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Aeropostale is an American retailer best recognized for its logo and staples for girls and boys. A t-shirt from the brand, for instance, is easily picked out for the classic cursive or capitalized “Aeropostale” across the chest, often with a “1987” or a “New York” for extra decoration. Pieces like these represent 25% of their assortment — but if Aeropostale wants to expand beyond its audience of teenage boys and girls, it’s important to diversify their timeless assortment with on-trend seasonal products.
Trend forecasting can help the retailer do this, giving them data-driven insights to provide foresight into how certain men’s and women’s trends will behave in Summer 2021 on the American market. With this knowledge, Aeropostale could refine their product assortment to better capture market demand and avoid any overstock and excessive promotions.
Trend forecasting Summer 2021 trends for a better Aeropostale collection
Some of the top trends for basic apparel among boys and girls are t-shirts, polo shirts, and denim. As such, by comparing each of these trends by gender with what’s already present on Aeropostale’s e-commerce site, the retailer can get an accurate prediction of how to plan their Summer 2021 collection to fit US market demand. With trend forecasting, Aeropostale can know in advance what consumers are seeking to refine their product assortment and avoid overstock. The following trends are a snapshot of many others that are relevant to the retailer’s audience.
1. Tie Dye Tops
Tie Dye has taken fashion by storm this year as a revival of 70s style with a modern twist. In the US, the print is expected to rise +14% among women, and will be most desirable on tops in particular. So for Aeropostale, tie dye tops are a fashion bet for both men and women for their next Summer collection. Edgy and trendy women will most desire this trend, while for men, the trend will have a more mass-market appeal.
Women’s tie dye tops are predicted to rise +10% in visibility with a big magnitude, meaning that the garment will have a big potential market demand with an increasing growth rate. Men’s tie dye tops, on the other hand, will rise even more, growing +12% coupled with a medium magnitude. For this reason, this trend is definitely a fashion bet. Aeropostale should be sure to launch this garment during its high seasons of Summer and Fall to draw in its loyal customers as well as those who may not typically shop at the retailer.
2. Polo Shirts
Polo shirts are a timeless staple: they’re neither feminine nor masculine, and have been reimagined by more brands than we can count. But sometimes, pieces like these need time to rest off the market, as consumers can get saturated with omnipresent apparel in favor of more daring, trendy clothing. This is the case of US women in Summer 2021: while the trend does have a medium magnitude, it’s predicted to drop -13%. And despite its high seasons of Summer and Fall, polo shirts are a last call for Aeropostale’s women’s Summer collection.
Men, however, will keep this trend alive on their end. Men’s polo shirts are a safe bet for Summer 2021, carrying a universal appeal for US men. Its big potential market demand coupled with its +4% growth rate should indicate to Aeropostale that polo shirts have the green light for its high seasons of Summer and Fall next year.
3. Slim Denim Pants
It seems that every year, the classic jean is reinvented. One year it’s skinny jeans, another it’s high waters, another it’s bell bottoms. For Summer 2021 in the US, it’s slim jeans. This trend is a safe bet for both genders for Aeropostale’s next Summer collection, and it will appeal to all consumer segments, so the retailer need not be shy to include different washes so its customers can style it how they please.
Slim denim pants have high seasons of Spring and Winter, proving its durability through all of the 2021 on the US market. Women’s slim denim has a massive magnitude coupled with a -5% growth rate, while men’s has a big magnitude paired with a -3% growth rate. Evidently, slim denim pants have similar behaviors among both genders, and Aeropostale can be sure they’ll be a hit in Summer 2021.
Aeropostale can satisfy its US customers this Summer 2021
Trend forecasting can be the key to understanding trend behavior for upcoming seasons in different geographies for different audiences. This report in particular zoomed in on three trends taken from Aeropostale’s website to determine which should stay and which should go, comparing each style by gender to demonstrate that this must be taken into consideration when developing staple items.
Tie dye tops will be a major trend next summer amongst all genders, while polo shirts will only be a trend to include for a men’s collection. Denim is always important to include, and next Summer it will be slim denim pants that should be included in men’s and women’s collections. These are only a few trends taken from Aéropostale’s existing assortment to demonstrate how data-based trend forecasting can be the key to understanding the market and staying on top of the must-have trends up to a year in advance.
