Fashion and beauty companies have finally become focused on giving consumers what they really, really want.
Gone are the days of big companies and editors setting the seasonal trends and dictating the style rules du jour. Today, brands are letting consumers take the lead: They’re looking to their shoppers to steer product development by meeting them in Facebook and Instagram groups and consulting them on features. They’re putting their own sales agendas on the back burner, serving up curations of products personalized to customers’ tastes. And they’re revamping their loyalty programs to give repeat customers perks they actually value. What’s more, they’re designing their stores to be welcoming customer hangouts versus showrooms, and they’re throwing exclusivity out the door, offering styles to customers of every size.
With brands forfeiting control, consumers are carving out a fresh, refreshing fashion and beauty landscape. With that in mind, here’s our fourth annual guide to what’s in and out in the industries, for 2020.