John Talbott, associate director of the Kelley School of Business’ Center for Education and Research in Retailing, said the lack of enthusiasm isn’t because of a lack of disposable income or changed interests.
The FIndex is based on survey data obtained from a representative sample of CollegeFashionista.com’s 600 “style gurus,” who report on fashion trends at college campuses around the world. Style gurus are a curated group of college-age students who possess an eye for new style trends in all realms of the industry, according to the release.
The quarterly index, produced in collaboration with Kalypso, an innovation consulting firm, and CollegeFashionista.com, measures consumer sentiment toward fashion trends in the apparel, footwear and accessory industry. Its purpose is to help retailers better track and understand consumer sentiment toward the innovativeness of merchandise quarter-to-quarter and more quickly identify and adopt emerging trends.
Several products that have been popular are now on the list of the style gurus’ least-popular items. They include Ugg footwear as well as brands such as Michael Kors, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister Co. and Timberland.
“Increasing financial wherewithal may not be enough to entice shoppers to buy at the levels retailers are hoping for this spring due to inconsistent levels of innovative new merchandise,” Steve Riordan, a Kalypso partner, said in the release.
The broader millennial demographic is estimated to be responsible for $65 billion in retail spending in fashion categories.
Tori Lawhorn
