Consumer behavior news and archive

How AI is redefining the role of physical stores, and what retailers should know

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only changing how we shop online, but it's also transforming physical retail. While stores are still viewed as essential “anchors” for commerce in 2030, AI, together with shifting consumer behaviours, continues to reshape the purpose of physical retail. A new study released by ICSC and McKinsey & Company,...

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Fashion |REPORT

5 trends shaping what US consumers will shop for in 2026

An industry forever in flux, external influences from geopolitical situations to economic downturns and climate change continue to have a rippling effect across the fashion industry. What, how, when, and where consumers shop remains the main challenge faced by brands and retailers. To help fashion companies navigate and find their way through...

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Fashion |Opinion

What if consumers stopped shopping for fashion?

After a costly festive season, January has become a financial reset for many households. What starts as No Spend January, a short-term pause on non-essential purchases, is increasingly extending into longer commitments such as a No Buy Year, as consumers look for structured ways to curb spending and rebuild financial stability throughout 2026....

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Business

Fashion shifts away from hype as consumers demand authenticity

Fashion’s long reliance on spectacle-driven marketing is beginning to feel outdated. Industry observers note a gradual but unmistakable shift in how luxury brands present themselves, driven by changing consumer expectations and a cooling global market. Leadership changes—such as Balmain’s recent decision to part ways with Olivier Rousteing after...

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Business|In-depth

Does sustainability actually sell? The complex reality behind consumer behavior

Sustainability remains a key component for many consumers when considering a new purchase - until it is time to make the sale, that is. The ongoing gap between what consumers say they want and what they actually want and do with it could be hindering the uptake of sustainable practices - but is it truly up to the consumers? Sustainability and...

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Fashion

Luxury Redefined: white paper analyses how brands can connect with today's consumers

The luxury industry has been having a hard time keeping up with their consumers - while wooing and educating them in the 2010s, it did not anticipate that they would outgrow their teachers. Hence, media brand Highsnobiety together with the Boston Consulting Group surveyed more than 6,6,710 consumers in eleven key markets - China, South Korea,...

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Retail

Retail footfall divides as off-price gains and department stores tread water

As earnings season advances and retailers prepare to disclose Q1 results, a mixed picture is emerging from the U.S. apparel sector, with foot traffic patterns revealing the mounting tension between value-driven shopping and the waning allure of traditional department stores. According to newly released data from Placer.ai, high-street and...

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Retail|Interview

Retail analyst Nikki Baird’s consumer predictions through end of year

As high inflation raises the prices of gas and bills, consumers will be faced with tough spending decisions as seasons change, kids go back-to-school and budgets are weighed for holiday gifting. FashionUnited speaks with Nikki Baird, former retail analyst and Vice President of Strategy at Aptos, about how our purses will be impacted during the...

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Fashion

A brand’s social standing may influence consumer shopping behaviour

Consumers expect the brands and business where they shop to be responsible, accountable and share their values, according to a survey conducted by Clutch. Whereas once upon a time it was ok for brands to remain indifferent, companies are expected to speak up, with 71 percent of people surveyed feeling it important for businesses to take a stance...