users use social media for work purposes. In 2019, as more employee advocacy programmes launch, engaging staff members to utilise social media as brand we expect this figure will significantly increase.

Thank you so much to the legendary Digital 2019 report from WeAreSocial and Hootsuite for such great research. Let's now take a look at individual platforms and see what we can learn about UK usage.

Facebook remains the dominant social platform by membership in the UK. Despite numerous scandals in 2018 it seems users and advertisers alike weren't put off from using the platform.

Examining the user base, it is easy to see why. Of all internet users in the UK, 78% of them use Facebook. More compelling is that a whopping 40 million people, or 71% of UK adults (+13 years old) can be reached with adverts on the platform.

According to Facebook Audience Insights, there are 35-40 million monthly active users on the platform. Of these, 52% identify as women and 48% men (based on users aged 18 and older).

There are now over 60 million active business Pages on Facebook globally, which is why many are turning to advertising on the platform to cut through the noise and reach your desired audiences. (Pst! We've got an Instagram and Facebook advertising masterclass coming up in London this April if you want to get started with the platform.)

In the UK, the average engagement rate on a Facebook post is 3.82% which is a small increase (0.13%) on this time last year. The average engagement rate for a photo post is 5.48% and for a video post is higher at 6.96%.

This data, via the Digital 2019 report backs up theories that video is the most engaging type of content you can share on Facebook.

According to Facebook Audience Insights, the average UK user makes 6 comments, likes 11 posts, shares 1 post and clicks on 13 ads in a 30-day period.

YouTube is ranked as the UK's second most popular social media channel with almost as many users as Facebook.

Last year, it was reported by Flint that 37.1 million adults are using the platform in the UK. Although there are no up to date statistics, we can see that YouTube and Facebook regularly battle it out for the most visited social media platform every month.

Globally, the average viewing session is 40 minutes, up 50% from last year according to Omicore . Many brands are now using YouTube as it's a great place to host longer form content. Unlike other social networks, where users scroll passively through newsfeeds, Youtube users are intentionally searching on the platform for videos to watch.

At the beginning of 2019 there are an estimated 24 million Instagram users in the UK. This is 42% of the UK's population, which according to Instagram can all be reached with advertising. The gender split is slightly skewed towards females (54% vs 46% males).

Instagram is Facebook's success story with a huge amount of businesses flocking to the platform. According to Instagram, 80% of users follow a business or a brand so are looking for inspiration.

According to parent company Microsoft, engagement on LinkedIn is at a record high levels, with more than 610 million professionals now interacting on the platform and looking for new ideas and opportunities.

There are 27 million profiles in the UK, with 60% male and 40% female. Accoring to Social Media Today, Microsoft claims there has been a 34% increase in login sessions amongst those members who are most likely to use the platform to regularly engage and share. They said:
"More and more people are using the feed and giving feedback to their network's posts: our members generate tens of millions of viral actions (likes, comments, and reshares), and the number is increasing more than 50% YoY"
Revenue is also growing with 51% of UK adults (18+) now reachable by LinkedIn adverts, according to LinkedIn.

According to Twitter, 13.6 million people in the UK can be reached by advertising which gives us a clue as to the size of the platform. This number represents 24% of the UK population, aged 13+.

The gender breakdown is shared as 60% male and 40% female - however many Twitter accounts are companies not individuals so would be classed as neutral.

Advertising reach has declined by 0.7% in the last quarter. As we stated last year, Twitter has always been pretty cagey about its usage figures. They continue to remove hundreds of thousands of bots and fake accounts and this does affect their global statistics.

TikTok is a short-form mobile video app which launched in China in 2016. Originally called Douyin, it was rebranded as TikTok to appeal to international markets after parent company ByteDance acquired musical.ly. for $1bn in 2017.

The platform recently announced 500 million monthly active users globally, but has been the subject of safety concerns. If you haven't explored Tik Tok yet, then it's essentially humorous music videos and challenges. Take a look at this YouTube video for a flavour.

Usage surged ahead of Snapchat and Twitter last year and is already being used by thousands of British teenagers. After running it's first major UK marketing campaign targeting Millenials over Christmas and New Year 2018, TikTok is set for big things in 2019.

Still using Pinterest? The mood-boarding platform now has 250 million monthly active users around the globe, which is an increase of 50 million since 2018. The channel is used by far more females than males (45% vs 27% of online UK adults, according to Flint in 2018 ).

say they use Pinterest to "plan life moments, big and small", so if your product or service is relevant then its still important to have well optimised pins on the platform. One of the most valuable things about Pinterest is the long shelf life of Pins. The average pin is 86 percent of millennials repinned 11 times. Eighty percent of all pins are repins and it takes a pin 3.5 months to get 50 percent of its engagement. That means a Pin can, on average, live for seven months (compared to Twitter's seven minutes).

Watch out as Google + is finally being shut down. Make sure you remove those buttons from your homepage, otherwise you risk looking a bit 2012!

Any Google+ pages you created, as well as photos and videos stored in your Google+ album archive.

The deletion does not affect other Google services. Photos and videos stored in Google Photos, for instance, will not be affected. Your Google account, which is linked to services such as Gmail, YouTube and Maps, will continue to work, but your Google+ account, which was only used for the social network, will be deleted. You should have received an email about this.

Well that's it for now - but do keep checking back as we add to this article throughout the year.

Join the Avocado Social Media Hub for the latest social media news and conversation. See our Events page for the latest social media training workshops in the UK. Visit our Jobs Board to see our pick of the latest social media jobs.

Written by

Alison Battisby

Alison Battisby is a digital marketing instructor and social media expert who has worked both agency-side and freelance in the social media industry since 2008. Alison has consulted a wide range of growing enterprises and big brands including Estee Lauder, Tesco and Pringles.

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The Latest UK Social Media Statistics for 2019 - Avocado Social

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In this blog, we look at the latest social media statistics and demographics for the UK in 2019. As more social media reports are released throughout the year, we will keep this resource up to date with the latest figures and user insight. There are now 3.484 billion active social media users around the world.

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How to Use Social Media to Get Millennials to Buy From You 

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How to Use Social Media to Get Millennials to Buy From You 

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30% of Millennials purchase products directly through facebook and 31% of Millennials said social media influences their purchases.
(accessed 20.07.19)

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Image credit: Elizabeth Fernandez | Getty Images

6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ecommerce sales in the United States are projected to surpass $504 billion by the end of this year -- and millennials are historically a driving force in the ever-increasing growth of online shopping.
Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing
What's better, they are currently the most valuable target demographic for modern businesses.

But, with a plethora of digital marketing tactics, remarketing campaigns, email campaigns and more inundating consumers, how can brands capitalize on this digitally inclined demographic to boost their own bottom line?

Target them on social media, of course!

Young target audiences flock to social media in droves.

A study from the Pew Research Center examined U.S. adults' use of social media. All in all, the overwhelming majority of Americans regularly use social media. In fact, a whopping 68 percent alone frequent Facebook.

However, it seems that the younger the user, the more prominent the social media use. The research found that 88 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds and 78 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds use at least one social media channel -- which almost perfectly aligns with millennials' age group of 22 to 37.
Related: 5 Social Media Rules Every Entrepreneur Should Know
Studies show that social media platforms influence ecommerce shopping experiences with millennials.

My company DesignRush.com conducted a study that analyzed 219 millennials' ecommerce behaviors on social media platforms. We found:

Thirty percent of millennials purchase products directly on Facebook.

Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest foster the most brand trust and help young adults find discover products they would actually use.

Snapchat is irrelevant for ecommerce and branding -- only 5 percent of millennials believe it creates the most trustworthy relationship.

Sixty-one percent of millennials trust a friend's endorsement the most, followed by their own experience with a brand (51 percent) and website reviews (48 percent).

Thirty-one percent of respondents said social media influences their purchases. However, they complete the transaction elsewhere.

The survey's key findings show that social media marketing has a direct effect on brand visibility, awareness and conversion rates. These results also reinforce the ideas that the best platforms are those that are robust, ever-evolving and user-centric -- such as Facebook.

Here's how to integrate your ecommerce and social media marketing strategy.

The findings of millennials' social media shopping habits can be used to improve your own brand's strategy.

After all, if brands were left to guess which platforms would appeal to a younger demographic, they might find themselves going all-in on Snapchat. However, despite boasting a hefty 300 million active users, Snapchat lacks the finesse, brand discoverability factor and website traffic capabilities to truly inspire meaningful purchases or build long-term brand growth.

Therefore, businesses shouldn't leave themselves to guess which social media channels will inspire a millennial audience, but instead look at more specific insights when formulating a strategy.
Related: 10 Proven Ways to Make Millions on Social Media
Luckily, the survey's findings outline a few simple fixes that can drastically improve ecommerce conversions through social media, including:

Invest in Facebook initiatives.

Millennials audiences (and, frankly, all demographics) overwhelmingly rely on Facebook for their social media needs. Luckily, there are plenty of tactics that can improve your brand identity, customer services and even direct purchases right on the platform. Try strategies such as:

Organic and sponsored posts

Retargeting advertisements

Advertisements targeting a custom audience

A fully functional ecommerce store, embedded directly into the social platform

There are several programs to help you achieve the latter. These include WooCommerce, WP-eCommerce and Ecwid. By creating a separate Facebook shop, you can target potential consumers with ads and products that might love and make it easier for them to complete a purchase, which increases conversion rates.

Utilize user-generated content.

A younger target audience trusts real people as opposed to influencers and celebrities (although influencers do historically perform better than traditional famous people). Therefore, whenever possible, humanize your brand by including user-generated content.

Repost real people's photos on Instagram, ask for personal testimonials or even try a social media video featuring real consumers. This will foster an honest brand-to-consumer relationship that is proven to grow brands and increase revenue. Warby Parker, SoulCycle and Aerie, respectively, are all great examples of these user-generated content tactics in action.

Plus, don't forget website reviews! Make it easy for customers to leave reviews on your website -- and give them a few options for rating the product, such as star ratings, images, recommendations and paragraph descriptions. Not only will this build credibility with new customers, but it will make your returning consumers feel as though their voice is welcome and will be heard by your brand.
Related: 12 Social Media Mistakes That Entrepreneurs Make
Build an authentic, well-branded online community.

Although integrated ecommerce shops and targeted advertisements are crucial for reaching millennials on social media platforms and transforming them into regular customers, taking the time to create a community that represents your brand will result in longevity. To achieve this:

Ensure you also publish non-paid social media posts.

Respond to comments and customer service requests.

Create campaigns that engage consumers.

Ensure your imagery and messaging.

Don't just promote your products -- add some informative posts and information to your social channels, too.

These strategies can still add business value by driving traffic to your website, showcasing your area of expertise or promoting your brand's core values. However, going the extra mile and incorporating these tactics will cultivate a well-rounded and comprehensive social media presence that will appear genuine to consumers and add validity to those oh-so-important ads and ecommerce promotions.

Social media and ecommerce strategies can work together to grow your business.

It's undeniable that social media marketing strategies directly influence conversions and revenue. However, it can be difficult to understand how to leverage social media platforms to ensure success.

By following the tips above, you'll be sure to create a digital presence that captivates millennial consumers. This will empower you to transforms them into life-long users of your brand for decades to come, ensuring a long line of success for your business.

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How to Use Social Media to Get Millennials to Buy From You

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6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Ecommerce sales in the United States are projected to surpass $504 billion by the end of this year -- and millennials are historically a driving force in the ever-increasing growth of online shopping.

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77% vs. 23% of Millennials would prefer a cool experience over a cool product. (accessed 14.07.19)

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Millennial Spending Habits and Why They Buy

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Millennial Spending Habits and Why They Buy

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"60% of millennials state loyalty to brands they currently purchase from." (accessed 14.07.19)

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They are poised to be the nation's biggest spenders, as they move into their prime earning and spending years, so millennials dominate conversations around product strategy, marketing, and the economy at large. This generation is different, and so brands must see and interact with them as a unique consumer in order to draw their attention and business. Let's take a look at Millennial spending habits and why they buy.

Who are they?

Millennials defined:

They were roughly born between 1982 and 1996, so they're around 22 - 36 years old.

There are 83.1 million millennials in the United States, making them the largest generation in the country's history.

The majority of these young people have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts, and a significant number have no savings at all. They have less credit card debt and car purchases than previous generations, most likely because lenders have tightened the requirements for granting credit and loans. More than 65% of millennials don't have a credit card at all.

How do they make purchase decisions?

Millennials consider social responsibility and environmental friendliness when considering their purchases, so brands face Millennials' significant expectations in terms of shopping and investment dollars. They typically choose to either follow their own instincts or go along with their peers but have become rather wary of financial advice given by parents and professionals in the field. They also prefer personal connections with those who manage their money, who reflect their highly held values of trust, authenticity, and choice.

When shopping, Millennials focus on discounts. They value price over recommendations, the brand's reputation, and even product quality. They follow brands online just for discount opportunities. 66% of millennials would switch brands if offered at least a 30% discount, and only a third see a brand to consider trends or product updates.

Ironically, 60% of millennials state loyalty to brands they currently purchase from if treated well through customer-centric experience. To ensure allegiance, companies include loyalty programs with custom discounts as well as active courtship.

Other values that brands should center upon are authenticity, local sourcing, ethical production, a great shopping experience, and giving back to society. 75% of Millennials consider it fairly or very important that brands give back to society instead of just making a profit.

Where do they spend?

Millennials spend more on comforts and conveniences:

60% of millennials spend more than $4 on a single coffee

70% of millennials will spend a little extra to eat at the hip restaurants in town

69% of millennials buy clothes for reasons beyond basic necessity

Over 50% of millennials spend money on taxis and Ubers while only 29% of Gen X and 15% of Boomers do the same

Millennials spend more per year on:

Groceries

Gas

Restaurants

Their cellphone as nearly all own a smartphone and comprise the highest usage as well

Hobbies, electronics, and clothing

At the same time, millennials spend less than older generations on:

Television-as streaming services have come online, cable is becoming a service of the past

Travel, because they're unable to afford regular vacations and struggle to save for them

Pharmacies

Furniture/building materials

Conclusion

With this being the new financial powerhouse generation, it's important to learn what motivates the purchases and investing of Millennials and to change up marketing to meet their expectations.

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Author Post: Millennial Spending Habits and Why They Buy

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They are poised to be the nation's biggest spenders, as they move into their prime earning and spending years, so millennials dominate conversations around product strategy, marketing, and the economy at large. This generation is different, and so brands must see and interact with them as a unique consumer in order to draw their attention and business.

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Use phone for fashion: 77% of Millennials and Gen Z use their phones to browse fashion and 68% use them to buy fashion.

Sustainability: “Environmental sustainability is important to these shoppers (Millennials & Gen Z). More than three-quarters (76.7%) say it is either very or quite important."

Instagram Video quotation:
“We notice an increase in new customers on social especially around new collaboration launches, or when we produce IGTV [Instagram video] content.”
(accessed 14.07.19)

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Between them, Generation Z and millennials - broadly, shoppers in their late teens, twenties and thirties - attract endless attention, and represent fashion's consumers of both the present and future.
In this report, Drapers takes an in-depth look at how the two groups are changing, and how they feel about the fashion industry. What are the similarities between them, what are the differences, and where are the opportunities for brands designing and making clothes for these groups?

We also speak to a range of retailers about how they are creating propositions that appeal to these shoppers, and the feedback that they hear from them.

It is all too easy to become fixated on a certain age range, and younger shoppers are often the group of choice for retailers. They are, after all, the shoppers of the future, and brands that do not evolve alongside them are unlikely to survive long term. But while this report is aimed at delving into younger people's likes and dislikes, the aim is not to depict these shoppers as being more important than or even dramatically different to many of their older counterparts.

Many of the trends we observe in their changing behaviour are happening just as strongly for people over 40 as they are for those under. People's interests and tastes are rarely determined solely by their age, and Gen Z is no different.

But even with that in mind, it is interesting to watch a particular generation evolve, and determining what matters to them is still a worthwhile activity. Furthermore, much of the change we observe across all consumer groups is often driven by or more strongly represented among the young, whose strength of feeling about issues of the day can be greater than older generations.

One thing is clear, and that is the emergence of a more values-led, purpose-driven approach to fashion. Younger shoppers may not want to or are not yet able to pay more for ethically made items, but that doesn't mean they don't want them. In addition, the digital and multichannel shifts of the past two decades are not over yet. There is still plenty of work to do to meet those expectations.

Beyond the shifts in behaviour, it is heartening to see that younger shoppers are not disillusioned with fashion: most still see it as fun and inspiring, as well as a chance to express themselves, and they appreciate any brand attempting to keep up with them ethically. They appreciate even more those who are leading the way.

Having come of age during turbulent economic years and having never known life without the internet, they have little patience for rules and conventions that were designed for a different time. Gen Z and their older millennial brothers and sisters have the potential to make fashion an altogether better place to be: what brands need to do is exhibit a willingness to meet them there.

We hope you find the report useful. Please send any feedback or questions to rebecca.thomson@emap.com to help us continue improving our research into this group.

Rebecca Thomson, head of commercial content, Drapers

For the purposes of this report we define members of Generation Z as anyone born between 1995 and 2015, making the youngest four and the oldest 25. Millennials are those born between 1980 and 1995, and are roughly aged 26 to 38. We surveyed 2,000 consumers aged 18 to 38.

'Gen Z' has become just as much of a buzzword as 'millennial' did a few years ago, and is already synonymous with certain traits. If the headlines are to be believed, they are strident environmental activists, they are progressive, they are careful with money and they have short attention spans. But lumping such a broad, diverse group into one amorphous age bracket is a mistake.

Jonathan Reynolds, a retail and ecommerce expert at the University of Oxford says: "It's right to disaggregate Generation Z. We are wrong to use age definitions and put everyone into one age bracket. People have different contexts, motivations and there are different sub-groups within that demographic."

It is also easy to get swept away by the perceived newness of a fresh group of teenagers. But in many ways, Gen Z and millennials have similar patterns of behaviour to young people of previous generations.

To begin with, there is a larger, more mainstream group who watches what the Kardashians wear and is hooked on Love Island, and makes purchasing decisions that are driven by upcoming holidays and Saturday nights out. And there is also a much smaller, albeit articulate and vocal, more alternative group that is perhaps more progressive, and sometimes more controversial. This is best represented in 2019 by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Her emergence as a leader in this space is helped by the fact that anyone aged 25 or under is unlikely to remember the most significant events of the previous decade, such as 9/11 or the Iraq war. Terrorism was the defining issue as millennials entered adulthood ten years ago, but as this fades slightly in the collective memory, climate change is taking its place.

Reynolds says the activist group is the most interesting part of Gen Z, because they're exhibiting new kinds of behaviour. "They're not being influenced by big brands. They're very much a smaller subset of Generation Z but they're articulate and loud, so we hear a lot about them. And they probably have the brands more worried. If it grows, it's dangerous to brands because they often dont have the flexibility to shift."

What is different about Gen Z as a cohort, however, is they are the first group to have grown up with social media and related digital technologies, and this is creating new rules for how things get done. It has given them a new set of communication tools, which they are extremely adept at using, and which enables messages such as Greta's to spread faster and with more intensity than they might have a few years ago. The amplified impact and speed of change this has enabled means that Kylie Jenner is a billionaire by the age of 21, and global leaders are listening to Greta's every word.

In some ways, this is a re-labelling of trends that have gone before. What has changed, however, is access to information and virtual relationships.

Jonathan Reynolds, University of Oxford

Reynolds says any changes that do occur for this generation are tending to proliferate faster than they have in the past: "By and large, we have seen greater transparency for all those subsets than in previous generations because of technology and electronic word of mouth.

"In some ways, this is a re-labelling of trends that have gone before. What has changed, however, is access to information and virtual relationships."

But while Kylie Jenner and Greta Thunberg represent drastically divergent cultural trends, their followers are not necessarily different people. It is possible to be interested in celebrities while also being interested in sustainability; it is also possible to care about sustainability while engaging in unsustainable behaviours, partly because it is often simply not possible to make ethical consumption choices. Plus, younger shoppers do appear to want two very different things. "On the one hand, they're very idealistic," says Pamela Church-Gibson, the author of Fashion and Celebrity Culture. " But that is diametrically opposed to the fact we have got a lot of people who just want to buy cheap clothes online."

The other thing to note about Gen Z and Millennials is that they are growing in confidence. They are natural online communicators and their talent is being applied to topics other than sustainability - they are diverse, inclusive and they question norms. "What also strikes me about this group is its confidence," says Reynolds. "They're realistic, they're pragmatic and they engage in dialogue rather than protesting for the sake of it."

Contradictions

What is difficult, Reynolds says, is that some members of these generations want to shop with fully sustainable brands who are helping to change the status quo, but they also want immediacy and convenience in how they access any product. They want constant newness and immediate gratification, but they acknowledge the system that enables that is not environmentally feasible. "There is a contradiction - certain people are doing both things."

This means that, even as consumers lead this shift towards a more sustainable way of making and selling fashion, there may also need to be a concerted educational effort to ensure these young shoppers realise that this may mean some loss of convenience and increased effort from them; perhaps buying fewer, higher quality items per year may be necessary, and recycling clothes they are finished with is a must.

Reynolds says that for some, this is starting to translate into different ways of consuming. "My son, who is 23, is less concerned about ownership. The stuff he does have is very different and unusual - he places a premium on finding things that aren't very popular. That's a challenge for brands used to dealing with large chunks of the population."

Loyalty

While these trends play out, shoppers continue to interact day-to-day with the fashion industry. Hearteningly, our data shows that broadly, consumers appear to feel fairly positive about fashion. They report finding it fun and inspiring, and they see it as an opportunity for self expression.

Broadly, do you feel the fashion world is:

Despite having a reputation for lacking brand loyalty, this cohort doesn't necessarily think of itself as disloyal. They are, however, always on the lookout for new brands - possibly related to that desire for uniqueness. Over a third said they consider themselves loyal shoppers, and a half said they are 'relatively' loyal. Only 16% of shoppers said they rarely return to a brand.

Would you describe yourself as loyal to brands?

In the rest of this report we explore the shopping behaviours currently exhibited by Gen Z and millennials - as well as what they like and dislike about the propositions on offer.

Convenience scores highly for younger shoppers, who have high expectations surrounding it. More than half say the convenience of online shopping is its biggest appeal, and when asked what they would like to see more of, convenience-focused services are the most popular options.

Their biggest bugbears relating to online shopping are all delivery related: having to wait for a delivery, missing deliveries and paying for delivery or returns are the most annoying factors.

This area is a huge focus for the retailers we spoke to: see chapter 6, on convenience, for their comments on how they are developing their delivery and payment services.

What do you enjoy about online shopping?

What would you like to see more from brands online?

Improving fit technology is also a priority for this group, who seem clear on the benefits of sharing size data with retailers in return for better-fitting items and less returns administration.

But as Mike Branney, managing director of young fashion etailer Oh Polly, says, the technology has further to go: "Improving online fit technology is important but it's still quite gimmicky at the moment. When the systems move more towards virtual avatars with a combination of augmented reality, it will become a much more useful tool that people will actually choose to engage with."

What do you tend to find most annoying about online shopping?

Payment is another significant part of the process for these shoppers: 82% say it is either very or quite important. It has been an area of focus for retailers for years.

Nicola Thompson, global customer development director at Asos, says convenience and removing friction from the shopping experience is a priority: "That's why we offer 'buy now, pay later' through Klarna to give customers a chance to try product on without having to pay for it, and our premier delivery service that offers unlimited next-day delivery for just £9.99 a year.

"We're constantly following customer demand, bringing in new payment or delivery options as they become available, such as our same-day delivery proposition, Asos Instant in London, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham."

How important is a quick checkout process to you when deciding if you will make a purchase or return to a retailer?

Comprehensive and descriptive product information is also important: 95% of people read product descriptions either every time or sometimes.

Do you read product descriptions when shopping online?

Most people read them for information on how an item fits - perhaps mining them for as much information as possible in the absence of advanced fit tech - but shoppers also look for information on the materials and methods used in manufacture.

Do you read the descriptions for:

Buying from overseas brands is also popular, despite the taxes and fees that can sometimes apply. Nearly 60% purchase from overseas brands either sometimes or often.

Do you ever get clothing, shoes or accessories shipped from overseas?

Simon Kinsey, commercial director at TranslateMedia, which helps retailers translate and adapt their brands for new markets, says this is the first generation of global online shoppers. "Gen Zs and millennials are happy to order from overseas brands and they expect the experience to be authentic, personal yet consistent. It is a tricky proposition for retailers to balance an online experience which takes different local cultures into account alongside the need for consistency relating to fit and delivery."

He adds that global content platforms are starting to become more flexible, which is helping to serve this global demand. "It's now possible for product descriptions to 'write themselves' using content asset data derived from product photography, fabric and washing instructions which means that copywriters can spend more time crafting their brand message to appeal to local trends for online shoppers."

For our shoppers, the main reasons behind the desire to buy overseas include cheaper product, and finding those unique items.

Why do you often shop for clothing, shoes or accessories internationally?

When it comes to store shopping, Generation Z and millennials like having the ability to try things on, the social aspect, and the ability to browse and get inspiration. This is consistent with other age groups.

Just as predictable are the elements of store shopping they do not like: crowds and sizes being out of stock.

What do you enjoy about shopping in store?

Retailers' store strategies are changing in response to this to focus more on the social and inspirational elements of store shopping.

Giorgina Waltier, sustainability manager at H&M UK and IE, says the retailer is "continually experimenting with new services" that go beyond the remit of traditional retail: "In many instances these new services tap into the development of our sustainability work and our ambition to become a circular business. For example, we recently launched a garment repair and embroidery service within selected H&M stores globally, to enable customers to increase the longevity of their clothes.

"We are also trialling the sale of eco-friendly washing detergents and microfibre-filter laundry bags - both of which are not products that we have traditionally sold but we see as important additions that meet changing customer needs."

She says H&M group is experimenting with the sale of vintage items at & Other Stories, and is also starting to work with advanced analytics to tackle over-production by creating more alignment between supply and demand. "This in turn will enable us to provide a more targeted, streamlined customer offer in our stores, freeing up more space to further test and experiment with new services."

Paul Forkan co-founded lifestyle brand Gandys with his brother Rob in 2012, and the brand has three stores in London. He says the brand's approach to store retailing has changed.

"In recent years the way we see our stores as part of our brand has definitely changed. Instead of being a main hub for sales they have become places where our community come to connect with our brand and the individuals that work in our shops."

He adds that people come in to not only get a feel for the product and fit, but to also get updates on the brand's charitable foundation, as well as advice and stories about travelling.

"With the current generation of young people spending less time on the high street, the challenge lies in creating this experience online," he says. "Technology will make this possible through chat rooms and live "digital try-ons" powered by web cams and artificial intelligence, but that is still a few years away from being opened up to the masses. For now, stores are still an essential part of the shopping experience, especially for those who care more for brands as a whole as opposed to just a single product."

What things do you not enjoy about shopping in store?

Potentially more concerning for some retailers is that 27% of respondents say they would stop going to stores altogether if the final issues with the online customer experience could be ironed out. A further 42% say they would be "quite likely" to abandon store shopping if all delivery was free and fast, and if they could envisage how an item would fit.

If all issues with online shopping could be erased, do you think you would cut out store shopping altogether?

However, this utopian ideal of online shopping is a way off yet - for now at least, stores provide a crucial way for consumers to meet their favourite brands in the physical world.

Environmental sustainability is important to these shoppers. More than three-quarters (76.7%) say it is either very or quite important. This is pretty consistent for every age range, although slightly more men rate it as very important (39.6%) than women (32.8%).

How important for you is it that a brand shows it is environmentally sustainable?

Equality in all its forms is just as important: 77.1% rate it as very or quite important. Only 9% say it is not important at all. All age groups are in agreement, but the 18-to-24-year-olds are particuarly focused on it: 82.7% say it is important to them and just under half say it is very important.

We wanted to know about all forms of equality, rather than only gender equality, because racism, and discrimination against LGBTQI and disabled people are just as important to many in this group. The efficacy of being vocal on these topics can be seen in the success of brands such as Levi's - a long-term supporter of LGBTQI equality - which has been driven by its ability to remain relevant to younger shoppers via its principles and its storytelling.

For you, how important is it that a brand shows it is pro-equality (across ethnicity, gender, sexuality or disability lines)

Nearly half of our respondents say they have at some point decided against a purchase because of a brand's lack of sustainability efforts. Retailers often report that customers do not appear to be willing to pay more for more ethically produced items, which makes it challenging to build a business case internally for investment in sustainable practices.

However, this suggests brands are losing sales to other, more sustainably driven retailers, which is a trend that will not be immediately visible in sales figures. The evidence was strongest among the 18-to-24-year-olds, of whom 55% say they had abandoned purchases. Men are also more likely to fail to complete purchases than women (54% versus 44%). There are also regional variations in how shoppers are approaching sustainability, with shoppers in the South East and London more likely to rate it as important. In London, 63% of shoppers reported having abandoned a purchase.

Have you ever abandoned a purchase because you felt that the brand didn't reflect your values on either sustainability or equality?

Nearly half of our respondents say they actively hunt out brands that are sustainable or vocal about equality. This supports the theory that demand for sustainable products and support for equality-focused brands may be invisible to some retailers at the moment, because rather than buying sustainable ranges from otherwise non-sustainable brands, shoppers are using their time and money to look for brands that align more comprehensively with their values.

While there may well be a gap between what people say they are doing, and what they are actually doing, this is nonetheless a trend to take seriously. The fact it is not always showing in sales figures yet could relate partly to the fact that shopping ethically and sustainably takes a significant amount of work and research on the part of the consumer. With comparatively few sustainable options available, it is also still hard for a customer to make sure their purchasing behaviour reflects their values - they may still be shopping unsustainably because choice is limited. Plus, retailers have an uphill battle when it comes to communicating their efforts. Few customers will know, for instance, that Primark's jeans are among the most sustainable available on the high street, and H&M is often accused of greenwashing, despite a 20 year effort to improve its sustainability credentials that significantly pre-dates the topic's current fashionable status. In addition, sustainability is not easy for retailers - it is a labyrinthine project that takes years to build expertise in, and is expensive to develop properly.

Simon Kinsey, commercial director at TranslateMedia, says customers' interest in equality can be seen in a current trend for product descriptions to be written in gender neutral language. "Demand for language neutrality is coming from international brands, often those in Benelux and Scandinavia specialising kids toys and accessories, adult sneakers and outdoor brands and, more recently, the skincare and beauty market. The trend for language neutrality is being closely tracked by brands in the UK and the US," he says.

Do you actively hunt for brands that are sustainable or vocal about furthering equality?

Shoppers' interest in sustainability is a trend that is backed up by search data. Over the last five years Google searches for the term "sustainable fashion" have been on a steady upward trend worldwide, with the biggest rises occuring in Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, Denmark and Singapore. Searches for the term "sustainable fashion brands" in the UK have rocketed by 450% since January 2016. Retailers such as US brands Everlane and Reformation are popular related terms, and both have experienced large rises in search volumes over a similar period.

However, while consumer interest in sustainable fashion is increasing, the retailers leading the way are not necessarily being driven by consumer demand.

Giorgina Waltier, sustainability manager at H&M UK and IE, says: "While it is truly brilliant that sustainability awareness has increased so significantly with consumers over the last couple of years, our commitment to and communication around sustainability is not consumer led.

"We started talking to our customers about sustainable materials back in 2011 when we launched our H&M Conscious line, about the importance of recycling clothes in 2013, when we launched our global in-store garment-recycling scheme, and about supply-chain transparency in 2013 when we were one of the first brands to publicly share our supplier list.

"So, communicating to customers about the importance of sustainability is not new for us. What is new is the increase in appetite for this information, and what we are still yet to master is a balance in the level and detail of information that we share with the consumer."

Generation Z and millennial shoppers are predictably high users of mobile and social channels, but it is interesting to see the extent of these habits. Just over 70% of respondents report shopping via mobile apps, and users return regularly to their favourite retail apps to check for new product and content.

Do you shop using mobile apps?

This tallies with the findings of our Connected Consumer report, published in late 2018. That found these shoppers are avid mobile users: 77% use their phones to browse fashion, and 68% use them to buy fashion. It also found that they like apps: nearly 80% have downloaded at least one retailer or brand app, while 23% have downloaded four or more.

Over 70% of our shoppers said that they have purchased via social - some of the brands we spoke to say they have seen this reflected in their sales figures.

James Gold, co-founder of accessories brand Skinnydip London, says: "We have noticed our social transactions increasing." He adds that it is something the brand is looking at in careful detail, using focus groups to determine the images, products and captions that are most effective.

"Skinnydip was born on social and it is where we engage with our customers on the most authentic level. We believe that Gen Z and millennial customers identify most with brands that share their values and are honest, so that's our main focus in providing genuine, engaging content."

He adds getting the mix right is important for different groups. Those in their thirties respond well to different posts from those in their twenties. However, some trends are more universal.

"We notice an increase in new customers on social especially around new collaboration launches, or when we produce IGTV [Instagram video] content."

Have you ever purchased from a brand by clicking through from a social post?

Asos has 23 million followers across its various social platforms, and is focusing on having engaging two-way conversations with them.

Global customer development director Nicola Thompson says: "We know that our twentysomething customers spend a lot of their time on their mobile phones and using social media, so that is where we need to be to having engaging, two-way conversations with them." The focus is on inspiring them on the channel, she adds.

The networks used by these shoppers are shifting quickly, but in late 2018, those aged 18 to 24 reported in our Connected Consumer report that 74% of them use Facebook and 70% use Instagram.

With missed deliveries or inconvenient services causing annoyance for younger online fashion shoppers (see chapter 1), focusing on convenience has become a significant priority for retailers.

James Gold, co-founder of accessories brand Skinnydip London, says it is an area the brand is constantly working on improving: "Within the last six months, we have launched Doodle returns options, collection point delivery and free collection from an selection our Skinnydip stores. For us, the delivery process is critical. When there are companies like Amazon as competitors, we know that we have to try to meet customers' expectations as best as we can."

He adds it also already offers a pay-later service with Klarna, and is looking at being able to "slice" payments, so shoppers can pay in instalments, in the coming months.

Jo Tutchener-Sharp, founder of Scamp & Dude, says the childrenswear brand is working on introducing free shipping: "We have been looking at how we can incorporate the fulfilment and shipping costs into the overheads so we can get rid of shipping costs for the customer, as I know this is an issue for some customers when large operators such as Amazon offer free shipping. But at the moment it's not viable to pay for the packing, fulfilment costs and shipping ourselves."

Other brands are looking even further into the future.

Mike Branney, managing director of Oh Polly says the young women's clothing brand is looking beyond buy now, pay later: "We offer 'buy now, pay later' on our site for UK customers, and plan to roll out the same service in the US and Australia in the next few months. We are also investigating accepting payments in electronic wallets and cryptocurrencies, although the latter is still not particularly mainstream."

Andrew Cooper, head of direct to consumer trading and operations at Pentland Brands, says: "We constantly review these two areas and have recently added more delivery options so consumers can order later in the day for next-day delivery. We have bespoke payment options for different regions, and we are actively looking at how we provide more payment choices."

In our survey, consumers report being keen on convenience-boosting services. Almost two-thirds say they add items to their baskets for pay day purchases, and 69% of respondents say they would be likely to bring purchases forward if they were able to defer payment.

How often do you add items to basket and then wait for payday to make the purchase?

How likely are you to bring a purchase forward if you could pause payment until payday?

How do you feel about making purchases using a deferred payment method?

However, reaction to the idea of another convenience-focused service, renting clothes, was more mixed. While nearly a third said they would like to rent clothes from their favourite brands, nearly half said they would not. One-fifth were undecided.

Oh Polly's Branney says the complexity of large-scale rental is off-putting: "Moving from a model that already sees return rates of 30% to 40% to a return rate of 100% would require a step change in process. The rental market is also better suited to outerwear and hard-wearing fabrics, as most materials lose their lustre and structure after a few washes."

While renting is a newer idea for some, a third of our shoppers still said it appeals. It is likely that for many brands, a rental service could be a part of their future. This is especially true for longer-wearing items, one-wear purchases such as wedding outfits, or items whose wearers grow out of them quickly, such as children's clothes. Rental also plays into consumers' desires for both convenience and sustainability.

Would you rent clothes if your favourite brands offered that service?

This is also an area of the market where innovation will continue to have an impact. The sharing and rental economy is evolving quickly - both in the UK, but also in markets including China, where some rental platforms include the option of peer-to-peer rental. In the UK, it is an area where further development is likely to take place and where consumer attitudes could evolve quickly.

The behaviour of millennials and GenZs has already had a huge influence on the retail market.

They are proficient in navigating multiple channels, comfortable engaging with brands on social media and accustomed to broadcasting opinions about their shopping experiences online.

Both groups share an appetite for cross-border shopping if it means that they can buy distinctive products that are not available locally, but are also concerned with the methods of manufacture and that they are ethically sourced and sustainable. Product fit is also of huge importance and they spend time reading product descriptions to check measurements and materials. They also tend to lack the brand loyalty displayed by previous generations which means that retailers are faced with increased competition both locally and from abroad and have to work harder than ever before to produce the high-quality product descriptions and editorial content they need to stand out from their competitors.

At TranslateMedia, we specialise in translation and the cultural adaptation of content for brands and retailers to ensure quality and brand tone-of-voice consistency.

TranslateMedia develops technology to seamlessly integrate with all of the major CMSs and eCommerce platforms - drastically reducing localisation turnaround times, increasing speed to market and boosting ROI from global marketing campaigns.
Simon Kinsey, Commercial Director, TranslateMedia

It's no secret that the younger generations hold the key to the future of retail.

In an era of instant gratification, same day delivery, and the ability to shop through social channels, younger consumers expect a completely different and totally tailored shopping experience, that brands need to fulfill.

Klarna's research into the future of fashion technology has shown over half (53%) of fashion shoppers aged 16-24 would be happy for a retailer to use their online data to offer tailored discounts or recommendations. While more than one in five (22%) would like to be able to leave a store and pay for items later once they've decided what to keep. It's a different world now to what retailers have been catering to over the last 20 years.

But while retailers need to ensure they truly understand the demands of younger tech-driven shoppers, this approach can't be limited to those in a certain age bracket. We know that experience is the lifeblood of the retail economy, so offering the best experience whether through flexible payments, or a smooth returns process, solely to those in a certain age bracket would be an error.

Experience really is the new loyalty, and a truly tailored experience from perusal to payment needs to be embedded into a retailer's shopping cycle, for all consumers young and old.
Luke Griffiths, General Manager of Klarna UK

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Between them, Generation Z and millennials - broadly, shoppers in their late teens, twenties and thirties - attract endless attention, and represent fashion's consumers of both the present and future. In this report, Drapers takes an in-depth look at how the two groups are changing, and how they feel about the fashion industry.

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This article highlights on the difference between the two generations. " As a result, many millennials spent their childhoods without cell phones and depending on the family desktop computer." (accessed 14.07.19)

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Millennials love their brands, Gen Zs are terrified of college debt, and 6 other ways Gen Zs and millennials are totally different

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This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. 100 Gen Zs shared with Business Insider what they think makes them different from millennials, and a few trends were clear. Gen Zs believe themselves to be social justice-minded and more dependent on technology than millennials.

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Shows press perception of Ted Baker, recent events involving the brand such as profit warning, investors selling off shares, former executive chief’s allegations and quotation of new executive chief. "The markets that we trade in have been extremely challenging and that has also led to levels of discounting I think we've rarely seen before, particularly in the UK. Several of our new product initiatives will commence imminently and we are confident in our collections for the coming season." accessed (22.06.19-06.08.19)

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Shares in Ted Baker lost more than a quarter of their value on Tuesday morning after the firm said profits would fall short of expectations.

In response to the profit warning, investors sold off shares wiping more than £150m from the company's value.

The fashion house blamed "extremely difficult" trading conditions for the lower than expected earnings.

It is the latest setback for the firm after its founder, Ray Kelvin, left in March following harassment allegations.

'Unseasonable weather'

The company complained of "unseasonable weather" across North America and a "highly promotional" sales environment as it said profits for the year ending January 2020 were likely to be between £50m and £60m.

The estimate falls short of the £70.9m it was expecting.

"The scale of today's profit warning at Ted Baker will raise eyebrows... there will be questions around founder Ray Kelvin's departure and the wider question of how to get Ted back on point," analysts at Peel Hunt said in a note.

In March, Ted Baker reported its first drop in annual profits since 2008, as traditional bricks and mortar clothing stores struggled to compete with online retailers and British consumers tightened their purse strings.

Mr Kelvin, who had been chief executive since the company's launch in 1988, resigned in March over claims he presided over a culture of "forced hugging". He has denied all allegations of misconduct.

Lindsay Page, who replaced Mr Kelvin, told Reuters: "The markets that we trade in have been extremely challenging and that has also led to levels of discounting I think we've rarely seen before, particularly in the UK."

"Several of our new product initiatives will commence imminently and we are confident in our collections for the coming season," she said in a statement to the stock market.

Analysts at Liberum said the believed the "short-term and identifiable issues around product" were being addressed quickly but the "unpredictable trading backdrop across all markets appears to have less end in sight".

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Ted Baker shares plunge after profit warning

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Shares in Ted Baker lost more than a quarter of their value on Tuesday morning after the firm said profits would fall short of expectations. In response to the profit warning, investors sold off shares wiping more than £150m from the company's value. The fashion house blamed "extremely difficult" trading conditions for the lower than expected earnings.

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Full timeline on Ted Baker website helps to understand how far the brand has come, the big events and milestones for Ted Baker.
(accessed 13.07.19)

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- Ted launched luggage, home fragrance and audio, as well as collections for those with a head for heights (T for Tall, with champion swimmer and great friend of Ted, Mark Foster), a need for speed (Wiggle), an eye for luxury (Global: Luxe), and a bustling journey to work (Commuter). In the same year, Tedgot a makeover at Regent Street, and opened stores in Birmingham, Heathrow T2 and Abu Dhabi. He also opened a brand new Ted's Grooming Room in Soho and was 'reinvenTed' in the city that was home to the first ever Ted Baker store: Glasgow.

- The year started on a high as Ted added another Grooming Room to his line-up, this time on Mortimer Street. He set his sights on Amsterdam, staging a takeover of De Bijenkorf, before hopping on a plane and launching a bonza new Australian site. Following a collaboration that saw Ted Baker dress tennis ace James Ward for the grand slam circuit, he spent the summer on home soil Having a Ball with his tennis-inspired pop-up in Westfield.

A collection of crockery with Portmeirion preceded a range of bikes with Quella, followed by tiles with British Ceramic Tile and rugs with Brink & Campman. Opening standalone stores in Hawaii, Malibu and Amsterdam, as well as launching three pop-ups, Ted ensured the successes kept on coming.

- Ted launched the fully shoppable AW16 campaign Mission Impeccable, boasting Guy Ritchie as Executive Producer. Continuing the technical wizardry, he partnered with Google on some spy-themed window displays, utilising a world- first application of Voice Search to run a prize draw. Colour by Numbers, a contemporary new line for women, made its much-lauded debut. As always, the fresh brick and mortar came thick and fast with over 20 standalone stores globally, not to mention three new Grooming Rooms in London Town.

- Ted teed up a technical new golf collection. SS17's campaign Keeping Up with the Bakers, involving through-the-keyhole 360 VR experience, gossip-fuelled social campaign and nosey neighbour windows, became the talk of the town. Ted finally caught the proverbial bouquet with his Tie the Knot Bridal collection, kicked back with luxury loungewear from Ted Says Relax, and cottoned on to Cottoned On, Ted's architecture-inspired womenswear capsule. Menswear got its own Instagram channel, while new smells came courtesy of Tonics, a trio of men's aftershave. New stores opened in St. Pancras, Oxford and Bicester, as well as Miami, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris and Kuala Lumpur overseas.

The celebratory mood continued in Ted's stores as ever, with plenty of new spots popping up both in Britain and abroad. Customers also said Bonjour and Guten Tag to French and German versions of tedbaker.com.

A grand extravaganza closed the year, with Ted's Christmas Party campaign showcasing festive celebration skills. As if that wasn't enough, Ted rounded off his 30th year with a momentous undertaking: his first advertising campaign. Running across everything from billboards to buses to magazines, it featured plenty of his signature humour and one of his iconic womenswear pieces.

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Ted launched luggage, home fragrance and audio, as well as collections for those with a head for heights (T for Tall, with champion swimmer and great friend of Ted, Mark Foster), a need for speed (Wiggle), an eye for luxury (Global: Luxe), and a bustling journey to work (Commuter).

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Explains the identity of the brand and unique selling proposition.
(accessed 22.06.19)

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Having launched as a shirt specialist of some repute in Glasgow Ted Baker quickly became the place to buy some of the very best contemporary men's shirting around.

From the beginning Ted has had a very clear, unswerving, focus on quality, attention to detail and a quirky sense of humour, so much so in fact that the first stores used to provide a laundry service for every shirt purchased - something that gained the quickly growing brand the title of 'No Ordinary Designer Label'. Everything produced under the Ted Baker name has his personality woven into its very heart.

* Ted Baker is one of the fastest-growing leading lifestyle brands in the UK.
* The collections have expanded rapidly since its beginnings as a menswear brand in Glasgow in 1987.
* Today Ted Baker offers a wide range of collections including: Menswear, Womenswear, Global, Endurance, Pashion, Langley, Accessories, Fragrance, Skinwear, Footwear, Eyewear and Watches.
* Ted Baker has a portfolio of stores in the UK and USA and is also present in leading department stores.
* After signing three new territorial license agreements in 2006 and initially opening stores in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai we've continued our expansion in 2007 with the opening of a further store in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, three in Kuala Lumpur and two each in Dubai and Jakarta. We also have locations in Taiwan and Bangkok.

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Having launched as a shirt specialist of some repute in Glasgow Ted Baker quickly became the place to buy some of the very best contemporary men's shirting around.

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UK: Clothing & Footwear - Sportswear 2018-2023

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UK: Clothing & Footwear - Sportswear 2018-2023

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"Sports footwear will marginally outperform sports clothing over the forecast period, by 0.8 percentage points, with fashion trainers now a mainstay in consumer wardrobes" (accessed 05.08.19)

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Sustainability in UK Retail 2019 - GlobalData

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Sustainability in UK Retail 2019 - GlobalData

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This report echoed the key trends within sustainability currently and identified surveyed opinions. This report was important to understand the consumers views in terms of sustainability and the most effective ways of communicating and integrating this. Helpful information included the importance of consumers understanding where clothing is manufactured and that they consider the ethics which supported my supplier reasoning.
(accessed 05.08.19)

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Ted Baker x Art of Ping Pong 2019 Collaboration 

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Ted Baker x Art of Ping Pong 2019 Collaboration 

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Mens collaboration – table tennis and bespoke t-shirts. The collaboration is current for Ted Baker mixing sport with art, showing how the brand is already incorporating different forms in their work. Arrived online the 21st May 2019. (accessed 12.07.19)

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Ted Baker x Art of Ping Pong | Table Tennis Bats | Ted Baker UK

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Discover the Art of Ping Pong collection at Ted Baker. One colourful collaboration, it features limited edition paddles and T-shirts for any bat and ball enthusiast.

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"60% of consumers are experience rather than product focused." (accessed 05.08.19)