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2024 Summer Fashion Trends Essential Insights and Data
As consumers look forward to their summer getaways in 2024, brands and retailers can dive deep into fashion trends to see what’s flying off the racks.
There’s still time to adjust strategies in-season to optimize discounting and boost sell-through, but only if you have reliable information to inform your decisions. Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and market data is critical.
From shorts to sandals, Centric Software’s, “Sun, Sand and Spending: Vacation Fashion Report 2024“ uses the most recent data from Centric Market Intelligence™ to give you the low-down on pricing, consumer trends, sold-out rates and up-and-coming brands.
Based on daily data analysis from e-commerce sites and online searches, the report zooms in on 2024 vacation fashion trends data from four major markets: The US, UK, Germany and Sweden.
Let’s dive into key fashion industry insights from the report!
Although retailers and brands have the data and the people, they lack the tools required to efficiently extract valuable data for timely, smart decisions. These decisions impact all retail activities from design to developing, sourcing, producing, planning, merchandising, assorting, pricing, allocating, replenishing and re-ordering products.
Pricing insights
Swimwear
The average original price of swimwear items was highest in the US during the data collection period, at $154 USD, and lowest in Sweden, at 687 SEK ($65+ USD). Average swimwear discount penetration was highest in Germany, at 68%, and brands selling in Germany also experienced the lowest sold-out rates in swimwear, at 21%.
Dresses
Similar pricing trends exist in summer dresses. An average original price of $159 USD makes the US an outlier among the other countries in the report, where similar dresses are priced around the $90-100 USD mark. The UK boasts the highest average sold-out rate in dresses, at 41%, while discount penetration is lowest in the US, at 59%.
Shorts
Prices in the US are down year-on-year across all categories studied, but the average original price for shorts is still the highest at $103 USD. Sold-out rates for shorts across all four countries ranged from 23-32%, and discount penetration in this category reached a high of 68% in Sweden.
Sandals
UK shoppers are getting a bargain average original price on sandals compared to US consumers, at £81 ($87 USD) versus $149 USD across the Atlantic. Sold-out rates for sandals were at a low of 17% in Germany, while average discount penetration varied from 44% (US and Germany) to 67% (Sweden).
Search trends
Search trend data shows a rise in searches for linen, as consumers search for easy-wearing, casual warm-weather clothing. Crochet also features prominently in search data, indicating a popular trend in bags and other accessories.
Leaders of the pack
The report calls out top vacation fashion brands across every category and in each country, based on sold-out rates gleaned from e-commerce fashion data collection.
Forever21 is a notable winner, with high sold-out rates in every category except sandals in the US. H&M performs strongly in vacation fashion across all countries but only makes the sold-out list for sandals in Sweden. Across both countries and categories, Zara appears on almost every list, indicating the brand’s solid appeal.
Other top brands with the highest sold-out rates include Boohoo, Adidas, River Island, Nike and Only.
Case studies
The report also delves into case studies of specific brands. Cult Gaia, Farm Rio, Hunza G, Solid + Striped, Staud, Johanna Ortiz and Zimmermann all have their category and geographical performance analyzed in detail. Cult Gaia, for instance, sold out more handbags than any other category in the US, UK and Germany, but sold out more dresses in Sweden. Their sold-out rate was highest in the US, at 30%, and their highest average discount was in Germany. Hunza G showed remarkable consistency in swimwear sales across different regions, with average prices varying little, discount rates identical apart from in the UK, and only marginal variation in sold-out rates, ranging from 25-28%.
Brands to watch
Fashion market analysis in the report highlights six up-and-coming brands in the vacation fashion market, offering products from swimwear to leisurewear to accessories. Among others, Australian brand Soleil makes a splash with their breezy and relaxed sun essentials, while dynamic Colombian brand Cala de la Cruz is noted as one to watch for bold and simple designs with a conscious mindset.
Key takeaways
Zooming back out to look at the broader landscape of vacation wear, the report concludes that inflation is still having a significant impact on prices in the UK and European markets, but prices have actually decreased year-on-year in the US. Demand is holding firm across different geographies despite inflationary pressures, with value brands benefiting in particular as shoppers look for affordable vacation fashion.