We’re on the verge of releasing our apparel retail report called Top Performing Retailers & Products of 2013, which offers in-depth analysis of the trend hits and misses from 2013, and drills down into retail’s product and visual merchandising strategies. You’ll be able to download the entire report for free next week, but in the lead up, we’ll be sharing snippets of the insight within. In today’s post you can learn about the Top Performing Footwear.
EDITED revealed dresses and footwear to be the most competitive fashion categories, with their high rates of replenishment and their low rates of discounting. When retailers get products in these categories right, they can fly. And when they go wrong, it can skew a whole season.Retailers use this data, alongside real-time analysis to ensure they’re leading the market and stocking the right products, at the right time and the right price. Here we look at the best and worst performing footwear of 2013.
The Best Performing Footwear Styles
Sneakers
The focus on sports luxe has powered the sneaker across the women’s, men’s and children’s markets. New Balance were a key influence and sold very well, but the traditional tennis shoe shape was the winner: 3,691 tennis shoe styles sold out during the year, in an average of 100 days. 18% of sell outs were restocked – a sign that retailers were confident with their selections and see further consumer demand. With the continuation of boyish styles and functionality a focus, this shape will move through into Fall 2014 seamlessly.
Ankle boots
2012’s successful Chelsea boot got a heel and some ankle straps. Cut-out panels and metallic details also sold well, and were used in the visual merchandising of many retailer, Kurt Geiger included. 19,536 ankle boot styles arrived online during 2013, with 2,920 selling out. Average sell out was 82 days. For SS15 we expect cowboy detailing on this style to do well, following backing by international designers.
Wedge heels
These did well in two notable styles; the cork or rafia heeled sandal, a style favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge, or the wedge heel boot/sneaker which has stemmed from the runway of Isabel Marant. A huge 36,434 styles came online during 2013, with 5,090 wedge heels completely selling out within the year.
The Worst Performing Footwear Styles
Studded detailing
Unfortunately for retailers, a high level of studded styles were brought into stock in 2013 – more than the number of ankle boot styles which sold so well. Zalando were the biggest retailer of studded styles. In 2013, studded footwear was discounted after an average of 72 days from first being introduced. 19,958 styles arrived online during the year, with 23% of those seeing more than 50% knocked off their price.
Slingbacks
Neiman Marcus introduced the highest number of new sling backs in 2013, 487 in total, of which 42% were discounted. Only 10.2% of slingbacks introduced in 2013 were restocked, and on average slingback styles were reduced 78 days after first arriving into stores. 6,743 styles arrived online during the year and 24.2% of those were discounted by more than 50%!
Platform peep toe with stiletto heel
A style which can be found lacking in comfort, retailers struggled to shift platform-soled, stiletto heels with a peep toe detail in 2013, especially within the UK market. Although it’s been a popular style in recent years, new shapes took the fore and shunted the stiletto into the discount pile. 26.8% of platform peep toe stilettos were discounted by more than 50%, with it taking an average of 73 for the style to receive its first reduction.
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Katie Smith
