The ninth annual State of Fashion report by McKinsey & Company and BoF Insights, The Business of Fashion’s data and advisory team, reveals that economic and geopolitical challenges, combined with shifts in customer values, will define a turbulent year ahead. Download the full report to understand the 10 themes that will shape the industry and the opportunities for growth in 2025.
Though hard to predict even in the best of times, the fashion industry is in for a particularly tumultuous and uncertain 2025. A long-feared cyclical slowdown has arrived. Consumers, scarred by the recent period of high inflation, are increasingly price sensitive.
The 10 fashion industry themes that will set the agenda in 2025:
- Trade Reconfigured
Global trade is shifting as major economies diversify and source from countries where they have more political alignment. This will accelerate in the fashion industry in 2025 due to rising costs, evolving trade policies and sustainability targets. As a result, fashion brands are likely to double down on diversifying their sourcing footprint in Asia and lay the foundations for nearshoring.
- Asia’s New Growth Engines
China’s economic deceleration, changing consumer preferences and the return of international travel are making growth in the country highly challenging, leading international fashion brands to look to other Asian markets. India will be a focus, particularly for high-street players, while Japan’s luxury boom is expected to continue into 2025, fuelled by strong international and domestic spend.
- Discovery Reinvented
Fashion shoppers are overwhelmed with choice, which negatively impacts their engagement and conversion rates with brands. However, a new era of brand and product discovery is on the horizon, underpinned by AI-powered curation across content and search.
- Silver Spenders
Fashion brands have typically focused on youth, but in 2025 they may struggle to grow sales from younger shoppers alone. The “Silver Generation” aged over 50 represents a growing population with a high share of global spend. Brands that engage these previously overlooked shoppers while creating inter-generational appeal will unlock incremental growth.
- Value Shift
Macroeconomic pressures and rising prices have driven fashion shoppers to adopt cost-conscious behaviours. This is expected to persist, even as some economies begin showing signs of recovery. This dynamic is fuelling growth in segments with strong value-for-money perception, such as resale, off-price and dupes, among others. To capture customers’ share of wallet, brands will need to prove their value.
- The Human Side of Sales
Differentiating the in-store experience is key to reigniting demand for in-person shopping. Brands can achieve that by empowering their store associates to reach their full potential, as sales staff have a central and valuable role to play in connecting with customers. The benefits will be sizeable, since customer and employee experience are inextricably linked.
- Marketplaces Disrupted
Following a tumultuous period for luxury e-commerce platforms, online non-luxury marketplaces are facing challenges of their own. Share prices have dropped as much as 98 percent since Covid-19 peaks due to existential business model challenges and disruptions. Non-luxury marketplaces globally must carve out a clear role in the fashion ecosystem to survive.
- Sportswear Showdown
Challenger brands are forecast to generate over half of the sportswear segment’s economic profit in 2024, up from 20 percent in 2020. This means the battle between challengers and incumbents in the growing sportswear market will likely intensify. To gain market share, brands will need to develop innovative products and use the right ambassadors and channels to activate unique brand stories.
- Inventory Excellence
Inventory remains a challenge for the industry with both excess stock and stocks-outs impacting brands. In 2025, margin pressures and sustainability regulation will place greater emphasis on end-to-end planning excellence, with brands increasingly adopting tech tools and adjusting their operating model to support agile supply chains.
- The Sustainability Collective
Fragmentation and complexity across the fashion value chain, coupled with consumer reluctance to pay for sustainable products, are inherent barriers to reaching sustainability goals. But with decarbonisation efforts falling short of targets and the climate crisis accelerating, inaction is not an option. The fashion sector must act collectively to drive impact. BoF Insights is The Business of Fashion’s in-house consultancy. We partner with leading fashion and beauty brands and investors to help them sustainably grow for the long term. Get in touch to find out how we can support your business.
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