Retail Lab: Let’s talk about trends.
This week I’m talking about why trends matter for the long term, the big problem they can create, Pantone’s colour of the year, and the 2025 trends to have on your radar.
Trends are vital for customers and retailers because they can act as an anchor in an otherwise fluid and fast-moving sector.
For customers, trends provide the opportunity for a refresh, they can give them a buying-in point, get them excited, create a sense of fitting in and be aspirational, leading them to shop and be excited about purchases.
On the flip side, retailers who buy in to trends and spin them in their unique way to match their customers’ demands prove they not lagging behind; adopting trends also allows them to anchor products and compete with competitors, and they can create a point of difference by interpreting trends through their own brand lens to create something unique that appeals to their customers.
Perhaps most importantly, trends also keep brands fresh, foster innovation and design creativity and keep customers coming back for repeat purchases, building loyalty and brand longevity.
Momentary trends v trend-led products
The biggest problem with retail trends is that they can be short lived and create excess stock once they fall out of favour, and in a landscape of overconsumption and overproduction, customers are looking for longevity as sustainability becomes increasingly important.
But I think it’s important to make a distinction between “momentary trends” and “trend-led” products.
“Momentary trends” can be problematic for customers and retailers because are they are linked to a fleeting moment and can lead to impulse purchases and excess markdown stock, both of which are more likely to end up in landfill . For example, music events and Halloween often lead to snap purchases of one-wear items that are soon discarded.
Trend-led products however, can create continuity and longevity in a product strategy across multiple seasons, as designers and buyers update existing best-sellers to fit a new and evolving creative brief.
This space is often where pronouncements like Pantone’s colour of the year fits in.
Pantone’s Colour of The Year 2025
For 2025, this is mocha mousse. Whilst it may not have been everyone’s pick, here’s why it’s the perfect choice.
In fashion, separates in muted, adjacent shades can be multifunctional, easy to wear, simple to merchandise in store, and won’t look dated if they are carried forward to future seasons. It’s also a shade that lends itself well to different textures (leather, faux-fur, mock croc, velvet etc), giving designers creative freedom.
In beauty, warm neutrals are the building blocks of most looks. From this neutral Summer Fridays lip balm set to neutral eyeshadow palettes, browns are perfect as a base and essential if you want to add a pop of coloured liner or a bold lip.
In short, mocha mousse is versatile, chic and intentionally bland to encourage creativity. It’s an antidote to the age of extremes we’re currently living in, providing a softness, warmth and comfort that many brands can incorporate in to their existing product strategy.
In fact, it’s a trend we’re already seeing on the high street in loungewear and relaxed clothing edits where the brief is “polished, but make it comfortable, wearable and easy to personalise for individual style”.
Most importantly? Brown is a timeless colour that won’t look dated beyond 2025, which for retailers translates in to stock longevity and reduces markdown risk.
My trend predictions for 2025
Here are the trends I think will define fashion, beauty and retail in 2025.
Fashion
Polka Dots are going to be everywhere in 2025. They’re easy to style in clothing and lend themselves well to print mixing. They’re also timeless so retailers don’t need to panic about excess stock.
Hair accessories have been big for a while but we’re seeing bows, headbands and jewel-encrusted clips having a maximalist moment. These are a low-risk, low price investment for retailers and the perfect way for customers to buy in to a trend at an entry price-point.
Western looks are coming through and this could be a problem for customers and retailers as it’s the perfect example of a flash in the pan trend that I think is hard to style and tricky to sell en masse.
Beauty
Beauty bundles and routines are big business because they make life easier for customers who can buy a one and done box for all their needs, and that’s the real trend that we will see in 2025 and beyond. Charlotte Tilbury, Kylie Skin, and Summer Fridays are all selling kits that customers can try before buying in to the full size products. Trinny London is another brand selling customers an entire routine. All in all, it’s a clever move to build loyalty, encourage repeat purchases and build loyalty in a space where customers often don’t spend with just one brand.
Bodycare is set to be big business in 2025 as we look to upgrade more than just our facial skincare. Sol de Janeiro Jet Sets have been everywhere since the last quarter of 2024, and Naturium is showing us that body care can be just as exciting as face care.
Lip products were huge in 2024, and that trend is here to stay. As you can see from the photo below, every single type of lip product is now available for purchase, so whether you’re looking for oils, masks, balms, lipstick in any finish, your favourite brand likely does them all. FYI Space NK sells one lip product a minute in case you needed convincing that this is a trend.
Multi use products will be increasingly popular. As customers look to streamline their beauty routine they want products that pack a punch and deliver real results with minimal effort, which explains why Merit who market less fuss and more impact with their end-to-end routine has been such a success.
Retail
Buying less, buying better. Cutting down on excess is coming through as an influencer led trend and it looks to be taking off with environmentally-conscious customers, too as decluttering is seen as therapeutic and integral to make better style choices. Does this mean we’re heading back to capsule wardrobe content and creation? Perhaps. I think we will see increased focus on details at the more prestige retailers like ME + EM as they convince us that their pricier, versatile products are worth the long term investment.
Experiential shopping and merging food with fashion and beauty. British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson recently commented that "shopping habits have been changing fast and customers are increasingly looking for more experiential shopping.” This is where branded cafés, pop-ups and experiences will create customer excitement and loyalty.
That’s my list, but which trends have you spotted and what are you excited for 2025 in fashion, beauty and retail?