ASK THE EXPERT: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR MY FALL BUYS?

Q: I am excited to go to the shows soon to see what’s new. My menswear business was strong all of last year. What advice do you have for my fall buys?

A: It’s true, menswear has been doing well in our client stores, particularly Clothing categories. And while we believe that these categories, such as sport coats and suits, will still have momentum this year, the steam has to run out at some point. When, we’re not sure. But, we are now in a normalized sales cycle where high year-over-year growth rates are unlikely.

We are also facing the presidential election this fall, which tends to bring uncertainty, making consumers a little more cautious.

That’s why we are advising our retailers to make conservative buys for fall and hold back more of their open-to-buy compared to last year.

For example, if you held back 10% of your buy in 2022, hold back 15% this year. Yes, Clothing categories will still sell, but there’s also an opportunity in Sportswear since it was down all of last year.

Consumers tend to shop in cycles and if you have some beautiful Sportswear on the floor you could jumpstart sales in this category. So, don’t just look for bestsellers, but also for opportunities.

Have fun at the show, and go in with a positive attitude, but a critical eye.

Photo by Jozsef Hocza.