- Analysing consumer behaviour in a half-resolved pandemic environment provides mixed results in different parts of the world. Yet in the US, shoe and clothing retailers share similar trends.
- Consumers spent their money differently and it is argued that among those who did not become unemployed, many have saved up huge amounts during the pandemic.
Consider for a moment that the web traffic results for many top shoe retailers are quite similar to that of Payless.com. What does this say about online shopping patterns during the height of the pandemic? Can any other conclusions be drawn? We take a closer look at this special retail sector:
From the perspective of most consumers, remote work certainly shifted how consumers spent their money on fashion in 2020, and footwear was no exception. Sales declined during the pandemic, and this was especially more noticeable in the shoe industry than in any other fashion category. Perhaps the 2019 sales levels may be hard for the shoe industry to achieve in 2021, but overall, forecasts indicate greater consumer interest in some categories.
Shoe Sale Performance Over 6 Months
Easy, more wearable shoes have become the trend right now, but as with all fashion, it is sometimes difficult to predict what consumers will want a few months down the line. One thing is certain, the new “normal” may look a bit different, but people are doing more of their shopping online.
Some shoe retailers were well placed and prepared for the pandemic. Others pivoted quickly, but everyone in the industry realized they needed to be agile and innovative during 2020 and they are following the same principle in 2021.
Shoe sales last year closely followed the trends expected by shoe retailers. Carlomaderno , Shoes.com, and Payless.com were some of the shoe industry leaders who predicted and observed similar patterns in their sales.
Working from home caused a decline in the demand for fashion footwear, but consumers were keen to purchase comfortable footwear and cold weather shoes for walking and hiking.
Pre-Christmas sales were very good, and these peaked in November to reach the highest level for 2020. From there on, sales started declining again, reaching their lowest point in the middle of Q1 2021. Since February, increased shoe sales are showing that consumers are interested in buying shoes once more.
Social distancing may still be the norm during Q2, but consumers are looking at more than just comfortable slippers right now. Interest in fashionable shoes for the office is expected to increase again soon, the greatest demand for shoes right now proves that consumers are still placing more emphasis on their comfort, health, and outdoor activities right now.
CarloMaderno.com
CarloMaderno is an e-commerce platform that specializes in unique fashion and accessories from popular brands at affordable prices. Launched in August 2020, the website makes it easy and convenient for consumers to buy their favorite fashion sneakers and boots online.
Once the items are ordered, customers can expect to receive their order for one of the unique items available online from one of the various factory outlets they work with. Consumers are offered a wide selection of the most fashionable sneakers, and these are shipped all over the globe at competitive prices.
Nike’s various sneakers continue to be top sellers for online sneaker sales. At carlomaderno.com, Nike’s Air Jordan 1 and the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Carbon continue to sell fast, but their top seller right now is the React Infinity Run 2 by Nike, available in a range of exciting designs for men and women.
One of the unique features of Carlomaderno.com is that the website is available in several languages, giving them a huge global reach.
Payless.com
Payless relaunched its website early in 2020 after emerging from some difficult times in 2019. The brand has always been popular because of the value-driven products it offers. They felt it was critical to offer their affordable range of shoes to the public during the uncertainty of the past year.
Besides their online store, the company is also planning to launch brick-and-mortar stores with updated store designs that include touchscreens, smart mirrors, and AR foot comparison charts. Their extensive range of shoes includes athletics, sandals, casuals, boots, and dress shoes for every member of the family.
Airwalk is the sneaker that became their bestseller this year. Women bought the LEGACEE and CONCUR, while men preferred the GUSTO. Among the younger crowd, girls preferred the GUSTO, and boys the LEGACEE.
Shoes.com
Shoes.com specializes in athletic, comfort, and casual footwear through its easy-to-navigate website. Here the whole family can conveniently choose the shoes to match their lifestyle.
In keeping with consumer trends this year, their top seller this winter was the Skechers GOwalk Joy Slip On for women. Men’s loafers dropped in sales since home became the new office, but men also chose Sketchers for around the home. These included the Gomel Slip On Sneaker and the Creston Moseco Loafer.
The Brooks Ghost Running Shoe was very popular with men, whereas women opted for the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21.
Providing the ultimate shopping experience
The decisive rise in virtual shopping in 2020 has seen some exciting developments in the footwear industry. Shoe retailers and manufacturers showed they are ready to meet the demands of their consumers by creating a strong foothold in the online market, and consumers preferred to stay away from physical locations. This is a trend expected to continue for a while.
Avoiding online scams is very important for online shoppers, and this can be done with just a few easy steps. First and foremost, it is important for internet users to check the identity of the seller, especially if they have not used the website before. Internet users can do this by checking if the website does exist.
During the shopping process, the user must observe if the Website has a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. During the payment stage, this is obvious because a locket and the letters “https” are displayed in the address bar.
Online shoe retailers mostly have excellent refund policies for items returned within the warranty time and have not been misused. The items must still have the tags on and cannot be worn or washed.
Credit cards and PayPal are the most popular payment methods used when consumers buy footwear online. These methods are safe when used correctly. Any website that asks for anything more than the basic payment details is suspicious, and a consumer is never asked for their social security number or safety codes.
Most payment processors offer buyer protection which assures consumers are covered for the full purchase price and any postage charges. This is an amazing way to protect them from items that may not arrive or are different from what they expected.
The footwear retail market will continue to grow in 2021, and retailers all appear well-geared to meet the demands of consumers, no matter their shoe preferences.
