The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused a significant shift in consumer behaviors and buying trends. People are working from home and socializing less, with growing concern over going out and shopping in stores. This has created a shift in needs that focus more on casualwear, activewear, health and wellness, home furnishings and pets. People value comfort and easy care over more structured fits associated with career wear. According to the Global Connected Index, when consumers were asked if they planned to shop when the world returns to the “new normal”, 39% of those surveyed say they will shop in a mix of online and in-store, 28% will shop mostly online and 24% say they can’t wait to get back in-store while 10% say they have not planned that far ahead (over 100% for rounding). Taking these details into account, we can see that consumers have changed their buying habits to reflect the global health crisis.
The accelerating trend towards online shopping vs. in-store shopping means that quality and fit will be vital in the design of fashion items to reduce the probability of returns. With 91% of shoppers saying they miss in-store shopping but only 5% planning to return to stores in the next 6 months it is now more important than ever to design into items that will have appeal in an on-line platform. Value perception from a digital perspective has become key as consumers are more careful with their spending in this time of economic uncertainty. According to financial advisor Deloitte, normal economic activity is unlikely to resume before mid- 2021 which means design solutions for the future are necessary.
Requirement：
For this year’s case study, your goal is to choose GUCCI to create an apparel collection that meets the needs of post-COVID-19 consumers. -Please explain why and how you chose this brand. As you grow your collection, keep an eye on the recent work-at-home trend, videoconferencing(zoom), and the need for a quick transition from meetings to home life and back. -Values are the most important. Please think about how your product will appeal to consumers and how limited resources have adapted to their lifestyles as the economy has changed. Focus on sustainable materials. consider what is the new normal and what is the new demand for working from home culture and lifestyle. Thinking about how to address our current social structure and changing culture can become an additional focus that helps your collection have a stronger voice and appeal.
You are the Design director for a fashion brand or retailer that is adjusting the approach to their product mix to reflect the needs and buying habits of the consumer in this pandemic environment. Your objective is to design an effective and exciting collection that will appeal to the consumer who is budget conscious but still wants to be stylish. Online appeal, comfort and easy care are important, but so is versatility, allowing consumers to easily transition from home lifestyle activities to work from home.
“Environment Protection” is a nice field to consider as what you can attract your consumer
Powerpoint:
SLIDE 1: Include one title sentence to summarize the case and discipline of your case study. Outline how your deck is broken out (suggested slide assignment below is optional).
SLIDE 2: Write an executive summary, covering all components of your case study. People reading your executive summary should get the essence of your case study without fine detail. The executive summary should be in paragraph format, no longer than 300 words. Be sure to briefly summarize why your chosen collection will resonate with post COVID-19 consumers and benefit the retailer(s) and/or e-commerce platforms you choose to sell your collection
SLIDES 3-6: Illustrate your research into what is motivating the consumer and what types of collections and items appeal to them during the changing environment of the global pandemic. Be sure to address the purchase drivers you feel are most important to the success of your brand. Explain how your collection will utilize these drivers in order to be successful.
SLIDE 6-7: Describe how you would communicate the story via a marketing strategy behind your collection to the customer, inclusive of collection name and related collateral. Explain how it will be sold. APPENDIX SLIDES 17-21: Use up to five slides to summarize any research you have done on what factors contribute to the success of fashion collections –apparel (men’s, women’s, kids, or gender neutral), accessories, footwear, home or beauty line– based on targeted demographic/psychographic population cohorts. Use one additional slide for footnotes and a bibliography.
APPENDIX SLIDES 8-12: Use up to five slides to summarize any research you have done on what factors contribute to the success of fashion collections –apparel (men’s, women’s, kids, or gender neutral), accessories, footwear, home or beauty line– based on targeted demographic/psychographic population cohorts. Use one additional slide for footnotes and a bibliography
