Consumer interest in loungewear, lingerie and activewear surges amid lockdown

The current lockdown measures implemented across the globe are changing people’s shopping behaviors, with consumers showing a marked increase in certain items including loungewear, lingerie, activewear, beauty and home decor.

Last month, prime minister Boris Johnson announced the immediate closure of all ‘non-essential’ stores across the country in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

By the end of March, more than 100 countries had implemented either full or partial lockdowns, affecting billions.

Unsurprisingly, the situation has caused a marked change in consumers’ shopping behaviour, with people no longer searching for partywear or formalwear - afterall, they have no occasions to wear them to.

But that doesn't mean shoppers have lost interest. According to online search platform Stylight, there was a 27 percent overall increase in its US saving products on their wish-lists in March, indicating that they are perhaps planning ahead for more certain times.

And the current circumstances have seen a surge in interest in certain categories as people adapt to their new routine of staying at home.

Shoppers looking for comfortability and practicality

Certain categories, like loungewear, for example, are surging in popularity. Both hoodies (13 percent) and sweatpants (26.5 percent) registered an increase in clicks over the last two weeks of March, according to Stylight.

Shoppers are also interested in activewear as they look for ways to stay healthy at home. Both leggings (15 percent) and sports bras (29 percent) grew in clicks over the same period.

Clicks on lingerie increased by 55 percent in the last 3 weeks of March, with underwear the number one most clicked category in the US for the entire month.

Additionally, Stylight reported an increase in clicks on beauty products such as nailpolishes (25 percent) and face masks (24 percent), as well as home decor products (30.7 percent) in the final two weeks of last month.

Stylight’s report was based on its internal data collected from 12 million monthly users across all its international platforms.

Photo credit: Lululemon