In a live stream promoted by Texbrasil, experts highlight changes in retail after the pandemic
Last Tuesday (06/09) Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program) – the result of a partnership between Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) and Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) – brought together international live retail experts.
In order to analyze future perspectives and understand the next retail trends, the event, presented by the executive manager of Texbrasil, Lilian Kaddissi, was attended by Jorge Martin, global analyst responsible for the fashion sector at Euromonitor, Andrea Selvi, purchasing manager for men’s fashion at Luisaviaroma (Italy); Loree Lash-Valencia, VP of sales for North America at Joor (United States), and Guatteri Gian Marco, director of Brazilian Bikini Shop (France).
The live stream started with a presentation by Euromonitor on the current world retail scenario during the pandemic. Jorge pointed out a decline in revenue between 12% and 22%, with a recovery period of one to five years.
Even with negative numbers, the expert sees opportunities in some areas. Research related to sweatshirt pieces, comfortable clothes and homewear saw a considerable increase in the period, and may be an upward trend for brands in the coming months.
Sustainability
One of the highlights of the conversation was the theme “sustainability”, which has been much talked about recently. For Jorge, people’s shopping habits will change, since, after a long period at home, they should reduce the periodicity of purchases. With this, however, the financial pressure of the brands increases. The expert sees it as necessary for companies to make investments to be sustainable, and with low sales, this may not be a priority.
Loree believes that technology can be a great ally in sustainability. For her, the use of an online platform for marketplaces, like Joor, can have a significant and direct impact on carbon emissions, since it would avoid travel.
For Gian, whose company profile is focused on beachwear, it is more difficult to be sustainable, since the material used in bikinis is synthetic. This does not mean that he is not aware of the demands for sustainability.
According to the executive, Brazilian Bikini Shop works with brands to exclude plastic from all items that accompany the bikini piece, such as packaging, hygienic protection and even labels. In addition, he says that companies must commit to social actions to support the environment. Headquartered in France, BBS resells more than 100 Brazilian bikini brands in Europe and other countries.
Opportunities
Another prominent theme was the change in the way people consume. With that, new concepts will be taken into consideration. Andrea points out that for a brand to attract the attention of multi-brand Luisaviaroma, it will need to dedicate itself to storytelling and its purpose. “My advice is that brands that have a history behind them will do better,” he says.
He also believes that brands should dedicate themselves to tools that help promote their pieces, especially Instagram. Gian shares the thought: “This year they will have to invest in everything that is digital,” comments the director. This includes dedication to the brand’s marketing, investing in photos that convey the message of its history and purpose.
The future is digital
Another highlight of the conversation was the accelerated growth of e-commerce. In a presentation, Jorge Martin showed that, unlike physical points, companies with successful online operations had increased sales during the pandemic.
In a survey conducted by Euromonitor, 40% of the companies consulted showed sales growth between February and March compared to last year.
The data are aligned with Luisaviaroma. Andrea Selvi stated that in the period between March and April this year, the multi-brand showed a 25% growth in sales compared to 2019.
As for the future of retail? Everyone agrees that it must be online. For Loree, retail means new experiences, and the rise of digital media is in line with this concept.
In a period as difficult as the current one, Jorge Martin believes that we can draw some lessons from the moment: the first is that nothing will be as before, and the second is that collaboration is better than competition.
About Texbrasil
The Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program (Texbrasil) works with companies in the textile and clothing sector developing strategies to conquer the global market. Over nearly 20 years, it has helped around 1500 brands to enter the export trail, making USD 3.6 billion in business. The Program is carried out through a partnership between Abit and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).