Apparel Top 10 Themes for 2022 - Thematic Research

Apparel Top 10 Themes for 2022 - Thematic Research

Summary

In this report, we identify the top 10 themes that will impact the apparel sector in 2022. For each theme, we offer a series of predictions, identify winners and losers, and point you to further reading.

In 2022, the major themes impacting the apparel sector will be: supply chain management, geopolitics, ESG-environmental, virtual and augmented reality, ESG-social, ecommerce, COVID-19, digital media, mobile and the future of work.

Key Highlights

• Supply chains became a major talking point in retail in 2021 as supply struggled to keep up with demand due a myriad of factors, leading to spiraling inflation rates. The closure of factories and ports in China due to the country’s zero-COVID policy had a significant on the global flow of goods, with both manufacturing and transportation affected.
• In 2022, consumer awareness and retailer actions will encompass more aspects of the environment, such as water reduction in material production and carbon emissions from transportation, as retailers come under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon emissions by setting science-based targets.
• Since Facebook changed its name to Meta in October 2021, conversations surrounding the possibilities that the metaverse could bring to the apparel industry have skyrocketed. But at present, the future of the metaverse in the global apparel market remains undecided.
• The global online apparel industry is dominated by the US and China, with market shares in 2019 of 29% and 25% respectively, but as online retail markets in Western countries become saturated, the ecommerce giants will rush to grab market share in emerging digital economies, with India and Africa set to be the primary battlegrounds.

• GlobalData breaks down the top 10 themes impacting the apparel sector in 2022.

• Themes are disruptive, so it's easy to be blindsided by industry outsiders who invade your sector. Understanding the themes ecosystem will get you ahead of the curve.
• Understand the themes emerging in 2022, allowing you to grasp a wider view of changes in consumer behaviour and how it will impact your markets.
• Explore how emerging themes in apparel are allowing industry leaders to evolve, so you can better position yourself for long-term success.
• An easy-to-use framework for tracking themes across all companies in all sectors
• Companies who invest in the right themes become success stories; those who miss the big themes end up as failures.