Athleisure’s prominence may stand the test of time, other trends may not: Bolt report

Dive Brief:

Athleisure wear, which skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic, is expected to become a timeless trend, according to 72% of respondents surveyed by Bolt and YouGov.
On the other hand, Gen Z’s embrace of the 1990s bucket hat trend is unlikely to last, with 84% of respondents saying it’s just a passing fad. The Crocs-and-socks combination yielded similar results, with 67% of consumers reporting it won’t stand the test of time.
Digital shopping preferences were also tracked, and 32% of fashion customers said that remembering password and other account login information was the biggest barrier to buying from online stores.

Dive Insight:

Artificial intelligence was also a big topic in the report, with authors suggesting the technology could become a mainstay in the future of online shopping. In particular, AI could solve one of shoppers’ biggest digital pain points: sizing.

The survey found that 61% of respondents were most concerned with size and fit issues while shopping for fashion online. That directly relates to U.S. online apparel return rates, which have risen to 20.8% since 2020, according to data cited in the survey. Similarly, half of respondents reported worrying their purchase wouldn’t match its description.

The report said that brands could use AI to help shoppers make more informed choices by allowing shoppers to build a digital identity with AI, and use a shopper's exact body measurements to determine whether clothes would fit prior to purchase, viewing how clothes would look on them without going to a store.

It pointed to Levi Strauss & Co., which recently suggested using AI-generated models to increase its online diversity. That was met with criticism, however, and brands are still trying to find the best use case for this new technology.

The Lifetime Value Report, which was conducted in March and surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults, was conducted by Bolt, a checkout technology company, and YouGov, a market research and data analytics firm. The groups were asked about their online shopping habits, and the results were weighted.