Promotional Tracker: April 13 - April 17
If any weekend made you want new clothes it was this weekend. Between weather shifts here on the East Coast (hello 80 degrees) and celebrities reminding you how cool they are at Coachella, one can’t help but look disappointingly at last year’s warm weather wardrobe. Well fear not, because the promotional tracker is here to help you navigate the sale landscape if you feel like your style is stuck in a desert - and not in the cool, festival way. If you’re in retail, don’t worry, we have your back, too. Because amidst all the promo codes and shiny bright signs we’re highlighting the most interesting promotional trends so you know what’s going on in the biz.
Who was on sale?
This week the average promotional value amongst top retailers was 38%. But it really seemed like everyone was clearing out their sale this past weekend. We included a few particularly notable retailers below who may have dabbled in the festival culture as well. Denim cutoffs from Urban Outfitters that happen to be an extra 40% off? Packing for Palm Springs! One interesting promotions is the tiered-discounts from Asos - a surefire way to increase AOV, especially considering the margin hits other sale-on-sale promotions create. Another was American Eagle who didn’t waste time with sale and went straight for “the Collection”. I’m not sure what this means but it seems abundant with festival appropriate pieces and not January’s flannel leftovers.
###How did they tell us? If you went on sale this past weekend, there was no messing around with fancy graphics. Messages were to the point with only the relevant information we needed to get in, use a promo code, and get out - just like us efficient shoppers needs.
So where did the creativity go? Well where all inspirational and aspirational images go - Instagram. The same brands that were running significant promotions online were using social media to speak to branding and staying a step or two away from what the actual price may be. It seems like retailers are using their channels wisely: **Instagram for play, the homepage for business.**
###What does this past weekend teach us about promotions? This time is a critical point for trends with the rise of warm weather and festival season upon us. As a result, shoppers are going to be feeling the itch for new styles that don’t exist in their current closet - and they’re going to be looking for the best deals. Additionally, as we’ve been learning lately, promotions are no longer tied to solely holiday events. As sales are now ubiquitous in the fashion world, **retailers must learn how to balance the act of shopping with the art of the brand**. A clear division between channels is needed so that a brand can continue to stay promotional without cheapening their image.Want to know more about how you can track competitors’ promotional activity with one click? Check out more details about our tool here.