The fashion industry is the first to incorporate the latest trends, also in the scope of technology. Augmented reality, cloud solutions, or maybe anti-theft accessories? What are the eCommerce trends picked up by Prada, Nike, Burberry, and other leading fashion brands?
Lyst Insight is a source of amazing data on the fashion industry, and as luck would have it, also in the area of technology trends implemented by the biggest brands worldwide. Why is it so important? Well, in the case of the latest trends, it is crucial to observe early adopters – pioneers who’ve got the reasons and resources to bring bold ideas to life. And there is no better playground in the fashion industry.
For all major fashion brands, releasing dozens of collections a year, it is all about the hype, lifestyle, and winning the emotions of their customers. And so, they have to innovate or die.
Tech trends behind the hottest fashion brands
In the recently released Lyst Index you will find a ranking of the fashion industry’s hottest brands and products. Over 12,000 designers were compared in terms of customer shopping behavior, Google search data, conversion rates, sales, and social media impact.
The Top 20 hottest fashion brands by The Lyst Index, Q2, 2019
- Gucci
- Off-White
- Balenciaga
- Valentino
- Prada
- Versace
- Fendi
- Stone Island
- Nike
- Saint Laurent
- Vetements
- Burberry
- Dolce&Gabbana
- Givenchy
- Palm Angels
- Adidas
- Moncler
- Moschino
- Yeezy
- Balmain
Since the ranking concerns online shopping, we dug deeper in search of technologies behind the success of the top 20 companies.
Gucci: augmented reality with ‘virtual try-on’
Along with the debuting Cruise collection, Gucci unveiled a new AR technology, with which customers can virtually try on the newest shoes. The augmented technology was introduced in the iOS app, based on the wannaby solution, in which Gucci’s customers can select a pair of shoes, try them on virtually, take pictures, share them on social media and, of course, buy.
Prada: cloud technology to improve retail processes
This year, Prada strongly focused on analyzing historical data and market demands of its network of 634 stores across the world. This huge project, conducted with Oracle technology, paid off as Prada optimized its merchandising, sales and forecasts, performance analysis, inventory management, supply chain, and inventory allocation. Implementing Oracle’s cloud solutions for retail and customer engagement gave Prada a tool to gain real-time insights into all customer-related data and provide a personalized shopping experience.
“Our collaboration with Oracle is part of our wider strategy focused on enhancing our Group with a strong investment in technology to boost operational efficiency and effectiveness”
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Marketing and Communication.
More at: https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/prada-taps-oracle-cloud-tech-for-retail-processes/
Nike: mobile scanning tool for foot measurement
Apart from releasing the Stranger Things collection with Netflix and introducing plus-size mannequins in brick and mortar stores in London, this year Nike presented a digital technology for foot measurement. This is a piece of amazingly good news as apparently 60% of people are wearing the wrong shoe size.
With the Nike FIT app, anyone can check his or her foot size by scanning the full shape of both feet with the user’s smartphone camera. Introduced by Nike, the app uses a proprietary combination of computer vision, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and recommendation algorithms. In total, it collects 13 data points, mapping and translating them into foot size and adding them to the Nike Plus member profile which brings back users to their loyalty program.
More at: https://news.nike.com/news/nike-fit-digital-foot-measurement-tool
Balmain: customization in the pop-up store
Customization is a hot topic both online and offline, and Balmain decided to tap into this trend with its new sneaker collection. Right after the sneakers collection premiered on the catwalks, Balmain launched a pop-up store in Selfridges, London. For two weeks, the sneakers were available only there and hard-core fans could get them with extra customization done by the artists waiting for them on the spot.
This way, Balmain helps customers create one-of-a-kind luxury products with unique graffiti, studs, and Japanese graphics and created engagement and strong relations with its most important group of fans.
More at: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/balmain-selfridges-london-sneaker-customization-pop-up/
Adidas: working with influencers to skyrocket traffic
Working where its customers are, Adidas focused strongly on social media, Instagram and cooperation with a world-famous influencer in the first instance. The results? The announcement of cooperation with Beyonce drove a social impression increase of 61% during the first 24 hours. Right after this search, the combination of “Beyonce/Adidas” spiked by 2,700%. Adidad increased the brand’s quarterly searches by 31%.
Two weeks later, Adidas began cooperation with Rihana, which was another hit that drove over 7 million social media impressions and revealed great sales and loyalty power that starts with social media.
More at: https://www.businessinsider.com/beyonce-partners-adidas-athleisure-ivy-park-2019-4?IR=T
It might seem that these trends are rather different, but what’s important is that there is one thing they all have in common – the user-oriented approach. From technology to social media and in-store activities, global brands are fighting for users’ attention and engagement to improve long-lasting relations.
As the eCommerce Trends 2019 report relates, augmented reality and personalization are seen as the most impactful trends for the next 5 years. Seeing brands, like Nike, Gucci or Burberry, we know that global brands treat them as an important part of their growth strategies. With each new implementation, and examples of using cloud solutions, virtual or augmented reality, or customization, pioneering brands are paving the way for others to follow.
Head to eCommerce trends on our blog to learn about future trends in eCommerce.
Published October 25, 2019
