For independent brick-and-mortar retailers, getting consumers to shop in-store rather than online is an ever-present challenge. But once those customers do decide to shop in the store, delivering on what they want is also critical.

Consumers know which footwear brands they want to buy, and they know where they want to buy them. But they can also be influenced to select different products — for a variety of reasons. That’s just one takeaway from our latest consumer survey.

Many consumers have begun participating in new fitness activities this past year. And they are buying new apparel, gear and footwear for those activities. Those are just two of the key takeaways from our latest consumer survey.

Spring is here and consumers are ready. After a year where we saw COVID-influenced lifestyle changes have a seismic impact on both the activity trends of consumers and the shopping habits of consumers, the next stage of this evolution is here.

It is safe to say that sustainability has surpassed being a trend to achieve lifestyle status. As much as things change, some things don’t budge. It’s clear that shoppers are interested and motivated to buy sustainable goods to the point that biodegradability would sway decision making and would take the time to read an article about...

With more families spending time outdoors, a healthy side effect of the pandemic, awareness of sun protection is a focus. The majority of survey takers seek out both materials with SPF technology and lotions when participating in water sports, although lotions remain far more popular than textile treatments as a sun protective go-to.

Establishing new exercise routines during Covid not only helped individuals stay fit, this trend also heightened awareness of how material choices enhance workout wear as well as casual clothing. For example, survey takers report that when shopping for activewear, special fabric features are now top of mind.

The biggest takeaway from this month’s survey is the hunger consumers have for information about the products they buy and the materials used to make these products. This is despite respondents already being loyal label-readers and willing participants in scrolling social media and brand websites to gain additional knowledge.