Ask the Experts: What Trends Will Drive Spring Sales?

by Steve Pruitt

StevePruitt-300x300Q: I’ve heard you say many times that menswear needs fashion to drive sales, so are there any trends in the spring collections that we should get excited about and ready to push to our customers?

A: Great question. The best feedback that we have heard from our buyers is that there’s a lot of beautiful merchandise available, but no new category trends. Given this situation, it will be all about editing to develop the best mix for your store.

New trends probably won’t emerge before fall 2015. However, we believe that the following categories are showing strength for spring ’15: Activewear, Fashion Sneakers, Printed Shirts, Linen Shirts, and Suits. Suits still seem to be dark in hue. Sportcoats will also be strong but they need to point toward denim as men continue to blend casual with classic.

As always, editing is key when it comes to showing your store’s point of view and highlighting what you think are the best looks of season, even if there aren’t any new trends to speak of. Good luck!