Swimwear at Aerie is “on fire,” according to Jennifer Foyle, Aerie global brand president. Sales in the company’s swim category have more than doubled in the last two years.
Organically driven sales on Instagram have increased 168 percent year-over-year, Foyle said.
The brands that have been the most successful in increasing sales are the ones that use social media as a tool to “elevate the level of communication” with the consumer, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor for retail at The NPD Group.
“The consumer is gravitating towards it because, frankly, where are you going to go?,” Cohen said. “Unless you go to a swimwear specialty store, you’re not getting service anywhere to help educate you. People rely on social media for that.”
Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Fran Horowitz said Instagram has created a dialogue between the company and its customers, who often post back about what they’re buying. The company, including subsidiary Hollister, have had similarly successful results from Instagram. The top two posts in terms of engagement, how many likes and comments they get, over the last year, were in swim, Horowitz said.
“Both brands for both genders are double-digit comping in swim, season to date,” Horowitz said
Brand ambassadors — from professional models like Lawrence to social media influencers like Julia Nell — are blowing up the swimwear industry and turning Instagram into a virtual catalog for consumers to share style ideas and search for new ones across multiple labels.
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