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Last weekend, Coachella was supposed to mark the start of festival season, but the coronavirus postponed it.
Pro: I didn’t see anyone blowing bubbles in a culturally appropriative headdress on Instagram.
Con: Retailers known to stock crochet vests and tube tops took a hit, the NYT reports.
- Revolve typically generates 30% of total annual revenue in the weeks leading up to and around Coachella. This year, orders for festival styles were one-fifth their usual size.
- Asos said sales have fallen 20%–25% since the start of the pandemic. Like Revolve, it’s also a destination for “going out” and festival items like flower crowns and fanny packs.
Since Burning Man is virtual this year, sweatpants fit the bill. At Lyst, a fashion search engine, queries for “festival fashion” haven’t surged beginning in March as in past years. Meanwhile, sales for loungewear and pajamas continue to rise.
My takeaway: IRL music festivals will come back when we’ve got the all clear to gather again. But as consumers become more selective with their apparel spending, retailers can’t rely on a specialty category like festival fashion to sustain their businesses when the pandemic ends.